Stacy Wynn's blog

The Coliseum

It was the first time I had traveled with my family outside of the country. I had arranged our schedules so that all three of my busy children would be able to join us. We picked the destination, Rome, Florence, and Venice, we booked the hotels, all four star lodging, we verified the flights, round trip non-stop, and we were on our way to Italy. The flight was smooth and when we arrived we were jet lagged and tired. We settled into the hotel and decided to do some spontaneous exploring. We wandered through the piazzas of Rome until we happened upon a small and quaint restaurant where we unanimously decided to stop at for some much needed nourishment. We looked over the menu a couple of times and finally placed our orders. Pizza, pasta, and pollo filled the table but there was still enough room to breath. It was not like those American portions where one order could feed nearly three fully-grown adults. It was a pleasant lunch and a perfect way to begin our week of family time.

After a full nights rest we were all energized to begin our Roman experience. Everyone except for my youngest son, Jonathan. He was not in the mood to walk around these foreign streets and explore a new city. He would much rather be back home in New York playing video games with his friends instead of strolling around one of the most beautiful cities on Earth with his parents and sisters. It was that teenage phase and I couldn’t take it personally.

After some persuading we convinced the entire family to come on the tour that I had set up. We had our own personal guide for the day and she took us around to all the famous and hidden sites in Rome. Despite her thick Italian accent, we were able to understand most of what she said. She told us all about The Pantheon, The Trevi Fountain, The Roman Forum, and the Vatican City. We stopped at these monumental locales and were all in awe at the beauty. That is all except for my youngest son. It seemed as if he was totally unaffected by all this exquisiteness and history that was living and breathing around him. He didn’t seem impressed or excited and I felt a sense disappointment in him. He was beginning to complain his way through all of Rome and it was difficult for me to comprehend how someone couldn’t adore these striking sights.

Then we approached our final spot of the day. The Coliseum. It is perhaps the most famous spot in all of Italy. As we walked through the Coliseum and saw the rubble that used to house dangerous gladiator games, our guide began to tell the stories of the events that took place on the very ground we were walking on. It was unbelievable and just as I turned to share my feelings of amazement I looked into the face of my youngest son and saw his jaw hanging open, eyes widened and the first smile I had seen grace his face since we landed in Italy. I could tell, call it mothers intuition, that he was finally enjoying himself and completely in awe at the ancient architecture that he was amidst. He looked at me and whispered, “this is so cool”, and I knew in that very moment that the entire trip was a success and my son was finally able to appreciate the beauty that was all around him.

On the Way to Gebel

In the novel, The Journey of Ibn Fattouma by Naguib Mahfouz, the main character leaves him homeland in search of the sacred and mysterious land of Gebel. Along the way, Ibn Fattouma is immersed in many different societies, which teach him various ways in which people conduct their lives. He has many moments of clarity but perhaps the strongest moment comes when he sees the land of Gebel for the first time. On page 146, he states, “It was no longer a dream but a reality, a reality that was close at hand”. At this moment Ibn Fattouma confirms that the land of Gebel does in fact exist. Although this notion was questioned throughout the novel, this moment illuminates the fact that Ibn Fattouma finally made it to the land of Gebel.

Even though the land of Gebel is never explicitly discussed at the end of the novel, the mere fact that we know it exists and Fattouma made it there gives the novel some sort of closure. Whether it is the “land of perfection” like Ibn believes or just another society with both positive and negative elements we will never know for sure. After all his experiences in other societies just the idea of reaching his final destination is a part of the peak experience.

Before Ibn makes it to his final destination, his journey is long and arduous. At many points he questions whether he should simply give up and return to his homeland without reaching Gebel. Nevertheless, he continues to persevere and learns a lot along the way. Once he finally reaches Gebel, Ibn is illuminated to the fact that his trip was a success. It is a feeling of relief for Ibn that he had achieved what he set out to do. Although we don’t know what Ibn Fattouma encounters when he arrives at Gebel, we do know that in this moment of clarity Fattouma is content with himself for finishing what he started. This epiphany, that the land of Gebel does in fact exist, is one that allows Ibn Fattouma to continue with his travels. He notes that the journey up to the mainland would be long and strenuous but he was going to venture up anyway in order to see Gebel with his own eyes.

