Matador Network's Blog, page 2155

How to piss off your TEFL teacher

Photo: Michael

1. When you think their job is just sunshine and traveling.

One common misconception about ESL teachers is that the job is all traveling and partying and very little work. In actual fact, the hours worked next to the disgustingly low pay rates makes me want to vomit. Unlike other teachers, ESL teachers are often paid by the hour and thus all the additional hours of the week that go into planning and marking aren’t subsidized by a lovely pay packet.

They don’t get the same lovely amount of holiday off a year, and their job is also looked at as a bit more of a joke — all this is topped off by having very little job security. So if they want to get off their faces with their colleagues in the middle of the week, and at the weekend, or if they want to pop off on a quick trip, then they deserve it god damn it.

2. When you look down your nose at them.

Oooh look at you with your fancy graduate job, first mortgage, and puppy. Seriously mate, sod the hell off.

3. When they correct you on something and you look at them with hate.

You’ve come to their class in order to learn — they are the expert. Yes, you might be older than them and you might have been saying “I took a coffee” instead of “I had a coffee” for all of your English-speaking days, but you are wrong. The saying is wrong. Yes, people understand what you’re sayin,g but it is wrong — and so if you didn’t want to be taught to say things the right way, then why on Earth would you come to this class in the first place? Leave.

4. When you judge them for being younger than you.

Dear all mature students,

Your teacher is most likely going to be younger than you are. Accept it and get ready to learn some English. They’ve been hired for this job because they know what they are doing and are going to teach you well. There are thousands of people who apply for the role that your teacher has. Don’t you think that if they couldn’t do it just as well (if not better) than someone else, then the role would have been given to them?

Sincerely,

Every ESL teacher who has ever been second guessed by a student because of their age.

5. When they’re planning to use a great game to take up a lovely chunk of the lesson and it ends far too quickly.

As an ESL teacher you quickly learn to build two very important friendships to help you with your lessons. One of those friendships is with games and the other one is with videos. When your class just up and decide that they don’t like your best mate, “Stop the bus,” that you’re introducing them to, because they’ve already played it in a different class, it outright destroys your day.

6. When technology fails them.

So there you find the ESL teacher on Sunday with the worst hangover in the history of all hangovers, when they come to the sudden realization that their Monday morning is due to start super early and they have absolutely nothing prepared, nor enough energy or pizzazz to set about preparing for such a ghastly hour… And then it hits them. They have Frozen on their hard drive. Yes, yesssss! This is the miracle of all miracles that they were asking for. AND bonus points: They already have a worksheet prepared from a previous class that they can set the kids for homework.

Monday morning comes around like a cruel mistress, but it doesn’t even faze them as they walk through the halls knowing that they’ve totally got this shit covered. But then, no. The projector’s broken.

7. When you think that empty space on their forehead says “Dictionary.”

I realise that they have taken the job because they are supposed to be the master of their craft which is the English language, but cut them a little bit of slack from time to time. The estimate by The Global Language Monitor on January 1, 2014 had the English language at 1,025,109.8 words. That’s a lot of words. So believe it or not, there are certain moments when teachers can’t recall some words — so stop getting your knickers in a twist when they don’t know an obscure enough synonym for ‘grateful’.

8. When you want to know every single exception to when you can use the past perfect or the present continuous, or exactly when a pronoun should be possessive.

Yeah…

9. When you insist on translating everything your teacher is saying for the other students, but you’re actually getting it wrong.

Your teacher probably knows how to say what they’re teaching you in your own language, but they’re choosing not to because then you will be thinking in your language and not in English…which is the whole point for you being in that lesson.

So when you’re insisting on translating “Bizarre” to “Bizarro” to the rest of the class, you are doing nothing but teaching people the wrong thing. Yes they sound extremely similar, but “Bizarro” means dashing or brave, which is definitely not what “Bizarre” means. The exact translation you are looking for is “extraño,” so stop it.

7 things LGBT travelers are sick of

Photo: Rog01

1. Don’t you know it’s illegal to be gay in [insert country]?

Yes, I do. As an LGBT traveler, I know that not only do I need to look at the visa rules and requirements, but I’ve also got to check out what the status of LGBT people is. It’s not like my passport has a big rainbow flag or the word GAY printed on the front of it. Also, I’m pretty sure “Are you gay?” is not one of the questions the immigration officer is going to ask me. Hopefully.

2. Aren’t you worried about getting arrested?

Not anymore than I’m worried about getting arrested at home. I don’t plan on skipping down the street waving the rainbow flag, sprinkling glitter everywhere, and shouting “I’m gay! I like boys!”

I’m also not planning to have erotic, kinky hot gay sex in front of the local police station, or anywhere else in public for that matter. I’m not really even planning to pick up a guy, and if I do, I’ll be insanely careful about it. As long as I’m smart, discreet, and don’t break any laws, I should be fine.

3. I heard that LGBT people have been killed there!

Yes, you’re right. It’s sad, but true. By the way, did you hear about the gay teenage boy that committed suicide because of the anti-gay bullying at his school? He lived three streets over from you.

What about that guy who was nearly beaten to death by two people, just because they thought he looked gay? He was a tourist in your town. Bad things happen to LGBT people everywhere, including the good ol’ US of A. That’s not going to stop me from exploring the world. Maybe I can even work to help change those things.

4. Are there even any LGBT people there?

Really? No, really? Did you seriously just ask that question or am I high? It’s estimated (conservatively) that 10-15% of the world’s population is homosexual, and that’s just based on statistics from people who are open or only somewhat open about their sexuality. That means at least 700,000,000 to 1,050,000,000 people in this world are gay.

That doesn’t take into account Trans* people or bisexual people or people who self-identify in some other way. With that many homos roaming around, I’m sure I can find a few abroad. They may not be “out”, they may be very, very discreet and secretive. Hell, a lot of them may even have opposite-sex spouses due to social pressures. Still, we gays are everywhere.

5. Why on Earth would you want to go there?

I want to go there simply because it exists. It is part of the world I live in. It’s filled with people, just like you and me, all of whom have stories and experiences to share. Not to mention the food, the culture, and the natural beauty.

