Travel

World Adventurers’ next destination?

My wife and I put together our revised list of assignments we will bid on for our next assignment.  We will be in Seoul, Korea until early 2007, when we move on to another country for two more years.  On January 19, I wrote about my initial list of preferred locations.  The initial and revised lists are not too different.  The list below is our revised list based on further research and our collective preferences.  We discarded some assignments that did not meet our needs.  For example, even though Bogota, Colombia has an assignment I would love to do, my wife does not want to bid on Bogota because of several factors; namely, Colombia is still a dangerous place in which to live.
 
Dear Reader, I need your help.  Have you been to any of the cities listed below?  Have you lived there, and when did you live there?  Did you have a good or bad experience?  I’m especially interested in reading about your experiences in lesser-known places such as La Paz, Bolivia or Damascus, Syria.  If you haven’t been to any of these cities, which would you prefer?  Where do you think World Adventurers should blog from next year?
 
Here is our current list of preferred locations ranked in order of preference.  This list is subject to change.  I will submit my final list in about two weeks.
  1. Beijing, China
  2. Wellington, New Zealand
  3. Damascus, Syria
  4. Hong Kong, China
  5. Montevideo, Uruguay
  6. San Salvador, El Salvador
  7. La Paz, Bolivia
  8. Athens, Greece
  9. Asuncion, Paraguay
  10. Shenyang, China
  11. London, England
  12. Kuwait City, Kuwait
  13. Jakarta, Indonesia
  14. Buenos Aires, Argentina
  15. Windhoek, Namibia
  16. Managua, Nicaragua
  17. Quito, Ecuador
  18. San Jose, Costa Rica
  19. Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Some of these locations have more than one assignment available for bidding.  I know it may seem strange to prefer San Salvador, El Salvador or La Paz, Bolivia over Athens, Greece or London, England.  However, my list depends largely on the job I’m bidding on as well as standard of living at the location where I will bid.  For example, while London is a first-class city, the housing available in Bolivia is second-to-none while London’s housing is cramped.  The cost of living in Bolivia is far, far lower than in London.  We must take into account many factors when we bid, which is why London and Athens don’t automatically rise to the top of our list.  New Zealand is near the top because the job, the city, and the amenities are all first rate.  Chinese posts get preference because I really want to work in China.  Damascus, Syria is near the top because the assignment is great, the expatriate community is excellent, and Syria is a historical and geopolitically strategic location.

The New 7 World Wonders

My wife brought to attention tonight’s topic, the New 7 World Wonders.  I am a huge fan of the 7 World Wonders of the Ancient World, a list originally compiled by the Greeks around the Second Century, B.C.  Of the original 7 World Wonders, only the Great Pyramid of Cheops at Giza, Egypt exists today.  (Contrary to popular belief, only the Great Pyramid is designated as a Wonder, not the entire site at Giza.)  The other six Wonders have vanished with age and assaults by natural disasters, invaders, and vandals.  Interestingly, the Acropolis in Athens, one of the candidates on the list of New 7 World Wonders, is not a World Wonder of the Ancient (Hellenic) World.  The other six Wonders were the Pharos Lighthouse, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus, the Temple of Artemis, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, and the Colossus at Rhodes.  
 
My favorite Ancient Wonder is the Pharos, or Lighthouse of Alexandria (290 B.C. – 1323 A.D.), which dominated the harbor in Alexandria, Egypt.  A massive marble and granite lighthouse, it once dominated Alexandria, one of the world’s great cities from its founding by Alexander the Great until the Middle Ages.  My wife and I have visited both the Great Pyramid and the site of where Pharos once stood (I hope visit the other sites someday as well).  Where Pharos once stood now stands an old Muslim fort known as Qaitbay.  When we were in Alexandria in 2001, I remember watching crews of Egyptians beautifying the site by cutting and assembling a red granite promenade.  It broke my heart.  I was positive that the granite came from the original Pharos Lighthouse.  When the lighthouse was toppled by an earthquake in 1323, it fell into the harbor.  There it lay undisturbed until recently, when its remains were unearthed by archeologists.  Rather than dismantling Qaitbay and rebuilding the lighthouse, the City of Alexandria apparently decided to reuse the marble to beautify the waterfront.  As a history buff, I am saddened that one of the Seven Wonders was used to build a decorative promenade.
 
On January 1, 2006, the Swiss-based New 7 Seven World Wonders recently unveiled 21 finalists for the distinction of New World Wonder.  According to the Korea Times, the finalists were drawn from the 529 heritage sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.  Korea has seven World Heritage sites, none of which made the final list of candidates (I think Bulguksa Temple would have been a good finalist).  The rules specify that the final list of World Wonders must feature one world wonder from each continent except Antarctica, and no single country can have more than one site.  Hence, the Great Wall of China made the list, but unfortunately the Forbidden City in Beijing did not make the list.  Based on these rules, it’s obvious that the Sydney Opera House will be named a World Wonder because it is the sole finalist from Oceania.  This is unfortunate, because many sites in Asia, including the Taj Mahal and Angkor Wat, certainly deserve to be called World Wonders.  Assuming the Great Wall of China will be initially chosen as Asia’s World Wonder, only one other Asian site can be designated a New World Wonder.  I am partial to potential Wonders that stand the test of time.  Hence, I would choose Angkor Wat and the Taj Mahal over the Sydney Opera House.
 
