by Calvin Sun | Jul 17, 2011 | Crisis, India, Introspection, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
Back when I toured the refugee camps of Palestine and Tibet, I pondered the difference between the use of the words “slum” and “refugee camp.” I was told today that in India, the official definition of “slum” is where the land is...
by Calvin Sun | Jul 3, 2011 | India, Introspection, Lessons Learned, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Travel Warnings
“In the last 3 days it seems like we’ve been the only international tourists in Srinagar.” “That’s because your media always paints the wrong picture of Kashmir.” He was right. Although Srinagar boasts more security...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 27, 2011 | Fail, Introspection, Mythbusters, Nepal, Public Transportation, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, The Nightlife
Went paragliding this morning…and didn’t die. Our place where we were staying, Karma Guesthouse (highly recommended! 250 rupees per person, which is around $3-4 USD), arranged it for us: It’s about $78 USD to get on a 9:30am pickup van that took me...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 22, 2011 | Jordan, Lessons Learned, Let me tell you a Story..., Mo' Money Mo' Problems, Mythbusters, Serendipitous!, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, Syria, Travel Warnings, United Arab Emirates
Syria: Not gonna happen. They’re not gonna let visa-less Americans through the border, and they won’t be issuing any new visas at the embassy for a few weeks. I tried. I failed. Wop Wop. Maybe next time. I ended up stopping by a protest, however, while on...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 19, 2011 | Introspection, Lebanon, Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea
It’s semantics. In India, poorer neighborhoods where Indians live are called “slums.” In Lebanon, poorer neighborhoods where Palestinians live are called “refugee camps.” Yet I saw no evidence of what the media conjures up for us:...
by Calvin Sun | Jun 18, 2011 | Lebanon, Let me tell you a Story..., Mythbusters, Summer 2011: From the Middle East to North Korea, What Dreams May Come
Beirut: A cosmopolitan, urban city policed by carbine-armed soldiers, where ferraris and BMWs park next to armored tanks, where glass-paned high-end boutique shops neighbor derelict husks of concrete bombed out by a 10 year old war. There are military checkpoints, and...
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