6. Wouldn’t it be safer to travel with a buddy or a partner?

Of course it would be. There are always risks to traveling solo, regardless of sexual orientation. I don’t have a boyfriend right now, but I’d love to find a guy that wanted to be a nomad too. Obviously yes, finding someone with my same lifestyle would be way more convenient.

7. So what will you do about, um, uh, how will you meet people for…?

Sex? Just because I’m a gay guy traveling solo doesn’t mean I plan on screwing my brains out with every local dude that crosses my path. But if I do want to make that type of connection, there’s an app for that.

How to piss off someone from Iowa

Photo: Neil Conway

1. Turn down a butter popsicle.

“Iowa” food is both simple and challenging. We’ve taken our “meat and potatoes” comfort food origins to a new and glorious level. After all, fried butter on a stick is the ultimate American culinary contribution, is it not? In fact, at the Iowa State Fair, we can (and do) put just about anything on a stick and fry it up, Jell-O included. No wonder there’s a freaking Broadway musical about the wonders of this event. Skip the fair and your palette hasn’t lived.

But, alas, the Iowa State Fair is only once a year, and we don’t actually hand our children butter popsicles on the daily in an effort to get them closer to their culture. But we might have a scotcheroo when we’re having a bad day, or maybe we’ll sit down with a tenderloin the size of Kim Kardashian’s backside. Or we’ll walk around with a walking taco at a football game because why would anyone walk around with a regular taco? That’s just silly. We’ve mastered comfort and convenience. Now that’s American. Put down your kale and Iowa up already.

2. Ask us about Cleveland, Cincinnati, or Columbus.

Why shouldn’t you ask us about those three cities? Because they’re in Ohio. Oops, your bad. Short words with lots of vowels are confusing, right? Yeah, we get it. It’s all kind of the same there in the middle, isn’t it? Sure, sure. We’re actually from Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque, Sioux City or some other place you’ve never heard of, so we’re not going to get into specifics.

Don’t worry — we won’t bust a map out on you. We have a feeling if we show you that Ohio is three states away and would take 12 hours to drive to, that it would just lead to lots of questions, including the glaringly obvious one about your geographical understanding of America. And yeah, we probably do know a thing or two about where you’re from. The world doesn’t pay much attention to us, so we have to pay attention to it.

3. Expect us all to be “Iowa Nice.”

This “Iowa Nice” thing you may or may not have heard of is kind of a sham. We’re not going to argue about it because we’re happy for anything with our name on it, but it’s just not true. “Iowa Respectful” would be more accurate. We’ll gladly pull over on 218 when your car is smoking from the hood and we’ll smile at you if both of us are walking down an otherwise-empty aisle in Hy-Vee, but we’re not those neighbors that come over with a pie and ask you to attend church with us.

4. Assume we grew up on a farm and were voted last year’s Pork Queen.

Just don’t. While 88 out of our 99 counties may be classified as “rural,” the vast majority of us do not live on a farm and don’t have much experience with farming. We might’ve spent a summer detasseling corn when we were 14 or 15, but we’ve probably never milked a cow, chased a chicken, or called out “Suuuuuuuey!” after the family pig. We spent our childhoods in shopping malls, movie theatres, and blanket forts, just like you did.

We probably haven’t won any tractor pulling contests at the local town fair, though we’ve heard about these quaint little anecdotes from virtually every depiction of Iowa ever. We have pretty “normal” stories about attending church on Christmas and Easter, living for the Hawkeyes or the Cyclones, and praying for snow days even though we know we need about a foot and a half of the stuff for anything to shut down. We might know a family or two that lives on a farm, but they don’t let us ride their horses anymore after the incident of ’07.

5. Ask us if we have an airport.

The FAA has promised us one if we can keep the hogs off the highway and use it as a runway.

We’re messing with you. Yes, we have airports. Yes, we have street lights. Yes, when you drive through, you’ll still have your LTE coverage. We live the same way you do, indoor plumbing and all. We just stop in the Planet Fitness parking lot for corn once or twice a year.

6. Think we’re just “flyover country.”

Iowa has the misfortune of sitting just west of the Mississippi River, placing it just about smack dab in the middle of America. It’s a day’s drive to any coast, so most people experience us from 36,000 feet. But the next time you fly over us, take out your earbuds, look out the window, and give us a grateful wave. Why? Well, if it weren’t for our hard work, life as we humans know it would be incredibly, incredibly different (and we’re not just talking about Ashton Kutcher’s existence).

You know that phrase, “it’s the best thing since sliced bread?” That was invented in Iowa (the bread, not the phrase). Not impressive enough? So was nylon. Still not convinced? So was the computer. Believe it or not, Iowa is the home to the humble beginnings and lavish comforts of modern-day life. You’re welcome. And right now we’re even working on a virtual driver’s license app, grabbing a firm foothold on the cutting edge of technology. And in this little talk, we haven’t even touched on agriculture yet — you like to eat, yeah? The average Iowa farmer feeds 155 people a day. So whether we’re working on the farm or working in Silicon Prairie, we’re clearly worth a stop, or at least a wave.

7. Assume we don’t know how to party.

A Saturday night in Iowa City might as well be a march through a drunken North Face ad. Iowa has more bars per resident than any other state and, fortunately or unfortunately, we drink the most too. Even in subzero temperatures, we can usually be found out and about with a Coors Lite or Blue Moon in our hand.

8. “Oh you’re from Iowa, do you know so-and-so?”

In short, no. There are more than 3,000,000 people in Iowa and that number is actually growing. We didn’t grow up in hamlets walking into town barefoot with the kids from the next farm over. Most of us grew up in small towns (some of us even cities!) where you knew the people in your neighborhood, but that’s about it. If our moms were particularly involved in the PTA or on the school board, maybe we knew a few more. Someone might look vaguely familiar when we vacation in Okoboji or visit Adventureland, but other than that, we keep to ourselves. Our heads won’t turn when you walk into our favorite local café or Hy-Vee. We might wave to a car or two as we drive down old Highway 20, but it’s only because we’re being polite.