The journal that Ibn Fattouma leaves with the master of the caravan after he decides to continue on to Gebel, could also be seen as some sort of an epiphany. At the end of his journey, when he realizes that he may never make it back to his homeland, he decides to write down everything he has been through in order to tell his story to others. The idea that Ibn Fattouma questions whether he will return home shows that he is thinking rationally about what he is about to do. He wants to share his story and the things he learned with others therefore he writes down his thoughts and sends them back to his homeland. This is a moment of illumination for Ibn because it reinforces the idea that he may never return from Gebel yet he still wants to complete his journey and share his experiences.

The epiphanies experienced in the novel, The Journey of Ibn Fattouma, are interesting in many ways. Although the novel does have many references to and epiphanies about religion I found the epiphanies regarding the land of Gebel to be equally as compelling. The novel was so focused on Ibn Fattouma’s journey to Gebel therefore when he finally reached his ideal destination he was once again illuminated to a completely new world.

De Chirico Painting: Something Slightly Off

"Like a de Chirico painting, the book captures a reality 'one step out of line, a cardigan with the buttons done up wrong.'"

As I began to read Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami I was very much intrigued by the characters and story line. The narrator, identified only as “K”, presented his friend Sumire in a somewhat mysterious way. I found myself wanting to learn more about her and waiting to see what she would do next. This story is more of a science fiction take on travel. Unlike the other novels we have studied, this story seemed to be far off from reality. The story begins to take a strange turn when Miu, Sumire’s boss and love interest, frantically calls the narrator and begs him to immediately leave Japan for Greece, where the two had been traveling for work when Sumire mysteriously vanished from the island. The narrator shows that he truly cares for Sumire when he puts his own life on hold in order to aid in the search for his friend.

When “K” arrives to the island he tries to gather all the facts about the situation from Miu and documents, which Sumire had recently written. These accounts don’t necessarily lead him to Sumire but they do tell a lot about the relationship between her and her boss. Sumire disappeared the day after she approached Miu in a sexual nature and was immediately shut down. Perhaps this disappointment caused Sumire to flee, or perhaps she never did flee and was taken against her will. The fact that we never find out what really happened to Sumire means that Murakami wanted his reader’s mind to wander. He wanted his reader to begin to speculate about what happened to the heroine of the novel. And in this way he was successful.

For the remainder of the novel, after we find out of Sumire’s disappearance, I was constantly wondering what happened, how it happened and perhaps most obviously where was Sumire? Having these questions constantly streaming through my mind made the book exciting to read. I continued the novel “at the edge of my seat”. With each turn of the page I was hopping to get an insight into what happened to Sumire. But, much to my dismay, I, along with other readers never found out what really happened.

The only glimpse into her disappearance comes at the end of the novel when Sumire calls the narrator from a random phone booth in the middle of the night. This scene was very strange to read and understand. “K” acted very nonchalantly towards his friend whom he had thought to be gone for good. When Sumire exclaims that she is back the narrator simply responds by saying “that’s good” (p.208). This response definitely did not align with his previous sentiments towards Sumire. Instead of asking loads of questions about what had transpired or acting excited to hear from a long lost friend the narrator acts as if this was just an ordinary one of Sumire’s middle of the night calls. For me, this threw the story off a little. It made me question everything that had happened in the past two hundred pages. Perhaps Murakami included this scene in order to give his reader this exact feeling of confusion and slight discomfort, which forces them to constantly question the unknown.

Dictionary

This semester we have read and studied many travel novels with similar themes and ideas. Each novel had different characters and journeys but still maintained a more or less traditional form. Therefore when I began to read A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo, I was pleasantly surprised by its totally untraditional style. The book was set up like a dictionary. Instead of chapter titles or numbers, the author used English words as a means of introduction to the section of the story she was about to tell. This stylistic approach was unique and intriguing and gave the story a new dimension.

