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Room for All of Us. Adrienne Clarkson. 2011. ISBN 9780670065479.  The idea of this book is to chronicle representatives of immigrant groups who came to Canada to have a better life.  Its a good idea.  Too bad there was not enough room for the idea and Clarkson in the same book.  Very disappointing since I do not want to read any more about her, but I did want to learn about the immigrant groups.  Well at least she did not disappoint, based on past performances. What is it that she can not say my husband” but always has to use his name. Who cares?  Easy read, good pace, just needed some ego editing.   Borrow it from a friend if you must read it.

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The Golden Spruce. A true story of myth, madness and greed. John Vaillant. 2005.  A Governor Generals award winning book about a man possessed who cut down a 400 yr. old  tree sacred to the Haida in the Queen Charlotte‘s.  The book combines a story about the BC forest industry, overlaid with Haida culture and meshed with the life of one man Grant Hadwin. It is a descriptive and mystical journey that gives a sensitive view of how all these elements collided and why this destruction happened. I felt close to this story, havinig spent some time on the Charlottes, seen the Golden Spruce, visited many of the places in the book and met several of the characters described.  A bit slow, the book is still a good read and it is well written.

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Why China Will Never Rule The World. Travels in the two Chinas. Troy Parfitt.  2011. ISBN 9780986803505. Troy contacted me to look at his book.  He warned me that it was controversial and Amazon would publish it in Sept.   I enjoy a good travelogue like this one. He is a Canadian history teacher who taught for 10 years in Taiwan and is now back in Canada.  He is just a regular person like us all with no “hidden interests or agendas”.  The book was prompted by a growing disconnect he saw between his experiences in China and the “roaring noise” he heard in the media that China was on a roll, that this was their era and they were on their way to a global hegemony.  So he took a total of three months to travel through China and the Taiwan to “live” in  the two Chinas, talk to regular folks, and see if there was this groundswell.  He took the routes of the residents, eschewed the tourist trails and essentially went native, with the record button turned on.   The time was just before the ’08 Olympics.  This was an eye opening trip for him. He used his history background to link the past to the present and  the future.  It is an easy read, well written and annotated with a style that allows you, the reader to build your own opinions from the views that Troy brings back.

I do not want to spoil the book for you, but I now agree with Troy’s thesis – China can not “rule the world”. The countries behavior is too tied into past history ( they can never forgive a slight – eg America backing the S Koreans, despite pouring billions into China during WW II, and now supporting Taiwan. The other slights are the Europeans and Americans having the opium wars.) China will not  forgive and forget and then move forward.  Revenge for these and other events will eventually come.  The behavior of Chiang Kai Chek and Mao was driven more often by revenge than anythng else.

From this book I take away that:

• China will never move to a democracy (Communism “fits” the Confucian culture. too well).
• When the leaders feel they have the US in a tight situation (Eg Move to sell their US bonds, or cripple their IT) they will move against Taiwan, even tho’ very few Taiwanese wish it.
• Hong Kong will slowly lose the freedoms they have now and will never get the vote ( When I was over there I heard over and over again that the plan was for Shanghai to eclipse Hong Kong as a financial centre).
• The “media” in China present the opposite of the truth until it becomes a “cultural truth”
• The educational system predicates against graduating students who can think for themselves, putting them well behind “western ” abilities
• The emerging wealthy  middle class will not give power to the 800 million poverty stricken peasants, preferring to transfer wealth to Western investments
• The West will continue to mess up in dealing with this country, since they will never understand the basis of Chinese decisions. The West will be played like a harmonica (Like they are being played in Pakistan)
• Religious freedom will never come to the country, persecution will continue
• Copyright protection will not take place in China, they are too good at copying everything.
• It will continue to be one of the most polluted countries ever and a growing global contributor.
• The concept of losing face is mostly a ploy to ensure that the country is not called out for its blatant acts.
• The leadership will continue to take advantage of the Chinese people. Corruption will always be there.
• We should watch to see what plays out in Africa with the heavy Chinese investment.

I liked it and suggest this is a good one for the “skeptical” reader. You can see how the the authors becomes quite emotional in his  responses through the description of his initial openness and the resulting experiences. I particularly enjoyed his use of  Orwell’s 1984 commentary.

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Different books for your Mexican trip. Not your normal travelogues.  I discovered a few off beat books on Mexico from the eclectic folks who have found their way to this tiny non gringo part of S. Mexico. Part of the attraction of Cuyutlan is that you need to integrate with the Mexicans here, they really have not needed to learn much english (if any ) to have their life go on as before, since the place is popular as a Mexican resort.  Thus the reading material here tends to explain life more from the Mexican point of view.