9. Claim we’re not progressive.

Ready for your mind to be blown? Iowa was the 2nd state in the nation to allow women to own property. We were the 2nd state in the nation to legalize interracial marriage (a century before the rest of America). The University of Iowa was the first university in the nation to offer degrees to women (and one of the first universities to have an LGTBAU group). We were the 2nd state to outlaw segregated schools (again, about a century before the country). We had the first female attorney, and the first female to practice law before a federal court. The Iowa Civil Rights Act was one of the first Civil Rights Acts in existence. And maybe you can think back to 2007, when we were the 2nd state to legalize gay marriage. So apart from just getting the ball rolling for our first black president, we have hundreds of years of being on the cutting edge of political progress. If you think we’re unfit for the role, you’ve got quite the case to make.

You're a black traveler when...

Photo: DJ

1.People are surprised to see you in a hostel because, you know, “Black people don’t travel.”

2. You’ve been mistaken for Oprah (not that being a billionaire matters), Madea, or Allen Iverson.

3. To your horror someone called you the N-word — with genuine affection.

4. Someone has asked whether anyone you know has been affected by Ebola, HIV/AIDS, or any other disease or affliction associated with black people.

5. “I heard they don’t like black people” is a common excuse your friends / family / acquaintances make for not traveling.

6. You get really excited when there are black hair care products at a store.

7. There is one African or Dominican lady that can do your hair and she does every black woman’s for two towns in every direction.

8. You’ve been asked at least once whether you prefer to be called ‘colored,’ ‘black,’ or ‘African-American.

9. Authorities told you up front that they were discriminating against you because of the color of your skin.

10. Stereotypes about your race have made finding a place to live more difficult than for fellow expats.

11. You embraced the sight of another black person abroad and bonded over commiserating and mutual understanding.

12. There are few times you’ve felt lonelier than when the Trayvon Martin or Michael Brown verdicts happened because there was no one to talk to about it.

13. You love visiting the Caribbean and countries in Africa where you can see your face reflected in those of the locals.

14. It continues to baffle you why so little travel writing and marketing reflects your experiences and needs — despite the fact that black travelers are spending $48 billion on travel annually.

15. You used to think travel was ‘for white people’.

16. You’ve felt disappointment because you thought you left this shit back home.

17. Someone has mistaken you for a prostitute in South America.

18. People have refused to accept that you are American or Canadian, even after flashing your passport at them.

19. It’s assumed you can dance, have large genitalia, or other ‘positive’ stereotypes.

20. A person rubbed your skin — just to see if it would come off.

21. You’ve never let an individual’s bigotry mar your view of a country.

22. You don’t let the color of your skin dictate how much of the world you’re going to see.

Inside Charlie Hebdo

A picture taken on September 25, 2012 in Paris shows two editions of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, one reading ‘Irresponsible newspaper’ (L) and the other, bearing an empty front page reading ‘responsible newspaper.’ These two editions were released one week after the magazine published an edition containing several cartoons which featured caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad. Photo: GlobalPost

“This might sound a bit pompous, but I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees.”

The words came from Stephane Charbonnier, aka Charb, cartoonist and director of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, in 2012 after a firebomb attack on the paper’s Paris office.

On Wednesday Charb was among 12 people killed during a terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo by masked gunmen crying “God is Great” in Arabic as they gunned down journalists, cartoonists and police officers.

Charlie Hebdo had been a target since 2006 when it published caricatures of the Muslim Prophet Muhammad that originally appeared in a Danish newspaper.

Despite repeated threats, the paper had refused to shy away from controversy.

More from the Charlie Hebdo attack: Emotional outpouring of political cartoons from around the world in honor of Charlie Hebdo

Islamist radicals were among the favorite targets of its biting, sometimes crude, satire — along with French politicians, religious leaders of all denominations and celebrities from Michael Jackson to anti-Semitic comic Dieudonee M’bala Mbala.

This week’s cover lampooned French novelist Michel Houellebecq, whose latest book has triggered a raging controversy by portraying a France in 2022 run by a Muslim leader who seeks to turn Europe into an Islamist empire.

Charb was among several well-known figures slain in Wednesday’s attack on the paper.

Chillingly, he published a cartoon in this week’s edition showing a bearded terrorist under the title, “Still no attacks in France.” The figure replies: “Wait, we have until the end of January to present our best wishes.”

The gunmen were apparently aware that the paper’s journalists and cartoonists gather for their weekly editorial meeting on Wednesday mornings and the newsroom was packed.

Among the 10 newspaper staff reported killed were famed cartoonists Georges Wolinski, Jean Cabut, known as Cabu, and Bernard Verlhac, who signed as Tignous. Two police officers guarding the building were also reported slain.

Another cartoonist Corrine “Coco” Rey said she was forced at gunpoint to open the doors of the building and then hid under a desk while the gunmen opened fire on her colleagues with automatic weapons.

The attack lasted five minutes, she told the daily L’Humanite, and the gunmen told her they were from Al Qaeda.

Charb had constantly defended the magazine’s acerbic satire as an essential part of a vibrant free press.

Threats and criticism had flowed in after covers like the 2006 edition with the headline “Mohammed overwhelmed by the fundamentalists” that showed a caricature of a weeping prophet complaining: “It’s hard to be loved by jerks.”

A 2011 paper purported to have hired Prophet Muhammad as a guest editor and featured a smiling image on its cover warning readers they risked “100 lashes if you don’t die laughing.” That prompted the firebomb attack that damaged the paper’s office.

Charb responded by arguing that “a cartoon never killed anybody.”

Charlie Hebdo was founded in 1969 as part of a long tradition of satirical newspapers in France.

Its predecessor was banned after mocking recently deceased President and war hero Gen. Charles de Gaulle. The paper’s name was inspired by Charlie Brown from the Peanuts strip, as well as making a sly reference to de Gaulle. Hebdo is French slang for a weekly.

The paper went out of business in 1981 but was revived a decade later.