The main character in this story, Zhuang Xiao Qiao, introduces herself to the people she meets simply as Z. Instead of allowing them to butcher her name, in a way she beats them to the punch and gives herself a simple nickname. Z is traveling to London in order to enhance her English skills. Her lack of knowledge of English is evident in the dialect used in the novel. Instead of writing the story in perfect English the author maintains the slight errors, which gives the book a more authentic feel. It seemed as if the story was really coming from the mouth of a woman who was just learning English for the first time. This style gave the book a somewhat blunt undertone. The author was completely honest about her feelings towards western culture. Instead of sugar coating her sentiments to please the reader she told things the way they were. At times her comments were comical because they so bluntly described different phenomenons, which we deal with on a daily basis.

Z was traveling in order to learn about English and gain new life experiences. This reason is so different from the other travelers and tourists we have read about thus far. I found that her reasons for travel were much more modern and relatable to me. Z was genuinely interested in learning about things outside of her native China. It is clear that Z had a desire to learn and grow from her travels, because at many points in the novel she takes out her own “Concise Chinese-English Dictionary” and looks up words she hears. Instead of merely listening to the words and not retaining their meaning, Z takes the time to learn the word and use it in her own life. This shows her thirst for knowledge and reinforces her reasons for traveling abroad.

I believe that this is a reason that many people travel today. Although some people do still travel in search of that “something better” or for bragging rights among their friends, I think that many people, especially young travelers, opt to venture abroad in search of knowledge. Through travel Z was exposed to a whole new world. Even after her trip was over, she returned to China and started a new life for herself. I think that once a person is exposed and immersed in a new society and way of life it is difficult for them to return to their lifestyles back home. It is much easier to live contently when we know no other way. But, once a person is exposed to a new way of living it is natural to reevaluate his home life and make changes accordingly.

Utopia?

In the novel, The Journey of Ibn Fattouma by Naguib Mahfouz, the title character represents a traditional traveler. Ibn Fattouma is a young man who leaves his homeland in search of the mysterious and unknown land of Gebel. Fattouma travels through different lands with the ultimate desire to make it to Gebel and learn how to create and live in a truly utopic society. On his journey to Gebel, Ibn Fattouma encounters many things that both surprise and enlighten him. He travels through different societies and learns that not every land operates in the same manner. At first he is defensive and contesting towards new ideas but as his journey progresses he become more genuinely interested in these foreign concepts which help him to grow as an individual. Through this realization, Ibn Fattouma is able to learn and grow from his experiences, which are key traits of the traditional traveler.

Ibn Fattouma begins his journey in the land of Mashriq. For me, this land symbolizes a more primitive and old-fashioned society. It is a Pagan, matriarchal society where its inhabitants opt to wear little clothing while going about their daily lives. All of these characteristics make Mashriq appear to be somewhat undeveloped and not modern. As Ibn Fattouma continues on his journey he stops at other places which each give him a new outlook on society as a whole. It is Ibn Fattouma’s goal to learn the principles and practices of new places in order to bring them back to his homeland. In doing this, he hopes it will enhance the lives of his native people and make them a stronger society. Many people travel in order to learn what its like to live another way. People are innately curious about other cultures and societies, which gives them an urge to travel as a means of education.

Among the many concepts that Ibn Fattouma is educated about perhaps religion is the most prevalent. In the first destination, Mashriq, its inhabitants worship the moon. This is far different from the second land, Haira, where its people worship god as their king. These contrasting ideas of religious worship allow Ibn Fattouma to reevaluate his own religious beliefs. In a way, this is all apart of the journey to finding utopia. Each of the destinations that Ibn Fattouma visits gives him glimpses into different ways of life. In each of the lands the people seem to be content with the way they lead their lives. This allows Fattouma and the reader to see that different things can make different people happy. Even though a practice may seem ludicrous to one person, another person may see it as a positive idea.

I think that Mahfouz intentionally left the ending and description of Gebel ambiguous in order to force his reader to pick his or her own utopia. If the author added a chapter entitled “The Land of Gebel”, Mahfouz would be in essence telling his reader what they should categorize as utopia. To me, the idea of utopia is personal and different for every individual. Mahfouz successfully presents a myriad of societies and then leaves it up to the reader to chose which one is closest to utopia.

