They both do cross a border, a border that they have never crossed before. They both go to places they have never seen or experienced before. One is going for politics and the other is simply going there as a writer. Kapuscinski is very nervous when he heard he was going to India and he never thought he would be the one chosen to go there. "The editor in chief was summoning me to her
office. "You know," she said, as I stood before her desk, he are sending
you. You'll go to India"
My first reaction was astonishment And right after that, panic:
I knew nothing about India. I feverishly searched my thoughts
for some associations, images. names. Nothing. Zero." He did not know very much about India. He also did not know where or what to start writing about when he got there. "During all those days after my arrival in Delhi I was tormented
by the thought that I was not working as a reporter, that I was not
gathering material for the stories that I would later have to write... But I found myself emptyhanded.
and feeling incapable of doing anything, at a loss even to
know where to begin. I knew nothing about India, after all, and
hadn't asked for it."
Russel was comparing Bosnia to her home town a little saying that not everybody has it as well as that town does. She was saying that Bosnia was in worse shape then Dublin and that is why she went to Bosnia. I believe that Russel is crossing the border of near death and it is scary for her. "It's not normal for violence and death to walk hand in hand
in the sunshine. Sunny days are for picnics, for lying in the long grass,
for taking a bottle of water and setting out to walk across a bog. But
then this is not a normal world." As she stated it is not a normal country because there has been not much peace in Bosnia just a bunch of fighting.
I think both borders matter to me. The border of near death is pretty scary I want to know what is going on in a country before I go and visit it. I want some sort of protection with me as well. As for crossing the border of not knowing much about a country I need to do some research on where I would be visiting. I know my family is going somewhere for vacation out of the U.S, this summer so once I figure out where we are going I am for sure doing some research about that country and checking the ratings on the hotel.
Mike, the quote you used from Kapuscinski’s writing is interesting. It almost seems as though the author is setting himself up for failure. Of course he does not know anything about India, but that should make him anxious to learn and explore rather than panic about not having a good trip. When Russell travels to Bosnia, it is a completely different society from her hometown in Dublin. This can really stop a person and allow them to think about how fortunate they are to live where they do. I agree that it can be scary to travel into danger zones and that research should be done before traveling to unfamiliar areas.
ReplyDeleteMike, your comments about safety make me think about the definition of a smart traveler. As your post makes clear, there is adventure travel and then there is dumb adventure travel, and making sure that we are safe is probably our first responsibility.
ReplyDeleteI just wish I always followed that rule...
;-)
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI think I can identify with Kupuscinski because he is so consumed with the prospect of travel that when he finally gets the opportunity, he is somewhat panicked. I too want to travel anywhere and everywhere, but not knowing anything about the destination would be daunting. But even more so, the idea of going to a country like Bosnia would definitely cause me to be fearful. Russell's fearlessness is one of the things that I admire about her as a traveler and the fact that she even admits that situations cause her unease make her an even better writer. I agree with you that I would first do research on my destination before I embarked. I would hate to miss out on all that the country had to offer!
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI really like how you made the connection of Kupuscinski and his feeling of panic. He definitely wanted to jump at the opportunity to got to India, however when duty called he was going to be the last one in line, or so he thought. I can definitely relate to this. I am really great at planning awesome vacations that seem to never happen. When the time comes to 'poop or get off the pot' I am usually the first to job overboard! I really enjoyed reading your response.
Te quote at the beginning ran a little long, but I'm glad it was in there. Also, the discussion about it and your own thoughts on it all were interesting to read.
ReplyDeleteMike,
ReplyDeleteI like how you described that we should know what we are getting into before we travel. For example, if you are going to a different country, it is important to know their customs and how their culture differs from your own. I think I tend to look too much into the safety because I want to make sure the experience is worth the money and to have a fun time. Overall, I really liked how you described the difference between both authors and how you described your feelings of being cautious as to where you are going!