Hidden Signs in Photos

Posted on February 13, 2013 by antitouristtraveler under Uncategorized

An In-Depth Look at What’s Lurking in the Background of Your Photos

Do you ever get home, look at your photos for the first time on a large computer screen, and then notice details you never before saw? What’s that in the background? What is he motioning? How could she be…OH my GO–! I know I see odd things upon closer inspection, and I wanted to clue you in on exactly what I found. Throughout my thousands of photos taken throughout 9 different countries in 2012, you can imagine that photobombs were so tame in the scheme of things, they didn’t even make the cut.

Let’s start off with a fairly normal photo (and you can read through and then click to enlarge the photos, running through a slideshow all at once) so you can be as shocked and awed as I was.

Take a look here (below). Can’t see much except a sand hill, right? Wrong, naturally.

Let’s look closer (below):

Yeah, weird…I didn’t know Mr. Revere was even still alive! Or that he visited India! So honored though.

Let’s take a glance at a new photo (below) from Nepal:

Big whoop, you say. A guy is asking for directions. But look closer now (below).

Holy eep, man

And this was one of the small riots, too. Naturally someone was killed here later that afternoon, but I was safe and long gone by that time.

Okay okay, let’s get a bit more light-hearted. Here’s a photo I took of the incredible mountains of Thailand (below):

And now, with the details you missed or perhaps weren’t even aware of!

Oh, that’s…hmm. Maybe not so light-hearted.

You get the idea now. Since I know you’ve caught on, I’ll only include just the labeled photos for your viewing convenience. And because you’re probably still wondering about this post’s photo header (you weren’t), here’s the “background” on that one (below) too:

Thanks for warmly welcoming me to India, ma’am.

Here’s a guy who went out of his way to welcome me to India (below):

Thank you. I know I’m laughing in the photo but I was so, so frightened. Trauma? You bet your bottom dollar!

Moving on to a treasure hunt in Singapore (below):

And now back to a sign in the mountains of Nepal (below):

Oops.

Oh, you’ll like this one. Rad motorcycle tricks by a student of mine and his bro in India, bro (below)!

And another typical scene from my second Indian apartment’s front yard (below):

Just commenting, people, not judging. Calm down.

Nothing odd about this one, actually (below):

And while we’re on the animal theme…here I am in northern Nepal (below):

I, too, am saddened by this photo. And I thought being called a pig was an upgrade over heifer.

Last but not least, here I am during a huge conference of ours in India. I didn’t know what I was getting into when asked to pose for a photo (below).

Needless to say, I had to weed guys out and only ended up with 4 of ’em.

So I urge you, citizens of the world…go back through your photos. Look closely, examine, and see what’s under the surface. I’m sure you’ll be dismayed at your findings; I certainly was. Enjoy!

Coop

It’s Time for the Best Of 2012 Awards!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by antitouristtraveler under Uncategorized

Welcome to the Best Of 2012 Awards! And congrats on surviving reading my posts for the past year!

How do I sum up these crazy past months? If it were a Mastercard ad, it’d look something like this:

Three pieces of Maltese filigree jewelry: 27 Euros

Feeding Coop on a monthly basis: 14% of India’s national budget

Working and traveling through 9 countries, contracting at least 2 diseases, being on crutches for 50 days in a country already notorious for its non-sidewalks, standing where no foreigner has stood before, somersaulting down sand mountains, eating wild honeycomb, having Helen Mirren give your dress the once-over in the ladies’ room, and becoming a sought-after palm reader in northern India: priceless

That said, here are the best, the worst, and the why-did-you-feel-it-necessary-to-tell-us-that awards for 2012.

______________________________________________________________

Most awkward moment: I mean, everything. When none of the sarees at the wedding fit me? Picking apart the maggot-infested eggplants incorrectly? Having a stranger come up to you on the street and pull your Indian kurta down because you’re offending everyone? Being hit on by a married man–in front of all his relatives? Accidentally interrupting everyone at the temple who has come to get a blessing just because you’re a foreigner? Sinking into mud while rice farming because you weigh twice as much as the next man and woman combined? Explaining to your hosts that you can’t eat something because you’ll get massive diarrhea if you do? Saying no to a marriage proposal? I dunno, you tell me.