Baggage

In Erik Cohen’s article “A Phenomenology of Tourist Experiences” he uses the recurring theme of a society’s “centre” in order to discuss the variety of experiences that tourists can have while on their travels. To me, this idea of one’s quest for a centre was interesting and extremely relatable to the travel novels we have studied. Many of the ideas that Cohen presented made me think back to Jack Kerouac’s novel, On the Road. I found myself questioning which type of traveler Sal Paradise would be classified as.

Throughout the novel, On the Road, Sal exhibits traits of a diversionary mode of travel. He is searching for something, although it is never quite clear what. Perhaps Sal was simply looking for an adventure or a way to spend his time but nevertheless he appears to be traveling for “mere escape from the boredom and meaninglessness of routine” (Cohen 185). Sal constantly heads out on the road in search of something new. Whenever he feels like he is beginning to fall into some sort of a routine in New York, he picks up and travels across the country with no plan in mind. Cohen describes a diversionary traveler as a person not looking for meaning. This type of traveler simply moves around in order to get away from his own life. He picks up and leaves because he is not content with his own life. After all, Sal first begins his travels after going through a divorce. People see traveling as a means of running away from one’s problems and starting fresh in a new location. In reality, even for the diversionary traveler, problems follow a person wherever they go and if not they are still waiting when the tourist returns home.

Another interesting discussion of Erik Cohen’s article is his articulation of the traveler’s search for authenticity. While reading this section I was reminded of the novel The Sun Also Rises. When Jake Barnes, who would be defined by Cohen as an existential traveler, enters a restaurant in Paris he notes that it was crowded with Americans because “someone had put it in the American Women’s Club list as a quaint restaurant on the Paris quais as yet untouched by Americans” (Hemingway 82). This idea is illustrating Cohen’s assertion that “tourist attractions ‘stage authenticity’” (Cohen 187). In this case tourists flock to a restaurant that is said to be an authentic slice of Parisian culture but in fact, because of all the tourists at the restaurant it is no longer authentic. Jake notes the aspects, such as the “bill chalked up the same as ever on a slate” (Hemingway 82), which are supposed to emit a sense of authenticity. He says that this is a part of the restaurants “quaint” quality. But, if these aspects are forced in order to appease the tourist population are they truly authentic?

This idea of staging authenticity is prevalent in many novels and definitely a part of the tourist culture. Many heavily tourist locales are made to feel authentic but at the same time they retain some sense of modernity in order to make the visitors feel as if they are on vacation. In order to find a truly authentic experience it is usually necessary to move away from popular locations, which can put people outside of their comfort zones. This quest for authentic experiences can stem from a number of factors. Cohen states that “the desire for experiences far beyond the limits of the traveler’s own cultural realm; indeed, it is often sheer strangeness and novelty of other landscapes, lifeways, and cultures which chiefly attract the tourist” (Cohen 188). The traveler yearns for something new and exciting through his travels. He wants to experience things that he wouldn’t be able to at home. Whether the traveler is searching for an authentic experience or merely on a recreational vacation, according to Cohen each type of traveler exhibits distinct qualities, which make their experiences abroad rather contrasting.

Lost Tourists

While reading Ian McEwan’s novel, The Comfort of Strangers, I couldn’t help but feel anything but comfortable. This story follows Mary and Colin on a journey abroad. While lost one night in the winding streets of the city they encounter a native man named Robert. Robert is eager to help the young couple and offers them his hospitality. Robert is almost too eager to help these two tourists. Why would a native be so interested in two foreigners without some sort of ulterior motive in mind? This may be a pessimistic attitude but it is necessary for tourists to exercise caution while abroad. It is interesting that the couple is so trusting of this complete stranger that they follow him to his bar and later his house and nothing is ever the same.

