Journal 8

Food! Well, I think it is safe to say that there is not a more likeable topic for me than this one! I should probably get the topic of Dalrymple out of the way before I begin talking about my own appetite so that I do not forget! When I began reading Dalrymple’s Xandu, I had the impression that Dalrymple needed a double quarter pounder or a Chicago deep dish or something! What was with all of the food references? Was I mistaken or was he even personifying a man’s beard with a salt and pepper like appearance?

Looking at my own indulgences now, I first want to reference my competition back in October. My twelve week diet was encompassed with nothing more than oats, egg whites, cooked spinach, broccoli, green beans, 6 ounces of steak every 3 days, chicken, canned tuna, brown rice and yams. Doesn’t sound too bad? Imagine eating nothing but that for three months. I dieted from the beginning of July until the beginning of October. Having said that, the night my show was over was like rediscovering food, and to say the least I haven’t taken food for granted since! Now, I’m Italian, what a better place for a young food crazed half Dago to go than to the country of his origin? I’m talking spaghetti and meatballs, fresh mozzarella, chicken parmesan, fresh gelato, carbonara, linguini, lasagna, Italian wedding soup, fresh baked breads, pizza marinara, pizza romana, pizza pugliese, pizza siciliana, biscotti, tiramisu, semifreddo, pizzelle, crostada. Those are some of the foods in which I would indulge myself in! I would not limit myself, but I think it is safe to say that I would allow some extra money in my budget for food.

Now I do not want to come off as a glutton. Ok, maybe I am, but not in a sinful way. As an amateur natural bodybuilder it’s in my nature to eat a lot, not to mention the fact that I’m Italian, let’s face it, we Italians, we eat, and we go to church, and we drink wine. Going to Italy would be an experience in every way of the word. Anytime I go somewhere, I look for a restaurant unique to that area. The way which I see it is, why am I going to go somewhere new and eat the same old stuff? Try something new and enjoy it.

Journal 7

                In this week’s journal we are asked to compare the works of three authors which we read about in class. The catch, while all three authors are considered to be in the genre of travel writing, their styles within the genre are vastly different in comparison to one another and to the norm.

                Matthiessen’s, the Cloud Forest, is written via journal entry. Obviously when recording in a journal entry, daily recordings of the journal are going to be made. Matthiessen is very particular and detailed in terms of describing to the reader what he sees, experiences, hears, etc. This is a very effective way of personifying the experience so that the reader can actually bring the experience to life; however, this can be hit or miss, given that the writer is good at describing the events to the reader, which seems to be the case throughout Matthiessen’s works.

                Looking at Dalrymple, I was a bit stumped; the only thing I could take from his work was his tendency to compare his experiences to those which have already occurred. He closely looked at the journeys of Marco Polo, and wrote of the comparison between his trip and that of Polo’s. I like to think of Dalyrymple as a historian of sorts, bridging the gap between past and future with a comparative writing linking the past to his present events.

                Cahill seemed to take a serious yet humorous look about things, which reminded me of a sarcastic type of writing style. I felt like I could closely relate to this type of reading because I have a tendency to be sarcastic as well. Therefore, I feel that it is fair to say that this is my favorite style of the three. Giving a more specific example - his main focus in our reading, drugs, and his experiences were primarily about the experiences which occurred while the self-induced high was taking place. Clarifying –I did not feel as closely related to his writings because of the drugs – just because of his sarcasm and lack of seriousness at times, I believe it inspired a lax and laid back personality.

                After reading both works I think that it is apparent that Cahills works are more of my liking, obviously because of my sarcastic yet serious outlook on life – although I feel that he takes the drugs outlook a bit too far.

Journal 6

                Considering that my trip will be back packing throughout the country of Italy, I will be crossing many borders. First there will be the borders of one country to another. Then there will be my transitions throughout the island of Sicily; then onto the boot, and up the long beautiful Italian landscape.

                Let’s face it; physical borders won’t be the only thing which I will be crossing. The largest border which will be crossed is leaving the comforts of home. I will be the first to admit, I have it pretty good here is the States. I have a roof over my head, food readily accessible for either purchase or cooking , money when I need it, friends and family, and I’m immersed in a language in which I am fluent. Life, is, good. Now, just like Russel’s travels from native Dublin, to hostile Bosnia, I am leaving all of those comforts of home here in the states, in pursuit of a journey in which I will be my only dependent. Because let’s face it, I don’t speak Italian, If I get into trouble, I better hope that my little Italian speaking dictionary can save my ass, or that I’ll be fortunate enough to find someone who speaks Italian. Be that as it may, my trip will be considerably less inimical than Russel’s trip to Bosnia. How bad can Italy be?

Things to consider though – Money to eat, because I won’t be have a stove in my backpack, also to purchase a room in a hostile along my travels, and also for train tickets, and lastly so that I am able to really experience Italy, and see the sites! Another factor for consideration, clothing – how am I to pack enough clothing for one week in on book bag. Being one to care about what others think, I truly have a lot of insight as to my appearance and my, let me be subtle, smell. It is also my uneducated opinion that Italians may not be too fond of a stranger who is traveling along (possibly another border? Putting it nicely but I’ve come across some pretty foul smelling people in public in the US) smelling of dirty clothes and body odor – for this reason I must work out a way to find either a way to wash my clothes or bring enough toiletries and fresh clothing along with me.

Journal 5

When we think of the main focus of our class, we ultimately think, travel. With travel comes certain many subjects, however one main focus which we will be looking at is the crossing of borders. If it’s one thing you must do when traveling it is the crossing of borders. Whether you are traveling from one town to the next, a separate state, or to another country, you cross an imaginary line which separates different areas from each other. Now to open, it is important to remember that borders are not strictly defined as the separation of one town to another, from one state to the next or even separate countries. Borders can also be defined as a language barrier, religious sections of countries, in some unfortunate cases, blacks from whites. Borders can be any type of classification separating one area from the next, and when traveling one must cross those borders in order to complete their travels.

I would like to open the next subject of boarders with a question. What good is travel writing, if you cannot express, record, share, or bitch of your travels? Branching from this question, it is imperative that any writer aspiring to tell of their travels find a means of dictation for their travels. Throughout our course we have learned of different means of recording, such as a diary or journal. Travel writers are not limited to only these Stone Age methods of recording, however. Thanks to the luxury of technology, travel writers are now able to voice record travels, use a laptop to type, or even record footage or take pictures to go along with their writings, giving the reader a more firsthand account of their journeys.

Looking at some specific works, I would like to mention Kapuscinski and his writing Travels with Herodotus. Throughout this writing Kapuscinski tells of his experiences in different cultures outside of his own nation. One thing which must be understood is that when you travel, especially in the case of Kapuscinski who came from a communist controlled country, you may feel like an outsider when indulging in  cultures of other nations; which is exactly what Kapuscinski felt while traveling to Italy, India and Greece.

In the Amazonian Packet we read of Mary Russels travels from native Dublin to her experiences in hostile Bosnia, an area which did not cater to the freedoms and respects of women as Dublin did. Having said that, I feel that the major border crossing which Russel had to cross was the gender border, as she traveled to an area where she had to fear for her safety and even her life, simply because she is a women.