Sunday, May 31, 2009

c'est un petit monde

brooklyn, ny

while i nod to the underlying notion perpetuated by the overlords at disney, i find myself in disagreement with one of its signature catchphrases. sure, the concept that the world is small is lovely in all its implications for peace and understanding and acknowledgment of our common biology. but it is not a small world, after all. au contraire, it is big. downright massive, come to think of it.

we hear terms such as 'globalization' and phrases like 'the world is flat' which only serve to further mislead us. we can conduct a fantasy baseball draft in jakarta and skype from sudan, but there is no substitution for the sights, sounds, textures, and, of course, smells that come from passing through the various depots of the world. and there never will be. consider this my opportunity to sample some of the sensoral offerings of a few of earth's lesser known corners.

over the next three months, i will set out to create two minor squiggles on the great etch-a-sketch that is this planet. the first will be through west africa, just south of the great sahara, where i will take a circuitous route to see an old friend serving in the peace corps. the second will be through the indian subcontinent, a place that has enchanted me for years and whose sight will be a dream come true for these eyes.

so before i put my recently acquired master's degree to use, before i use the right action verbs on the resume and button my shirts a little higher than i would care, i figure that i deserve an adventure. i'm going to do what vagabonds do best and see two sinewy slices of this wonderful world i was born into.

i hope that some of you can follow along and share your thoughts and, of course, Mom: i will be safe.