On page 106, Colin says to Robert “the thing about a successful holiday is that it makes you want to go home”. This statement is true for many tourists and rarely true for travelers. Tourists and travelers differ in many ways. A traveler is usually gone for an undecided amount of time. They can come and go as they please because most of the time they are searching for something in their travels. On the other hand, a tourist is a person who is usually traveling for a certain amount of time and has a life to return to at home. While on their vacation tourists usually mingle with other tourists and rarely encounter “authentic” experiences. At the end of many vacations, tourists look forward to returning home. After being away from their normal lives they come to appreciate what they have. In a way, they want that scheduled and comfortable life back while many travelers long for uncertainty and spontaneity.

Mary and Colin are undoubtedly tourists. They are only on vacation for a couple of days and they constantly get lost in the city they are visiting. They are always seen walking around the city streets with their eyes glued to their maps. Can you imaging Jake Barnes from The Sun Also Rises, a definite traveler, wandering around the Parisian streets with a map in his hands? No. Travelers are more confident and proud of their knowledge of the place they are visiting. While tourists are sometimes wary of a new and strange location, therefore they stay in “touristy” areas where they can find some sort of comfort.

Perhaps Mary and Colin should have been a little bit more wary of the people they encountered. When Robert insists that they return with him to his house to meet his wife, Caroline, the couple gives a bit of resistance but in the end spends the night at his home. In today’s world this would be seen as a ludicrous thing to do. It is not only irresponsible to trust complete strangers but it is also irrational. For many tourists it is easy to be taken advantage of while in a foreign locale. Whether it is being overcharged for a tee shirt on the street or ripped off by a taxi driver who takes the longest route possible, it is always important for tourists to be aware of their surroundings and smart with their decisions.

The Soloist

While reading the many novels assigned for class, it is inevitable for one to begin to compare and contrast the myriad of books at hand. In Thomas Mann’s novella, Death in Venice, there is one stark difference that sets it apart from the other stories we have previously studied. In this novella the main character, Gustav von Aschenbach, travels alone. Aschenbach doesn’t travel with a group of boisterous friends like Jake Barnes in The Sun Also Rises nor does he journey along with his wife and friend like Port Morseby in The Sheltering Sky. Conversely, this protagonist ventures into foreign territory completely alone.

While on his trip to Venice, Aschenbach doesn’t really interact with many people besides those that are in service to him. He is never really seen engaging in friendly conversation with others whether they are natives or fellow travelers. While at the Hôtel des Bains, Aschenbach takes a strong and somewhat creepy liking to a young Polish boy dubbed Tadzio. Aschenbach notes that he is beautiful and begins to follow him around Venice. His relationship with Tadzio merely consists of admiring him from afar. He never has any communication with the boy. For me, this relationship was rather strange. It was odd to see a grown man become so infatuated with the beauty of a young boy. Perhaps, Aschenbach’s lack of human interaction caused this strange obsession to arise. Without a connection with other human beings it is difficult for one to remain sane. Furthermore, his lack of travel companions allows him act in this strange manner because there is no one there to tell him that what he is doing is odd. Without this “voice of reason”, that many travel companions can act as, Aschenbach may not even be aware that his feelings for Tadzio are rather peculiar.

We have had many discussions in class about the idea of travel companions. It is important to choice trustworthy companions when traveling into uncertain and unfamiliar territories. I think it is interesting to read a story where the main character is traveling solo. Aschenbach is given a sense of freedom with this solitude. He doesn’t have to confer with anyone else when making decisions. For example, when Aschenbach decided to turn back around and return to Venice, he didn’t have to make sure this decision was okay with another person rather, he decided what he wanted to do and then did it.

In my opinion, there are both positives and negatives to traveling on ones own. In a way it gives the traveler a sense of detachment and freedom from the world. It allows them to be spontaneous and act upon any whim they might have. But, at the same time it can also bring about a feeling of intense loneliness. Without another person there to share the beautiful sights of the destination, how much can they really mean to the traveler?

In a way I feel that this sense of freedom and detachment from others is what many characters in travel novels long for. The feeling of self-control and independence is a common idea that is yearned for by many people who choose to travel in pursuit of a purpose in life. Perhaps, people who long for self-discovery should simply go about their traveling in complete solitude.