President Francois Hollande was among those mocked by the paper. After his clandestine affair with actress Julie Gayet was revealed last year, it ran a front-page cartoon of the president showing his penis poking through the open zipper of his pants and asking “Me, the President?”

“An act of extreme barbarism has been committed in Paris today,” Hollande said when he visited Charlie Hebdo’s office after the Wednesday attack. “An attack against a newspaper, that means against the expression of freedom, against journalists who always showed that in France they could defend their ideas.”

By Paul Ames, GlobalPost

This article is syndicated from GlobalPost.

Surfer’s guide to the Algarve Coast, Portugal

Photo: Ashley Jordan Gordon

PORTUGAL’S ALGARVE COAST is sometimes mentioned in the same sentence as Cancun or Benidorm in Spain – synonymous with the package tourist and concrete resort hotel.

But the Algarve has two things going for it that Cancun and Benidorm don’t. One, most of the ugly resorts and their clientele in the Algarve are confined to enclaves out of sight and out of mind. Two, it has some serious surf.

Whether gentle white water rollers, hollow beach breaks, or thumping reef breaks are your thing, the Algarve offers it all.

Where to stay

Photo: Carlos Reis

The Algarve region stretches across the south of Portugal. With both south and west-facing coastline, it’s perfectly angled to pick up Atlantic swells from almost any direction. It also means that to escape an unfavourable wind on one coast, it’s just a short drive around the southwestern tip to beaches facing the other way.

Lagos is a good compromise between enjoying Algarve culture and being close to the surf. The consistent beaches of the west coast are a 30-minute drive away.

If you can look past the English language menus and throbbing backpacker bars, this historical port town offers a laid back existence among the narrow cobblestone streets and whitewashed terraces. Dorm beds at any of the several hostels (Lagos Youth Hostel is among the best) start at around €10. Rooms in guesthouses start at €30 per night.

Sagres is another option, located near the south west tip of Portugal and home to a variety of beach breaks in medium to big southerly swells. Unlike Lagos, Sagres has retained its fishing port roots and apart from a few surfer bars on the one main road, it remains a quiet town outside of peak season. Rooms in guesthouses start at €20 per night.

The west coast is dotted with a variety of pleasant beachside towns: Carrapateira, Arrifana, and Monte Clerigo are all excellent surfing options. Arrifana’s new youth hostel, Pousadas Jueventude offers beds from €10 per night.

Bring your own board, or rent?

Photo: Kyle Taylor< /a>

Surf schools are a great option for people who are backpacking through Portugal and are keen to get into surfing for a couple of days to a week.

The schools provide wetsuits, soft foam mini-Malibu surfboards, and coaching. In some cases, schools also provide accommodation, like the long-established Surf Experience in Lagos.

Surf schools also have the added benefit of surf instructors’ local knowledge: many spots in Algarve are hidden at the end of rough dirt tracks or beneath steep cliffs.

Experienced surfers should consider bringing two boards. If the rocks at a spot like Arrifana Reef don’t get your board, the shallow beachbreaks just might.

Tides

Photo: Kyle Taylor

The Algarve beaches experience a huge a tidal range, so knowing when to go is almost as important as where. A beach break at dead-low tide could be one long close out and six hours later be miraculously transformed into a series of beautiful peaks.

As a a very rough guide, the southern Portuguese beaches tend to be best an hour or two either side of high tide. It’s for this reason that you’ll arrive at midday and find no one around until, like clockwork, surfers start arriving en masse for the high tide session before disappearing just as quickly again.

Learn the language

Some guidebooks encourage learning a few simple phrases of the local language to endear the traveler to the local population. In Portugal, this is more of a necessity than simply a nicety as English is not widely spoken outside of the main tourist and surfer haunts.

A basic grasp of Portuguese might help you find that hidden surf spot or order lunch successfully.

Post surf refuel

For a filling snack, try a bifana, a bread roll filled with garlic roast pork, which is sold at most cafes for a couple of euros. The Algarve also has some of the best, freshest and cheapest seafood in Europe.

Budget on €8-10 for a main course dinner of whole grilled fish with salad and vegetables. The Portuguese wash it down with medronho, a local moonshine made from fruit served in a small brandy balloon that goes well with a strong espresso.

Localism is alive and well.

It’s worth mentioning that while the majority of Portuguese are friendly, some are less than stoked about having their waves regularly invaded by touring surfers. Sagres seems to be the worst area of the Algarve for localism, with reports of drop-ins, intimidation, and occasional damage to cars.

Problems often stem from European surfers traveling in large groups and hassling for waves. By traveling alone or with a friend and showing respect, you should have no problems.

Four great waves

Arrifana Reef is perhaps one of the best rights in the country. This point break needs a big swell before the wave breaks wide enough to clear the rocks sticking out of the water halfway down the line. Entry and exit is relatively straightforward through the fishing harbour, but watch out for the currents.

Just next door is Canal, which offers both an intense right hander under the shadow of a cliff and a more mellow right further south breaking over sand-covered boulders.

Zavial is one of the best spots on the south coast when there is a huge swell running. It can also be one of the most crowded. Zavial is a right hand point break that, in northerly winds, peels cleanly for a couple hundred metres.

Another protected spot in big swells is Beliche in Sagres, a beach break that can throw out perfect lefts and rights depending on the sand banks.

This article was originally published on December 11th, 2008

Changing the face of the outdoors

James Edward Mills is a freelance journalist, independent media producer and founder or The Joy Trip Project. Working in the outdoor industry since 1989 as a guide, outfitter, independent sales representative, writer and photographer, his experience includes a broad range of expeditions that include mountaineering, rock climbing, backcountry skiingm and kayaking. He is currently a contributor to several outdoor-focused print and online publications that include National Geographic Adventure, Rock & Ice and Alpinist. His first book, The Adventure Gap (Mountaineers Press) is available here.

BA: Tell us about yourself. How would you describe your work?

JM: I’m a freelance journalist specializing in creating stories about outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving and practices of sustainable living. I also have a direct interest in issues of diversity and environmental justice.