Most incredible view: Waking up with nomads to see snow-capped Himalayan peaks turn pink in the sunrise.

Best thing I ate: You expect me to list one thing? You gotta be kidding me. Here are a few of my favs:

Malaysia: Roti Canai with beef and chicken curry dip, of course

India: Sweet green onion-potato curry served with soft pouri; upma; peanuts from Ahmedabad, which were so good I had to give myself a daily ration. Until I noticed half of them had grubs inside (well, they tasted delicious at the time!); my coworker’s sister’s red pepper eggplant mash. Looked like poop, tasted awesome

Malta: Sfine?? bl-irkotta ??elwa (sweet ricotta-stuffed mini éclairs drenched in local honey). Ahhhh maaah gaaaawsh

The event people cannot stop talking about: Me in a dress at the red carpet 2012 European Film Awards. Compliments ranged from “not masculine” to “almost feminine.”

Best wildlife moment: Wild elephants that came out of the blue and stormed into a clearing below us–seen while hiking up a monolith in India. I mean, come on!

Only thought about my life: Wait, I have one?

Place to never visit again: Bangalore. Saw some pretty terrible stuff there, and plus, the city has little to offer in terms of being unique. Unless you want to try the McTikka “burger,” of course.

Moment I realized I was a cat lady: That did not happen in 2012.

When I came home from Malta, I was delighted to see… that my (much younger) little brother was loving college and not gaining too much more than the freshman fifty.

When I came home from Malta, I was saddened to see…that my mother was watching Gangnam Style.

Best comment from your boss: Me, to my boss while driving: “Have you noticed that there are a disproportionate number of, uh, little people on this island?” My boss: “You mean midgets? There must be a nest or something.”

Thing I’m still shocked about: How NYers are still the most interesting and simultaneously obnoxious people of the world. I need to get out of here.

Most uncomfortable sleep: That time in the Himalayas when I was sleeping in a hut with hay and no one who spoke a single word of English and then in the middle of the night a cow broke loose and wanted to snuggle and burst in and trampled our feet and because it was pitch black no one knew what was happening but because it was Asia no one particularly cared that some of us were now missing limbs and stuff. Yeah.

Best thing I never ate: The combo fried horse, quail, and rabbit platter. I think it was served with rice and cole slaw.

Most accurate word on what the Thai locals thought of me: Godzirra!

Best scuba diving experience: That was probably in Malta on the Um El Faroud, when we dove in and out of this underwater playground (as in the galley, an exploded part of the ship, a ladder escape, staircases) and then jumped off the bow of the boat, sinking down slowly to 35 meters in the most pure blue waters. Man, what a dive.

Best name: One of my students in India had the name Saddam Husen. I’m serious. We still chat online, and he’s such a lovely guy—and we have the same birthday. Adorable.

Best attempt at lowering my self-esteem: While a co-worker/friend (also from America) and I were visiting a student’s home, the guy’s uncle came out to meet us. He chatted for a few minutes, then looked down at us and back up. “You are fat,” he said. “What?” I asked, surprised at the sudden turn of events. “Fat. You’re fat. F…A…T.” he spelled out, assuming my “What?” had been me not understanding what he was saying. I tried to hold in my laughter, but it’s still a running joke there. If you get offended easily, do not come here.

Worst thing I ate: Santol, a tree fruit with the texture of cotton balls and an aftertaste of acid. When mixed with fish sauce, shrimp paste, cilantro, red pepper, and other goodies, the result is, I mean, how could it possibly be anything but horrendous? I tried it two different times, two bites each. Trust me. Don’t do it.

Best statistic: In 2012 I slept in 65 different places.

