"I don't get it" Cheryl exclaimed, "how do you get all the money to travel?" And then there was Auntie Karin, thirty years my senior and in possession of infinitely more life experiences than I. "Why do you have to travel so much? Waste money! Furthermore it is dangerous you know. You youngsters don't know the danger. You are a girl. I would be afraid." And of course objection came from the Tsar himself and his wife, who were not the happiest people upon learning that I had set my mind on traveling, again.
There is the assumption that traveling is expensive. But more crucially, that it is unproductive. Traveling frequently for leisure does not fit into the ideology of capitalism - sure a little holiday, a first trip to the major cities in Europe would "broaden your horizon" and help you in your future career. "To have travelled" is even sometimes a necessary pre-requiste to a good job in a world that never seems to stop globalizing. But to do it for fun and for pleasure seems misplaced and alarm bells go buzzing.
"What is it that you learn through your travels? Your brother travels to meet people, you just travel to see things." my father, the Tsar said offhandedly as my first instincts proceeded to list the types of nationalities I had met and the productive lessons I had picked up along the way.
"So?" another friend asked, as if waiting for my three thousand dollar vacation to validate its worth. "So what?" I replied by this time bored to death having repeatedly felt compelled to prove that I had made 10 more gold coins.
Firstly, traveling is only expensive inasmuch as the way we choose to travel. So backpacker's hostel or private 3 star hotel with free coffee and tea? Shared bathroom or en-suite facilities? The cheapest plane ticket with a long layover or a direct flight? Meals in a restaurant or a self-catered picnic in the park? Ten thousand and one postcards as souvenirs or none at all?
And then of course there is the opportunity cost - different people obviously have different priorities. Mine is traveling which I place high on the pedestal above gym memberships, spa and facial packages, facial products, short holidays, beach holidays, branded clothes, bags, sewing kits, alcoholic drinks (I don't even drink and one saves a lot of money by drinking less (alcohol) and no smoking!) and electronic products.
For a majority of Singaporeans, traveling usually costs a lot because for them (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this!) it is a vacation, a break, a "stress-free" holiday, a mechanism in the machine to account for the subject's work-life balance.
There is the assumption that traveling is expensive. But more crucially, that it is unproductive. Traveling frequently for leisure does not fit into the ideology of capitalism - sure a little holiday, a first trip to the major cities in Europe would "broaden your horizon" and help you in your future career. "To have travelled" is even sometimes a necessary pre-requiste to a good job in a world that never seems to stop globalizing. But to do it for fun and for pleasure seems misplaced and alarm bells go buzzing.
"What is it that you learn through your travels? Your brother travels to meet people, you just travel to see things." my father, the Tsar said offhandedly as my first instincts proceeded to list the types of nationalities I had met and the productive lessons I had picked up along the way.
"So?" another friend asked, as if waiting for my three thousand dollar vacation to validate its worth. "So what?" I replied by this time bored to death having repeatedly felt compelled to prove that I had made 10 more gold coins.
Firstly, traveling is only expensive inasmuch as the way we choose to travel. So backpacker's hostel or private 3 star hotel with free coffee and tea? Shared bathroom or en-suite facilities? The cheapest plane ticket with a long layover or a direct flight? Meals in a restaurant or a self-catered picnic in the park? Ten thousand and one postcards as souvenirs or none at all?
And then of course there is the opportunity cost - different people obviously have different priorities. Mine is traveling which I place high on the pedestal above gym memberships, spa and facial packages, facial products, short holidays, beach holidays, branded clothes, bags, sewing kits, alcoholic drinks (I don't even drink and one saves a lot of money by drinking less (alcohol) and no smoking!) and electronic products.
For a majority of Singaporeans, traveling usually costs a lot because for them (and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this!) it is a vacation, a break, a "stress-free" holiday, a mechanism in the machine to account for the subject's work-life balance.
It just isn't that for me. And when I tried to make this clear to Belle, who was pretty upset that I had chosen to work less in order to study and travel more, she replied rather curtly, "but I love traveling too. Everyone does, my dear. Who doesn't?" And belle is one who struts around in a new outfit every day and in matching tippy toe heels. I think you mean you enjoy going on holidays Belle I wanted to say, but didn't have the guts to afterall I can't absolutely be certain if there was fundamentally a difference. (I'm just being quite catty here because this is Belle we are talking about and most people I know don't like her so much).
But I maintain that travel in whichever and whatever form is quite essential simply because it saves people, places and spaces and then more importantly ourselves from ideology. I probably should elaborate but then I'm running out of steam. haha.
But I maintain that travel in whichever and whatever form is quite essential simply because it saves people, places and spaces and then more importantly ourselves from ideology. I probably should elaborate but then I'm running out of steam. haha.
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