I recently decided that I’m not a travel writer. I’m a writer who happens to travel. I don’t think they are the same things. Travel writing is a very specific genre of literature that doesn’t often include the things that I write about. The same goes for adventure writer but to a lesser extent. I definitely write about adventure, but not for adventure’s sake. My focus is primarily on individuals whose work includes a higher purpose in adventure or exploration that has a humanitarian focus or an interest in environmental protection.

For example I’ve written a lot about Shannon Galpin who has done quite a bit of work in Afghanistan on behalf of the empowerment of women and girls through the creation of the first national female cycling team. Travel, adventure definitely, but in the pursuit of a much higher cause.

So what was the spark that got you in the outdoors in the first place?



JM: When I was 9-years old my brother and I joined a Boy Scout Troop in Los Angeles that was heavily into backpacking and mountaineering. From then on through high school I spent at least one weekend every month camping somewhere, primarily in Southern California. When I graduated from college I took up rock climbing and then got a job doing outdoor retail at REI in Berkeley. From there I worked for the North Face in sales and started my own agency in the midwest in 1992. I’ve been here ever since.

Awesome. Was there a particular instance that inspired you to start writing with a “higher purpose” in mind?



JM: It was right after 9/11 when I decided I wanted to make a career change from sales into journalism. At the time I felt like no one was really doing much to tell the stories of people trying to save the world while there seemed to be plenty of those trying to destroy it or capitalize off of the suffering of others. Since I started writing professionally those are the topics that I’ve felt most drawn to and passionate about.

Which leads us to your first book, The Adventure Gap. Could you tell us more about how the project came about?



JM: I’d been writing about diversity in outdoor recreation for a while. I produced a documentary for an NPR program on the Buffalo Soldiers as well as several magazine stories. I was working on a piece about diversity in the National Park Service when I became acquainted with the newly appointed director of diversity and inclusion at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin. I was originally interviewing her on her role in making the most prominent outdoor education institution more relevant to people of color.

That conversation led to a much deeper discussion on what practical steps one could take toward achieving the goal of great inclusivity. A few weeks later I got an email from her asking me what I thought about putting an all African-American team on the summit of Denali. I naturally thought it was a great idea and asked what I could do to be a part of it. I knew right away that it would make for a great story and of course a book.

Expedition Denali was a game-changer! What are your hopes in how the book is received?



JM: Well I hope that it will sell a million copies! But the reality is I’m concerned that it will fall on deaf ears. Our modern world is too full of people today who simply won’t understand why this was such a landmark event. Even though the team didn’t summit, it set in motion a conversation about a critical issue that each of us, regardless of race, will have to face at some point in the future – a profound lack of support for environmental protection among the majority of the US population. But because there are so many people prepared to deny that diversity in outdoor recreation is important, we’re going to face an uphill fight to create a movement toward greater inclusion. I can only hope that I succeeded in writing a compelling enough adventure story that will captivate readers’ attention long enough to make them think about the book’s primary message and overall theme.

Addressing the whitewashing of adventure media is one thing, but how do we effectively continue a conversation around environmental and conservation issues within our own communities of color? You’re challenged with getting white outdoorsy people and urban-dwelling people of color to agree on something.



JM: As a person of color by definition if I continue to travel, adventure and write my way through life I’m contributing to the diversity of outdoor recreation. I can also try to tell the story of people of color out there pushing the boundaries of the field and illustrate their efforts to defy notions that suggest that these are things the black and brown folks don’t do.

I’m pretty cynical to the belief that I’ll ever convince anyone to think differently about these issues. As a writer and a journalist all I can really do is tell the truth as I see it. As an athlete, now that both my legs work properly again, all I can do is push the boundaries of my abilities and do it with style.

Why do you think that lie — that black and brown folks just don’t care about nature — is so pervasive? Do you think that’s just the fault of poor representation in media or an intentional notion of white supremacist thinking?



JM: Unfortunately it’s a lie that we perpetuate among ourselves. Young people are given a very clear message that unambiguously says, “black people don’t…” There are stereotypes that we impose upon ourselves and people in our community that are so thoroughly entrenched that to do anything contrary to this common belief is to be “less black” or trying to “act white.”

The consequence of going against the accepted definition of what it means to be black in America today is to be ostracized by one’s peers or even one’s own family. Who wants that? So we perpetuate the lie in order to fit in, but we deny ourselves the opportunity to experience something that is not only wonderful but part of our birthright as human beings, spending time outdoors in pursuit of something extraordinary, an ecstatic experience in the natural world.

What are your plans for after the book release?



JM: Sell, sell, sell! I’m coming full circle on my career, but now I’m pushing a product of my own creation. I want to write popular fiction and hopefully create compelling characters – people of color – who exemplify the best qualities of stewards dedicated to protecting and preserving the natural world.

Sounds like a plan!

This interview originally appeared at Everywhere All The Time and is republished here with permission.

Flight attendant on your behavior

Photo: Austrian Airlines

You needy people asking for free upgrades

When I smile sweetly and tell you that I will have to check if there is space in Premium or First, what I am really thinking is, “Have fun in Coach, bissssh.” I know this is a telltale sign of a needy person, and the LAST thing any cabin crew ever wants to do is create more work for themselves, or their coworkers. It is actually against the policy of many airlines to upgrade passengers for free. As always though, the inflight team leader has jurisdiction after the aircraft doors close. So, it can happen, but upgrades will never happen if requested as a complimentary addition.

You yoga stretchers in the galley

Ok, the ONE space on the ENTIRE aircraft intended for my use, you just took up with a downward dog. I do have more than a few ounces of sympathy for you, as I know what it is like to sit crammed in a middle-middle seat on an 11-hour and 20-minute flight. It’s quite uncomfortable, and I myself have been quite uncomfortable on flights before. But I also know I didn’t make my way to any galley and plant myself Vinyasa style in everyone’s way, forcing all to watch my meditation practice. Fuck. I’m going to be the bigger person and walk away. I need to check the lavs.