Best comment on that statistic: “Well, that’s less than a HOBO.”

Best crisis averted: I almost didn’t get gelato in Italy. But then, just minutes before I had to catch my train to the Pisa airport, I found a place and got half cream biscuit/half amaretto cherry, as picked by the guy serving me. My look of ecstasy at eating ice cream around 11:30 in the morning must have shown on my face, for two bikers whizzing past saw my cone, shouted, and nearly crashed. Awesome.

Thanks for reading! Here’s to the unknown of 2013…let’s hope it’s good.

2012: A Rather Serious Look Back

Posted on January 14, 2013 by antitouristtraveler under Uncategorized

Fact: My posts here on Anti-Tourist Traveler are sometimes rather lengthy.

Fact: The above statement is an understatement.

Fact: I sometimes like to write serious bits, and I’m about to do that. You came to be amused, you say? Hey, then don’t read it! Skip to my post above or click HERE if you’d rather see the not-so-serious year-end summary. Ready to cry? I warned you. Oh come on, I’m not THAT bad. Am I?

People seem to be under the impression that I did not work hard this year. Just because I post photos and stories of adventures—from my weekends—does not mean I am living care-free and flouncing about mountaintops and clouds seven days a week. I strictly limit that to four days a week, obviously. But in India I usually worked extremely stressful 10-, 12-, or even 14-hour workdays six days a week. In Malta, I was often up quite early researching and late writing, and had to sit down for hours every day interviewing, gathering information, forcing myself to write articles on the spot, and editing photos. Many times I was extremely ill while at work. Am I complaining? No, because I chose said jobs. Was it an experience? A lot of the time, yes! And sure—not many folks get to scuba dive on the job or conduct college workshops on innovation as “work,” but for that I sacrificed anything even moderately resembling a real paycheck, comfort, stability, or any sense of normalcy. I made these choices, and I’m pleased with them, but please don’t think I haven’t been working or have been living off of someone else’s dime.

People ask me when I’m going to actually get a real job and settle down, and to that, here’s what I have to say. 2012 has been a terrible year for so many people. There have been multiple mass shootings. Innocent children have been gunned down. I just learned that a childhood friend exactly my age was thrown from her horse and killed. Another friend of mine was found dead in his home this year. And I saw violent death more than once while abroad. Of course it changes you a little. Tragedy has been seemingly rampant in 2012, and these sad events really make you sit down and wonder. Life’s just too short to not be enjoying ourselves every day we can. At this point in my life, my years still aren’t about working all year with 10 days of freedom and perhaps a few sick days. I’ve made choices: Choices not to have kids, not to have a high-paying job, not to know what I’m doing a month or a year from now. Those are choices I’ve made that I’m pleased with, for what makes me happy–still–is exploring. 2012 has been the most incredible year of my life, but I ran through nearly every emotion possible. Who said my year’s been easy? I didn’t know if I’d walk normally again with my leg injury in India, and was alone and scared. I didn’t know what was wrong with me when I came back from Thailand and had to see four doctors with no real health insurance (and I’m still battling an extreme case of Lyme Disease). I earned virtually no money and sometimes didn’t know where I’d sleep at night. But again, this is the life I made for myself in 2012. Sustainable? No, but I’ve paid for it with my savings. I work hard in between my adventures to make the life I want for myself, so please don’t assume it’s been a.) easy, b.) free, or c.) lucky. We needn’t compare, because while jobs, marriage, and a family may be your thing, I used my time, money, and energy to make myself excited and happy. We’re going to have a different set of photos and stories to share from our years, and hopefully we’re both happy with that. We don’t have enough time in this lifetime to whine, to think what could have been, or to wish. We need to do what makes us excited to live, because we only have one chance at that.