If I were to choose the New 7 World Wonders based on the Foundation’s criteria, I would include these sites on my own list of World Wonders:
  1. Pyramids of Giza (Egypt)
  2. Great Wall (China)
  3. Acropolis (Greece)
  4. Chichen Itza (Mexico)
  5. Macchu Picchu (Peru)
  6. Sydney Opera House (Australia)
  7. Angkor Wat (Cambodia)

If I could change the rules, I would replace the Sydney Opera House with the Taj Mahal (India).  Angkor Wat edges out the Taj Mahal ever so slightly.  Honorable mentions include the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Statues at Easter Island, and the Colosseum.  Each is significant but a close second those on the list above. 

 

I also believe the Foundation missed a few potential World Wonders, modern architectural marvels worthy of the designation "World Wonder."  These include the Chunnel connecting England and France, the Confederation Bridge linking Prince Edward Island to the Canadian mainland, the Golden Gate Bridge in California, the Laerdal Tunnel in Norway, the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, and the Pearl of the Orient Tower in Shanghai, China.  Perhaps the Foundation should have two lists–one for ancient sites such as the Pyramids, and one for modern marvels such as the Statue of Liberty and Eiffel Tower.  Age really does make a big difference.

Transient holidays

We finished our Christmas shopping today.  I sent off most of the Christmas e-cards today.  Now we only have to prepare for tomorrow’s Christmas feast.  I hate to admit it, but I’m going to be glad when Christmas is over.  I told my wife today that I yearn for a simpler time.  I miss the days when a holiday did not require cutting edge logistics management.
 
I wanted to avoid writing yet another Christmas-themed blog entry today.  Instead, I thought I would mention a phenomenon many transients face during the holidays–being separated from their loved ones.  Maybe you’re an expatriate living in a foreign country where your holidays are not celebrated.  Perhaps you’re stationed overseas in a place such as Iraq.  Maybe you moved out of your hometown and live far, far away.  Maybe your family has passed away.  Perhaps you’re a road warrior staying in a hotel while your family is at home in another city.  I read once upon the time that Christmas is the time of year when the suicide rate in the U.S. is at its highest.  I don’t doubt that suicide rates worldwide are highest during local festivities.  Little wonder–the holidays are a time when loved ones come together to enjoy one another and share in the blessings they have received over the past year.  When you are alone, away, without the company of family and friends, the loneliness can be overwhelming.  If you live in a new location, usually it’s a matter of time before you meet new friends who can help mitigate the loneliness.  If you are transient and move frequently though, it is difficult to find new friends with each move you make.  Building friendships take time, and time is not on the side of the one who travels or moves frequently.
 
My wife has been through this difficulty ever since she left China as a teenager, because she has not been able to spend Chinese New Year with family since she moved alone to the U.S. years ago.   We’re both in this situation now.  We arrived in Korea earlier this year.  We don’t have any family here, although we’ve met many new friends.  In less than two years we’ll be in another place, leaving all of our friends here far behind.  Our connection will devolve into e-mail and phone contacts and the occasional visit.
 
Here are some ideas as to how to cope with this predicament:
  • Fly home for the holidays.  Many of my colleagues and friends went back to the U.S. for the holidays.  This is usually the most expensive option, especially if you live far away and have children.  You have to buy a plane ticket for each child over the age of two years.  The cost starts to add up.
  • Call your friends and families.  This is what people often do.  Contact the ones you love and talk to them over the holidays.  This is just as important for your loved ones as it is for you.  Be careful, though.  This could leave you feeling even lonelier.
  • Host a party and invite friends over to join you.  The longer you stay in one location, the easier it gets to make friends and celebrate the holidays with them.  I recall an occasion two months ago when one of my colleagues hosted a birthday party for his young son just two weeks after they arrived.  It was a bit awkward for him, but he invited many neighborhood children to the party, even children who had never met his son.  His son had a wonderful birthday party and made many new friends.
  • Go somewhere.  If you’re lonely at home, there’s no need to stay home.  Staying home alone can often worsen the situation.  Go somewhere fun.  Do something you like to do.  Go somewhere where you can meet new friends.  On two occasions, my wife and I spent Christmas in foreign countries where we knew absolutely no one.  We had a great time.  There’s nothing like spending Christmas Eve having dinner at a restaurant on the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt as the full moon shimmers, reflecting on the water and illuminating the hillsides on the opposite bank.
  • Forget it ever happened.  Sometimes the best thing to alleviate loneliness is to put the holiday furthest from your mind and do something else.  Read a book.  Go to a movie.  Play video games.  Write your blog.  Do something mindless that will keep your mind from wandering.
  • Do something that reminds you of the holidays.  Sometimes it helps to conjure memories of the holidays if you celebrate the holidays by doing something, buying something, or wearing something that reminds you of the holidays.  Just make sure it decreases loneliness, not exacerbate it.