I especially enjoyed that these books reflect the authentic (non tourist) Mexico vs what the fear mongering US press is making us read. The normal US resident is fearful of venturing to Mexico, when what is being reported goes on in most large US cities every week.  A good way to keep the US tourist dollars in the US. (If one subscribed to conspiracy theories)

Stones for Ibarra, Harriet Doerr. 1984. ISBN 0140075623.  What would possess an average American couple, Richard and Sara Everton, to sell everything they had to move to a tiny village in Mexico to re-open a mine owned by Richard’s deceased grandfather. They had never seen the mine, house, or village ever.  However the story unfolds around stories of the locals and what has transpires in their lives for the eight years the Everton’s stay.  The stories are clearly written, with good local flavour.  I enjoyed the humanity of the lives, without pandering to politically correct language.

A Trip To The Light Fantastic. Travels with a Mexican Circus. Katie Hickman. 1994. ISBN 0006377157.  The author specializes in offbeat travel (that you would likely never do) that she will write about and her husband does photo journalism around the travels.  For this one, she literally joins a Mexican circus in Mexico city and travels, initially as a spectator then a performer as the troop moves slowly around the countryside. Since circus performers are not highly regarded she sees the country from the bottom up. Interspersed with the circus performers personal stories, she adds some side trips to very offbeat spectacles that would be very hard for the casual visitor to even know about.  She struggles with what appears to be magic (and it may be that) and the juxtaposition of Mexicans unique Catholicism with long standing Indian beliefs.   Clearly written, and not your normal travel guidebook.

Mexican Days. Journeys Into the Heart of Mexico. Tony Cohen. 2006. ISBN 0767920901.  The first book I read down here on what has turned into a fascinating learning experience ( which I have just touched) on what it is like to “live” in Mexico (vs translating the US amenities lock stock and barrel to a different geography). The author has found peace  for years in a small Mexican village with his artist wife ( A  Japanese textile specialist) when he arrives back to find the town invaded with the likes of Johnny Depp, Selma Hyack, Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffiths and Edward Norton.; plus all their hangers on.  The noise and hubbub  drives Cohen to take an extended trip  through many different parts of Mexico to sample life there  as well as write about it (This just after 9/11 , so the travel editor suggests Americans will be less likely to travel outside the continent and interest in Mexico will rise – which was true) .  Each town visit is  richly described with great detail so you feel the damp , cold or heat and learn what each location brought to the mexican experience through history and culture. His descriptions reminded me at times of  DH Lawrence, they were so clearly.  thought through.  It feels like you are really seeing Mexico through his eyes.

So lesson learned- do not take everything you read in the press to heart- they never venture away from the main resorts anyway.There is way more to Mexico than resort visits!

All the waves are not created equally safe!!!

But the fun is worth it!

Early on one day we decided to give boogie boarding a go . The waves seemed reasonable and the weather was very warm.  However the undertow was quite strong and I had not figured out that as the five foot wave swept over you it also carved about two feet of sand away at the same time. This makes it hard to “jump” up onto the wave, since I am net about one foot under water by this time!  We did quite well, but the undertow was a tough as I have ever had- no wonder about a dozen Mexicans drown here each  year. You can swim beyond where the big waves break, but getting back in is a challange.

And then to relax with a little lite refreshment.    Life does not get much tougher than this.  I am sometimes too lazy to read. (Well I have read a Pierre Berton book , Why We Act like Canadians and a few others)  However we did get to the Manzanillo market.   Some very attractive and heavy pottery and of course the essential Vancouver Canuck`s serape ( Or Edmonton Eskimos)   Something tells you that there are a lot of snowbirds down here.

Mostly recycled items that Value Village did not want and pirated DVDS.

Relaxing poolside after the wave workout

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View from the living room to pool and the Pacific Ocean beyond

So we are basking in 95 degree weather, 12 hours of sun, pollution-free salty air.  Swim in the pool, have breakfast,  go boogie boarding in the endless waves, walk on the beach, read a bit of  fresh seafood, terrific fresh fruits and veggies, ( 10 bananas f0r $1, limes, tomatoes, mangoes, avocadoes, papaya, pineapple, coconut and so on – all grown locally.  We are 50 km S of Manzanillo.   Very rural, simple place, no  tourists, just really neat Mexicans and some gringos who have discovered this little piece of heaven.  And tons of fresh fish to be had. We had marlin yesterday, terrific with salsa and quinoa.  Once again one asks why work?  All this only  7 hrs flight from YVR on Alaska Air..

eat pray love. One woman’s search for everything across Italy, India and Indonesia. Elizabeth Gilbert.2006. ISBN 9780143038412.   My wife suggested I read this book and I am glad she did.  The author has a clear strong voice that makes this book much more than the movie (which became a Julia Roberts vehicle) .  The writing style is excellent.  I especially enjoyed Gilbert’s analysis/discussion of God from an Indian and Indonesian context.  The story of the the cat tied to a tree is hilarious yet tragically true! I have struggled in past to understand the various forms of God worship across so many cultures, yet at the core I sensed much similarity.  Gilbert clears this up but very gently. More than a “chick book” this is actually a very useful point of view.

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Cruising’s Dirty Little Secret.

Some of you may know that my wife sells travel, mostly cruises.  She has been trying to educate me that all-in cruises at the luxury level are terrific value. I always looked at the all inclusive cost and opted for pay as you go. Recently I discovered a dirty little secret about cruise line pricing.