Searching for Somewhere New

While reading the novel “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, I couldn’t help but think about the idea that it is all about the journey rather than the destination. At so many times throughout the novel Sal gets excited about “going West” because he thinks that he will find meaning and friendship while there. Sal is constantly searching for something new. New people and places intrigue him but once he is there for a certain amount of time, and has exhausted all the local bars and clubs, he decides to head out on the road once again in search of a new destination. In a way Sal is never really satisfied with what he finds while out West because nothing can live up to his idealized image. When the place doesn’t live up to his unrealistic expectations he decides to flee in search of something bigger and better.

This constant traveling and searching makes Sal somewhat reminiscent of a nomad. He doesn’t really have a place where he feels most comfortable thus the constant moving around. It is never made clear what Sal was exactly searching for through his journeys to the West. But, from what I can deduce I think that Sal was looking for something to make his life important. He makes many mentions about finding a girl. I think that he wants this relationship in order to have someone who unconditionally relies on him and gives a reason to settle down.

I also think that Sal is looking for camaraderie. He uses the phrase “the gang” many times in the novel. This term makes it seem like Sal wants to appear to belong to a group, but in reality since he constantly moves around he is not able to find any true friends. This is evident in his friendship with Dean Moriarity. Their relationship is interesting and definitely strange. Dean is a man who uses his background as an excuse for his bad behavior. Even though he does come from a difficult upbringing it doesn’t really give him a reason to treat his friend the way he does. When Sal and Dean are driving through Bakersfield (p. 157), Sal tries to tell Dean a story but he is too “excited” to even notice that Sal is speaking. I think that this is in a way the epitome of their friendship. Dean doesn’t treat Sal like a true friend yet Sal still has such a strong desire to become close with Dean. I think that this desire stems from Deans carefree attitude. Perhaps Sal admires this quality and thinks that by spending time with Dean he might become more like him.

Living one’s life constantly “on the road” is a difficult way to create a stable life. Throughout the novel, it seems as if Sal Paradise was most happy when he was on the journey rather than at the destination. His time on the road was completely spontaneous and unplanned. Sal had no idea what would happen as he hitchhiked his way across the country. I think that this feeling of spontaneity is what Sal ultimately desired in his life.

Can anybody understand me?

While reading the novel, The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, I felt as if I was reading a horror story rather than a travel novel. For the trio of travelers in the novel everything that could go wrong does. With every new leg of their journey through Africa the travelers go further into an unknown land where they come into contact with so many frightening situations that lead me to pose many questions. How did these American travelers get themselves into such a dark and frightening mess? There are many places to put this blame, but perhaps the most interesting and prevalent theory is to blame the lack of communication present between the natives and the travelers.

There are many instances in the novel when Bowles includes fragments of the “native tongue” when discussing encounters the travelers experienced. He includes words like “stenna” and “chouia” (p. 264), which are presumably from the native language of that region, in order to make the reader feel a sense of discomfort with what is transpiring among the travelers we follow. Most likely the majority of Bowles readers could not have understood these words. So, why include them? I think that by adding these unrecognizable words in his dialogue, Bowles is bringing the reader into the world of his characters. Reading these unknown words may give the reader the same feeling that Port, Kit, and Tunner had when they heard these statements. It brings about an uneasy feeling to not be able to understand what the people around you are saying. The inclusion of this linguistic barrier links the emotions of the characters with those of the readers.

When Kit spends her time with Belqassim there is virtually no sound communication between the two. For me this is when the novel reaches its darkest point. Kit is alone in a foreign land with a group of people who she cannot understand and who cannot understand her. This sentiment is scary and isolating for any human being. Without that line of communication it is difficult, if not impossible, to know that both parties are on the same page. Kit could have been agreeing to things she didn’t necessarily want because of this huge language barrier. Without knowing exactly what Belqassim was saying, Kit was put in a vulnerable position.

For many people a language barrier can be a huge disadvantage while living or traveling in a foreign locale. In this novel this barrier became a crippling division and morphed Port, Kit, and Tunner’s trip to Africa into a true horror story.