You overhead bin lurkers

You board the aircraft, block everyone else from finding their seats, take an ungodly amount of time to place your bag in the overhead bin, then you sit down for a minute, and upon sitting, realize that you forgot your book in your bag, that’s back up in that overhead bin. You stand, blocking all passengers once again. Then you sit. Then you stand. You stand because, well hell, I don’t really know the reason why, but you are standing again, and now we are in flight, and I am trying to pull a cart through a very small aisle.

If I had the power as a flight attendant to lock the overhead bins, I would.

You dorks flirting with us flight attendants

Oh great, another asshole who thinks he is going to get somewhere by asking how many people join the “Mile High Club.” Chatting with passengers is nice, but when asked inappropriate or awkward questions, there aren’t many places for me to run and hide. Be professional. Assholes don’t stand out in this industry, and what I am really hoping to find is that one traveler that is kind and respectful. Then maybe, I will appreciate your advances and stop thinking that you are an idiot like all the rest.

More like this 19 universal truths you learn as a flight attendant


You people going to the lavatory barefoot — no shoes OR socks

I will try to keep the cringe away from my poker-face-plastered smile, but I can’t think of one good reason why you wouldn’t take two and a half minutes to slip your shoes back on those toes. But sure, by all means, if you want to be disgusting and slip barefooted on pee splatters, I’ll roll my eyes and continue to think you need some serious counseling.

You, yes YOU, walking around the cabin during turbulence when the seatbelt sign is illuminated

Apparently, it’s really hard for you to follow important and yet simple rules. I don’t understand why you think that the seatbelt sign does not apply to you, and you are immune to the effects of turbulence. This is not only stupidity on your part, but a complete lack of care for the safety of yourself and everyone around you. I want to say I don’t care if you get hurt, but I do, even though you do deserve to get knocked flat on your ass.

You parents changing your baby’s diaper on the tray table.

What I’m really thinking when I say, “Umm, there are two baby changing tables on this aircraft; one in this lav and one over there,” is that you are stupidly selfish, and disgustingly oblivious. At your house, right before dinner, with food on the table, and people ready to enjoy a meal, do you whip out your cute little baby’s bottom, letting all sorts of smells blend with what was once deliciousness? I would hope to God not. That tray-table you are now utilizing as a changing table is technically part of “my house,” and I don’t appreciate what is happening at the moment. By the simple fact that you do not even realize that what you are doing with that baby, the diaper, and those wipes right there is NOT ok, has me thinking that you should be kicked off of the plane, not for the diaper changing, but for a complete lack of common sense.

You folks excessively requesting special dietary options

You knew you were vegan way longer than I knew you existed: take care of your own travel needs and don’t expect anyone else to pick up your slack. I understand we all forget things sometimes, but if you are vegan or gluten-free, and you yell at me for not having food on this aircraft that you can eat, I am not going to be sensitive to your sensitive dietary needs.

You worldly “I travel all of the time so I know everything” passengers

Wasn’t that a fun fact? Am I supposed to think more highly of you or something? I travel all the time too, and I have yet to receive a medal for it. I feel sorry for you, because this air travel life is a shit show. So, I’m really glad we are in this fun together. Oh, by the way, just because you apparently know EVERYTHING about air travel, doesn’t mean you are above the rules.

You people wearing “onesies”

This trend with Onesies needs to stop. It’s not cute when you are not at home, and I know I practically live on an airplane, but you shouldn’t be moving in anytime soon. If you can live a normal life, do it. Living in a Onesie is NOT normal, but I’m a flight attendant, so I didn’t exactly expect you to be normal.

You guys ringing the flight attendant call button continuously during the flight

That button is not to be used to summon me as your personal maid for the purpose of taking trash at your demand. Or should I have to play the role of Siri, telling you what we are flying over right now. And don’t get mad at me when I don’t know — just check your inflight entertainment screen. I’m the flight attendant! I’ll get you soda or cup of water.

You ingrates putting your feet on the tray table.

You have no concept of what ‘shared’ or ‘respect’ means. No, it is not a great idea to put your smelly, yucky, airport trodden tootsies right where people eat. Just like that baby’s bottom, I am sure the passenger in seat 23A on the flight immediately following yours would be thrilled to know about your inflight table dancing. For the love of air travel, have a little decency, use your brain, and be respectful of the shared space.

You people creeping two inches behind the flight attendant while she/he is trying to serve food and beverages

When I bend down to reach for a food tray and accidentally and awkwardly butt-check you somewhere in the lower portion of your body, this is not the type of action that I was hoping to score this evening. If it wasn’t obvious that my colleague and I are in the aisle for a purpose, to serve you and the likes of you, let me tell you that that is exactly what we are doing. And right now, you are making our task more difficult than it needs to be. I realize that there is somewhere that you want to go, but you can wait. And ESPECIALLY while working. You need to leave, and I will make sure that you know you need to do just that with the very directive instructions of “Go sit down now!”

You people putting your garbage on the galley counter

Trash goes in a bin. Not on a counter. Not on the floor. Not in a seat-back pocket. In a bin, with the its trash friends. Where do you put trash when you are at your house? On the table? On the bathroom counter? On top of the TV? I would hope not, but from the way that you act on this airplane, I think so. Trash goes in the bin, and if you don’t put it there, or let me put it there for you, my opinion of you is that you are a manner-less slob.

You people drinking your own alcohol on board.

You know that when you fly, you cannot consume your own alcohol on board the aircraft. I know you don’t listen well, but it was announced three times, and now you are playing dumb when I caught you drinking. I know you are actually dumb, but I am not, and I don’t appreciate your sneaky behavior.

You hippies sleeping on the floor

Your ticket purchase did not include “flatbed floor sleeping space,” you are not five years old, and I don’t appreciate you making my gracefulness so transparent. When you decide to sleep on the floor, and I trip over you, I will fall. And, I will be furious. You just cannot sleep there. Stand-up or sit-down, but whatever you do, travel like a man (and it’s mostly men I see sleeping on the floor of an airplane).