The major cruise lines are very very smart.  They know that we are hardwired to avoid costs if we can. Cruising is priced at luxury, premium, mid-market and value price points. When you look at luxury prices (expect; smaller boats, 5 star service, river cruises, perhaps sailing vessels)  they price all-in. All-in  means everything is included in the price. It includes return airfares, meals and accommodation, transfers to and from the vessel, all tours, dinner wine, and suite amenities.  When you look at the all-in cruise price per day, it usually looks big!   For every other types of cruise, your fare just includes your food, accommodation & entertainment, the rest is a la carte.

I, being the suspicious fool that I am, “assumed” that luxury padded the price and so I opted for the other levels.  The luxury lines, and my wife,  argue that once you add it all up  their fares are more than  reasonable.  (This is classic value selling).  I put that down to salesman’s puff.  All the non luxury “levels” constantly trumpet their per day fare sales, to me they just had to be cheaper than luxury. Right?

I could not have been more wrong.

Last year I went on a terrific 22 day Beijing to Bangkok cruise where we took an extra week in Thailand, giving us 29 days in all.  Thailand is a cheap place to live well.  Adding up all the  flights, taxis, tours, food, wine, accommodation, etc., once all the bills came in, the 29 days put me back ~ $15k  for us (2)  ~  $520 per day.  But it was a very great holiday, not to be missed. This cruise was advertised “on special” at $169 per day.  And the all else, my wife used her travel smarts to get discounts everywhere she could – e.g. she found a great price on a round trip airfare, hotel and tour guide in Beijing.

My buddy just booked a different 21 day China riverboat cruise for next April, luxury level, first class, best cabin,  all included for $6000 all in. Netting them (2) a cost of  $285 per day. And he will have a “no surprise” Visa bill at the end of his cruise. No booking of flights, no arranging hotels in China, no worry about airport transport, no paying for tours. He only has to get his wife and himself  back and forth to YVR.  This is a deal.  Even if he paid twice as much ($570 per day),  he still beats my special  “cruise” price.  His total effort ? Read an email, go to the website, pick a cabin and enter a credit card.

I am permanently chastened.  My wife is right, again.  The differences between my buddy and me?  He has a personal net worth 20 times mine.  He always goes luxury. He knows a deal when he sees it. He values his time. And he drives a much nicer car (but he keeps them a long time).  Put him down as older and wiser.

Cruise lines are smart. We consumers think we are such great price conscious shoppers.  Yet  most of us are slaves to a desire to avoid (or delay) costs if given the choice. We go for the unbundled prices so that we can make the choice to spend more later.  And we fix an unrealistic reference price/cost  in our heads as we shop.

This makes the non luxury cruise lines marketing simple.  Advertise the very lowest price you can for even just a few seats. Get folks to buy the cruise ( and rarely at the lowest advertised price – ’cause they are gone) . Let the buyer do all the arranging work; such as finding, booking, paying for hotels, transfers, air etc., or offer these services at exorbitant rates. Once you get them on board, up sell on wine for meals, tours, drinks in the evening, specialty restaurants, laundry, gift shop and boutiques on board, internet, spa services, hair salon, fitness classes, etc.

It’s in our nature to only look at the lowest cost going in and the true cost only becomes visible when we get back  home, if we even look. That lowest cost becomes our “reference” cost which we get anchored to during the selection process. Once we commit, our emotional attachment to a “holiday” makes us much easier targets for continued up-sells.  In for the penny, in for the pound as my mother used to say.

So the lesson learned – think like a rich guy (who keeps his money close), force yourself to look at the all-in benefits of luxury because if left to your human nature, you will select a more expensive a la carte option. My mother also used to say,  There is nothing more expensive than a bargain.

Me?  I am going home to recount my paper clips and listen to my wife more .

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Now for something completely different – A river cruise in the South of France.

My better half, the tour specialist alerted me yesterday to a great experience she found out about. A river cruise starting May 28th from Arles to Lyon which is front ended by three days in Barcelona ( May 25-28) and ends with three days in Paris (June 4-7).  You would leave Canada May 24.

This is a first class  five star, white gloves, gourmet wining, dining , touring experience.  These things are wildly popular, with small numbers on a small river boat which sell out almost a year in advance. We were lucky to get what we found.  We have a hold on  5 rooms for 5 couples and can take reservations now. When they are gone they are gone, likely in a month from now.  check out the links:
Canadian Organizer
http://www.exclusivetours.ca/index.asp?sec=rc&nav=france&prod=france4

Boat and company
The Swiss Pearl
http://www.amawaterways.com/ships.asp?ship=fr
Trip overview
http://www.amawaterways.com/itinerary.asp?iticode=FA10
Map of trip
http://www.amawaterways.com/inc/popup_map.asp?iticode=FA10
Detailed itinerary
http://www.amawaterways.com/itinerary.asp?iticode=F
Videos  about the AMA cruise line
http://www.amawaterways.com/video/video.asp

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