Also, it’s gotten to the point where the fact that I don’t have a boyfriend, have not given birth, and do not have a stable job or income makes people actually think I’m not in control, but I see it as just the opposite. I’m not hurting anyone else and am making choices for myself. And please, don’t think that whether it’s amazing Facebook status updates or hundreds of baby photos, any of us are having fun 100% of the time. We as people don’t post the average; we only advertise the amazingly good or terribly bad. You won’t hear the stories of loneliness, money problems, fighting, or dilemmas we all go through on a daily basis, but in reality we all battle these things. In short, don’t assume. Just make sure you’re happy with your own life, and if you’re not, work on making changes.

People have talked about my Malta and Italy photos a whole lot more than anything else, which surprises me. I think it’s beach scenes, hiking views…accessible vistas that are different but not too far away from the unknown. My trip photos from India, Nepal, and Southeast Asia, however, draw far fewer comments. Why? I’m not sure, but perhaps it’s because it’s not very attainable. People aren’t about to go to those random, far-out places that require sketchy night buses, dangerous motorcycle rides up and down mountains in torrential rains, and uncomfortable nights alongside no one who speaks English. There are awesome places, people who look like they’re from another century, crazy bugs, and scenes that are just plain odd, but I’m guessing people can’t identify with them very well. It makes me feel bad, because I want to transport people with my photos and stories. I don’t know what I can do differently, but here’s an example of what I mean:

The most popular photos of the year, based on Anti-Tourist Traveler comments, Facebook comments, and friends who wouldn’t stop talking about me in the purple red-carpet event dress:

Some of my personal favorite photos of the year:

Notice the difference? Sunsets, me doing activities, me dressed up, food, and camels vs. portraits, moments, bugs, and scenes. Well, to each his own I suppose.

I’m still, STILL so shocked at how many people travel or live abroad, know “facts” about where they are, and still have not lived, really lived there. I understand to some degree; if I were living abroad for a substantial length of time, I’d want to be comfortable if possible. Still, hang out with locals and eat their food, even if it’s difficult. No one said living in a foreign place was easy. But travelers? If you’re going on a 2-week vacation to relax in the sun, fine, be that way. But if you’re going to a truly foreign place…why are you complaining? Isn’t the point to experience things, and to learn? I complain about rice and traditional clothing as much as the next gal, but when all is said and done I accept it and follow suit, whether it’s covering any exposed skin in 110 degree heat or not making out with my multiple husbands in public. But most people: Why are you partying like you would at home? Why are you all comfortable when, if you were really experiencing a place, you’d be with the locals and feel…well, awkward? You can feel at ease, but you should not feel as if you’re in your normal Western home. Doesn’t that beg the point of travel?

Now that my rant is over (Though there’s plenty more, so if I haven’t yet bored you, please–when you see me in person—ask anything! I love opposing viewpoints and am curious to hear your opinions), I leave you with a very long thank-you list. If not for everyone I met this year or re-visited—or kept in touch with while away—I don’t know what this all would have been like. To all of you: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

In no order whatsoever: Mady, Tobie, Larvin, Varun, Signe, Jared, Vic, Ola, Daniel, Jay, Anwar, Kristine, Claire, Paul, Ruth, Deepak, Rajesh, Sanit, Anshul, Gregor, Katia, Jay, Martin, Mithin, Rapunky, Rohit, Rohan, Roshan, Vadiraj, Vanessa, Krishnaveni, Polly, Whitney, Frida, Jimbo, Kate, Niel, James, Harpreet, Vinoth, Amir, Timothy, Reilly, the Bih, the Blem, Greg, Piero, Ron, Tim, Jennie, Katie, Gina, Omar, Brenna, Ana, Ken, Martijn, Kemal, Nina, Tanya, Marta, Niels, Roy, Brett, Colleen, Azeem, Jessi, Noel, Sally, Krishna, Amrut, Geeta, Shashi, Savio, Jibin, Jimmy, Chris, Jared, Sarah, David, Satvik, Shridhar, Lhakpa, Tsering, Tashi, Pasang, Billy, Sergio, Juan, and my wonderful, wonderful students of DFP7, DFP8, DSF3, DSF4, and DSK. You guys made my 2012.