You entitled folks boarding and immediately needing everything from a blanket to a foot massage

Whoa, honey! If you want to pay me extra to be your personal assistant, maybe we can negotiate. Actually, we probably can’t come to any agreements. I know your type, and you can’t pay me enough to want to spend time with you. My colleagues and I will be forever wary of your requests, advances, and neediness, as we clock watch, counting the minutes until we can watch you walk your pretty little ass off of our flight. We will smile and sing-song, “Have a good day, those words actually translating in flight attendant-speak to, “Good riddance!”

You people asking the flight attendant to carry or lift your bags.

If you knew that you could not lift, pull, push, wrestle, or tussle your things along without assistance, you should have packed less or hired an assistant. You think that’s where I step in as the flight attendant? Absolutely not. You pack it in, you pack it out.

You parents with spoiled kids

This is the one situation where I have a little bit more sympathy, but the child that says to you, “I don’t like that woman right there” — and this child is obviously referring to me — doesn’t have my condolences. This kid then continues with, “This food is terrrrrible,” while I am left wondering what happened to make him such a little devil. I feel sorry for you, but also question your parenting capabilities. No one asked him for his little smart-ass opinions, and I can only imagine the adult that he will turn into.

13 endangered species in 2015

BRITISH BROADCASTER and naturalist Sir David Attenborough once asked: “Are we happy to suppose that our grandchildren may never be able to see an elephant except in a picture book?”

This year marked the 100th anniversary of the death of the last passenger pigeon, Martha, who managed to survive only 14 years in captivity after her species became extinct in the wild. More recently, Angalifu, a 44-year-old northern white rhinoceros, died at the San Diego Zoo, leaving just five other white rhinos worldwide, all in captivity. Chances are our grandchildren will never get to see this remarkable creature.

In fact, the world is losing dozens of species every day in what experts are calling the sixth mass extinction in Earth’s history. As many as 30 to 50 percent of all species are moving toward extinction by mid-century — and the blame sits squarely on our shoulders.

“Habitat destruction, pollution or overfishing either kills off wild creatures and plants or leaves them badly weakened,” said Derek Tittensor, a marine ecologist at the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge. “The trouble is that in coming decades, the additional threat of worsening climate change will become more and more pronounced and could then kill off these survivors.”

About 190 nations met last month at the United Nations climate talks in Lima, Peru to discuss action needed to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions. It ended with a watered-down agreement that seems unlikely to help much in the battle against global warming.

Corruption and illegal online trafficking also threaten conservation efforts. The illegal wildlife trade is an estimated $10-billion-a-year industry. It’s the fifth largest contraband trade after narcotics, fueled by the rising demand for animals as pets, trophies, and ingredients in medicine, food and other products.

There’s no doubt that we’re facing an uphill battle against mankind’s unsustainable greed and consumption, but it’s a battle we can’t afford to lose.

“The thought of having to explain to my children that there were once tigers — real, wild tigers, out there, in the great forests of the world — but that we let them die out, because we were busy — well, it was bad enough explaining about the Tooth Fairy, and that wasn’t even my fault,” said English comedian Simon Evans.

Here are a few of the planet’s most endangered animals who we may have to say goodbye to in 2015:

1. Amur leopard

(SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)

Poached for its beautiful, spotted fur, the Amur Leopard is possibly the rarest and most endangered big cat in the world. Found along the border areas between the Russian Far East and northeast China, this species also faces habitat destruction and a loss of prey animals — i.e., food — due to poaching. Today, around 30 individual Amur leopards remain in the wild.

2. Sumatran elephant

Wikimedia Commons

The smallest of the Asian elephants, the Sumatran elephant’s numbers have declined by an astonishing 80 percent in less than 25 years due to deforestation, habitat loss and human-elephant conflict in Sumatra. Around 2,400 to 2,800 individuals survive today.

Male Asian elephants have relatively small tusks, but poachers still kill to sell them in the illegal ivory market, thus skewing the sex ratio among wild elephants and making future breeding and species survival difficult.

3. Javan rhinoceros

As the most threatened of the five rhino species, Javan rhinos were killed by trophy hunters during colonial times. Since then, poachers have continued to target them for their highly prized horns, which are used in traditional Asian medicines. With just 35 individuals left in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia — you can see them in the above video, shot in 2012 — this species is extremely vulnerable to extinction due to natural disasters, poaching, diseases and low genetic diversity.

4. Leatherback turtle

(Cameron Spencer/AFP/Getty Images)

The largest sea turtle species and one of the most migratory, the Leatherback turtle population has severely declined in recent years due to overharvesting, fisheries bycatch, plastic ingestion, egg poaching, habitat loss and expansion of coastal development that continues to disturb and destroy turtle nesting beaches.

5. Western lowland gorilla

(World Wildlife Fund/Courtesy)

Although hunting and killing of the species is illegal, western lowland gorillas continue to be killed for their meat, which is considered a delicacy, while baby gorillas are captured and kept as pets. The deadly Ebola virus has also devastated the wild ape population. In Gabon’s Minkébé Forest alone, the virus killed more than 90 percent of the region’s gorilla and chimpanzee populations.

6. Saola

(World Wildlife Fund/Courtesy)

Known as the Asian unicorn, the saola is rarely seen in the wild, and none live in captivity. (The photograph above represented the first time in 14 years that a saola had been photographed in the wild.) The current population is estimated to be between a few dozen and a few hundred. Saola are hunted to supply growing demands for traditional medicine in China and food markets in Vietnam and Laos.

Habitat loss and reduced genetic diversity also threaten this species’ already dwindling population.

7. Vaquita

(Wikimedia Commons)

As the world’s rarest marine animal, the vaquita is on the brink of extinction with fewer than 100 individuals left in the world.

Found in the upper Gulf of California, one out of every five vaquita gets entangled and drowned in gillnets that are intended to catch another critically endangered species, the totoaba, whose swim bladders are illegally sold for about $4,000 a pound.

As long as this illegal international trade thrives, the vaquita population will continue to decline.

8. Siberian tiger

(Justin Sullivan/AFP/Getty Images)

Also known as Amur tigers, Siberian tigers are the world’s largest cats, hunted for their use in traditional Chinese medicine on the black market or even as trophies.