Photos from Manarola, Cinque Terre, Italy: A Brief Stopover

Posted on January 10, 2013 by antitouristtraveler under Uncategorized

Disclaimer: I did something the Italy Anti-Tourist would be ashamed of: I visited several popular European spots. Well go on, read on–I had a good excuse!

On my way out of Malta, I had planned on stopping by to visit my friend Nicola in his native Italy. Why go back to New York straight away, I thought, if I could avoid the awful pre-Christmas atmosphere a little longer and get to see my old college friend–in Italy?

So off to Pisa I went after saying a sad goodbye to all my wonderful friends in Malta. The flight was beautiful. Not surprisingly, I’d gotten to know Malta quite well and could identify all the grottos, churches, and gorgeous spots the plane flew over before we got too high to recognize the creepy men anymore. Once in Italy, I caught a train to La Spezia and we had our reunion over some proper pizza (pictured below). Sorry, Malta, but you guys just don’t have a clue considering how close you are to this place.

We then took a late-night train to the Cinque Terre–specifically, Manarola. The oldest town of the Cinque Terre, it’s probably the most photographed as well, so to visit my friend’s home (it’s visible in my photo up top, in fact!), known the world over and even pictured on a puzzle I have back in the U.S., was terrific. Sure it wasn’t tourist season, but has that ever been a bad thing? Turns out the weather hated me, but that’s beside the point.

I woke up the next morning in his centuries-old, oh-so-quaint home overlooking the sea. We went on a “jaunt” that was crazy beautiful, then got tea and chocolate croissants in the local shop. It was time for a hike to Corniglia, the town due north. We hiked…and hiked…and after sweating a few buckets despite the cold, we were soon awfully high up. What an incredible view! We could even see the snowy peaks of the Alps. After descending from the mountains following our 3-hour hike, we got hot chocolate and took the train back to his home. I was starving. Big surprise.

All was well and good until the next day, when the rain started. And the next day, when I couldn’t meet Nicola, who was taking classes in Genoa. Snow had brought everything to a halt. And the next day, when we couldn’t get to Lucca due to more rain and flooding due to snow melt. And then the news that the rail workers were going on strike on Sunday. The day of my flight. Could I leave today, then? No, because Nicky’s family doesn’t own a car, and the trains weren’t working due to the floods. We were stuck, and I was actually afraid I was going to miss my flight. I tried to stay calm as we walked back, feeling more than a bit dejected.

“Well Kathryn, you’re seeing the real Italy,” Nicola said. Heck, at this rate why’d I ever leave India?

After many calls and arrangements, we made several plans and decided to wake up quite early, as missing the flight was not an option. I’d been catching up on work inside my friend’s home and chatting with him for days, so once the rain stopped (15 hours before I had to leave), we took some walks around in the evening, made soup, and ate pesto pizzas and foccacia that still barely quenched my post-Malta appetite. Don’t believe the “Italians keep eating for hours” hype. I’ve never found it to be true.

We woke up early, waited several hours when the first train was canceled for no apparent reason, then actually made it to La Spezia, where we sadly parted ways. Despite the weather, I was happy I stopped over in Italy; after all, I was going to visit my friend, not see tourist sites. And we did get some amazing hiking done! I had a few hours to spend in Pisa before my flight, so I walked through a marathon and did perhaps the most touristy thing of my life: Got a photo taken NOT LEANING on the tower of Pisa. It was a beautiful day, and the buildings surrounding the tower were equally lovely. On my way to my flight I made three stops: Pizza, pastries, and gelato. It wasn’t yet noon, but the look on my face as I ate my half cream biscuit, half amaretto cherry (the scooper picked it) cone must have been pretty blissful, because two bikers yelled to me as they whizzed by and then nearly crashed. Awesome. I ate it all while waiting for a train to not cancel on me due to overfatness. I got to the airport, boarded, and flew back to NYC.

Below, photos from Manarola, La Spezia, and surrounding hilltops.