Hunting, mining, fires, poor law enforcement, forest destruction and illegal logging also continue to threaten this species, leaving an estimated 400 to 500 individuals in the wild.

9. Mountain gorilla

Mountain gorillas are found in the Virunga Mountains that border Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. Poaching, destruction of habitat, disease, and charcoal production that destroys gorilla habitat has left around 880 individuals struggling to survive.

10. Greater bamboo lemur

Found in southeastern Madagascar, the greater bamboo lemur is the most endangered lemur species in Madagascar with as few as 60 believed to still exist in the wild and no more than 150 in captivity.

Climate change, illegal logging, lemur hunting and severe depletion of bamboo mean this species might not survive much longer.

11. Sumatran orangutan

(Sutanta Aditya/AFP/Getty Images)

Orangutan habitats in Sumatra are depleting at an astonishing rate due to forest fires, development of oil palm plantations, illegal logging and other agricultural development, posing a serious risk to this species.

Hunted for food and even captured alive to be kept as status symbols, this species is facing a downhill spiral due to inadequate law enforcement and an increase in illegal trafficking. About 7,300 individuals are left in the wild.

12. Black rhino

(Horst Ossinger/Getty Images)

During colonial times, black rhinos were killed daily for their prized horns, food or just for sport. One of the oldest groups of mammals, this species is considered an important source of tourism in many African countries.

Sadly, even the most fervent conservation efforts are being hampered by habitat change and increases in poaching due to severe poverty and rising black market demand for rhino horns, particularly in Asia. Just 4,848 individuals are left in the world.

13. Yangtze finless porpoise

(Wikimedia Commons)

Known as the “giant panda of the water,” these clever creatures are one of the most famous species found in China’s Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia.

Due to overfishing, decrease in food supply, pollution and changing conditions caused by dams, only 1,000 to 1,800 individuals remain. The finless porpoise’s close cousin, the Baiji dolphin, has already been declared functionally extinct due to human activity.

By: Hyacinth Mascarenhas, GlobalPost

This article is originally syndicated from GlobalPost.

17 of the coolest heritage sites in India

Matador Network contributor Arun Bhat guides us around 17 impressive heritage sites in India.

INDIA’S CULTURAL AND HISTORIC sites are numerous and spread across the entire country. Many have a legacy dating back more than a thousand years.




1

Diskit Monastery, Ladakh

Located in rugged, mountainous terrain, Diskit Monastery was established in the 14th century and is affiliated with the yellow-hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery overlooks the Nubra Valley, one of the greenest places in the otherwise arid landscape of Ladakh. Image by alex hanoko.

2

Cenotaphs of Orchha, Madhya Pradesh

These tall cenotaphs stand in memory of Bundela kings who ruled from the small town of Orchha for nearly 300 years. They are just some of the many ancient structures around Orchha built during their reign. Image by Raffalg.

3

Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Although the current structure is about 400 years old, the Meenakshi Temple is known to have a history of more than 2,000 years. Even today, it's one of the most important pilgrimage sites for people of the region. Image by opalpeterliu.

4

Lamayuru Monastery, Ladakh

One of the largest and oldest monasteries in Ladakh is the Yung-Drung Monastery in Lamayuru village, affiliated with the red-hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery stands in a rugged landscape which was once under the waters of a deep, high-altitude lake. Image by Zuki.

5

Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Mehrangarh Fort was established in the 15th century on the top of a hill to provide safety from attackers. The current structure, built in the 17th century, now showcases opulent interior palaces and houses a museum of cannon and other arms. Image by Manuel Menal.

6

Mysore Palace, Mysore, Karnataka

One of the most luxurious palaces in the region, Mysore Palace will celebrated 100 years of existence in 2012. The elaborate lighting arrangement, which is turned on only on Sundays and festival days, adds to the glory of the site.

7

Amber Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan

Initially built in the last decade of the 16th century, the Amber Fort has since gone through many makeovers. The interior is generously decorated with murals and mirror work. Image by Aris Gionis.

8

Padmanabhaswamy Temple, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

The 18th-century Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala is known for its large monolithic idol, its pathways decorated with series of pillars, and intricate wood carvings. Image by -Reji.

9

Temples of Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho is a small town with dozens of ancient temples dotting its landscape. They were built here over a span of 200 years, between 950 and 1150 AD. The temples are known for the erotic sculptures and intricate carvings on their walls.

10

Thiksey Monastery, Ladakh

Founded in the 15th century, Thiksey Monastery is noted for the similarity of its structure to that of Potala Palace in Lhasa. The stupas, or chortens, seen in the picture above are commonly placed in front of Tibetan monasteries to ward off evil forces. Image by Teseum.

11

Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, Karnataka

The nine-tiered tower of Virupaksha Temple is about 50m high. Commissioned in the early 16th century, it stands as the only unspoilt structure in the middle of the vast ruins of an ancient city. Image by Kirk Kittell

12

Hulikere Tank, Karnataka

Hidden in a small hamlet in South India is this beautiful tank surrounded by niches on all four sides. It served as a bath for queens in the first half of the 12th century.

13

Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral, Thrissur, Kerala

This cathedral was built more than a hundred years ago; its towers still stand tall in the center of Thrissur town.

14

Thanjavur Temples, Tamil Nadu

The tall Brihadeeswarar Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and built from sandstone in Thanjavur, recently turned 1,000 years old. One of its more interesting features is the large stone dome on top of the temple tower, which weighs more than eighty tons. How the stone was lifted to such a height remains a mystery.
Image by Feng Zhong.

15

Patwon Ki Haveli, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

This site is a cluster of five private residences that once belonged to a merchant family, now declared a heritage monument. The oldest of the five is just under 200 years. Image by Garrett Ziegler.

16

Bathing Ghats, Varanasi

Varanasi is often called the oldest living city in the world. The bathing ghats and temples along the bank of the River Ganges are visited by thousands of pilgrims every day.
Image by jeeheon.

17

Taj Mahal, Agra

This list wouldn't be complete without the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It's now one of the most well-known monuments in India and finds a mention in the list of new wonders of the world.