My T-shirt: MADE IN HONDURAS

A line of tourists stretches out from the ticket counter. They wheel their luggage – double-stitched, stain-proof, Kevlar seamed – a foot closer to the counter. And then they wait patiently.

Seen any crocs?

A family of four smiles and laughs. Newlyweds lean on each other. When they booked the flight, the vacation in the Caribbean sun and sand seemed eons away. They thought the day would never come, but now that it has and they can look out of the terminal and see rain forest, they stand in line content.

The newlywed bride points to me and laughs, “Great T-shirt. Fantasy Island, right?”

“Yep, Tattoo.” I spare them the tragic story of Herve.

“Da plane, da plane,” says the groom. His…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

Pigs in the Toilet & Odes to the Crotch Flap

It’s me again – “that guy inspired by his boxers.” At least that’s what writer Jeff Vize calls me.

Some are inspired by sunsets, others, lovely pieces of art. Not me. Give me some faded stretched out undies with some cartoons on them and I’ll travel across the globe and write you an ode to the crotch flap.

I’m a simple man.

This trip won’t be the first time I’ve been inspired by underwear. Why just this Christmas I bit the bullet and bought Annie some tastefully comfortable drawers at Victoria Secret. I almost died in the process. Call me a prude, but I don’t like to talk about boobs and butt cheeks with strange ladies in underwear stores. I wrote a little piece…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

Job Opening: Cambodian Garment Industry

If I were one of those hardcore investigative journalists, I might consider taking this job in the garment industry.

Dilbert

I’m not.

The job, working for a garment factory that supplies Levis and the GAP among others, is based out of Phnom Penh. It has a rather vague title, Financial Controller, and a daunting list of responsibilities: Financial management, Imports and stores, Shipping, Personnel and Compliance, Administration and Security. To me it sounds like you would be an overworked middle manager with way too much to do.

The position requires “no experience.” Great, I’m qualified. It also says that applicants must speak good English and good Spanish. Well, now that sure makes sense. You don’t need to know the local language,…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

The WHY of Travel?

The good gang at Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding highlighted WAIW? just the other day. My little quest got them thinking about the “why” of travel.

There are just about as many reasons to travel as there are travelers. It could be as simple as checking off sites on your “must-see” list, or it could be an emotional journey tracing family history in the mother country. The “why” of travel can be a complicated question, and for some it’s never fully answered.

The “why” for me has changed through the years.

First there was, “Why not? What the hell else would I do with my degree in Anthropology?”

Next there was, “I’ve got the last half of my uber-cheap ATW plane ticket left. Why not use it?” Followed by several other…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

Rogue Travelers Unite!

What do wine, nuts, and underwear have in common?

They all have inspired members of BootsnAll’s Rogue Traveler Class of 2007.

There are 3 of us. This girl, the Great Wall Nut, has walked the entire length of the Great Wall and now she’s up to something else rogue traveler-ish. She’s been hinting at it for months now. What is it? Tell us. I think you are going to tell us and then you don’t. I’m getting blue…oh never mind.

This couple seems to be wine drinkers with a traveling problem….

Read More >
 
Add a comment
Read More >
 
Add a comment

My T-shirt: A Quest is Born

(Note: This is a continuation of the My Shirt narrative. The events below took place in 2005. To read the narrative in its entirety to date GO HERE.)

From our tiny apartment, I continued to weave the tales of my travels and try to sell them. I was published on a website which paid me $20 and then the Raleigh News & Observer published a story I wrote about spending the night in Castle Dracula in Romania. I was giddy. I got paid $150.

I have made less than $300 writing.

I want a career as a writer. Annie wants a commitment. We’re doomed.

We’ve lived in this apartment for a year and a half. Annie has decided she doesn’t want to be…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

The Super Spectacular WAIW? Contest of Destiny

Nudity is overrated. You know it. I know it. Everybody but those hairy nudist colony people know it.

That’s why we wear clothes.

THE CONTEST

To win more clothes, specifically THIS T-SHIRT, tell me about your favorite item of clothing that you just can’t travel or live without.

What’s so special about your _______(insert one: shirt, pants, socks, underwear, tie, penny loafers, ear muffs, wetsuit, trunks, brassiere, cardigan, dickey. You get the idea)? Did they save your life, like THESE PANTS? Do they have some kind of sentimental value? Be sure to include where it was MADE?

HOW TO PLAY

To enter, post your ode to clothes on this comment thread. I will select a lucky winner based on creativity, expressed passion for the selected item,…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

My T-shirt: I'm a writer

My quest started in 2005 with a trip to my T-shirt’s factory of origin in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

With the next chapter of the quest now less than 3 weeks away, it’s time I fill you in on what inspired the quest and what exactly went down in Honduras (A little hint: At one point in time I violate every factory workers’ Human Right to NOT see me stripping).

I’ll be using a mix of narrative, past blog posts, and current thoughts over the next few weeks to tell this first Chapter which I’ll call: My T-shirt.

In the PAGES section you will find a link to My T-shirt. I will be updating the page with each new contribution to the chapter. In the end, it…

Read More >
 
Add a comment

It's a warped world

Know what’s great? Smart people and their mathematics.

Somewhere some smart person is plugging away at his unbalanced multi-linear differential equation (if there is such a thing), thinking up something that will make the rest of us scratch our heads and say “Cool,” at which point we’ll scratch our butt and continue with our own research – determining which nostril we can shoot Skittles farther with (have you noticed that the purple one’s seem to travel farther…me too…for the good of all mankind we should combine our research efforts).

The Worldmapper Project must have a lot of smart people working on it because their maps are super cool. Here’s what they’ve done in their own words (I’m too dumb to explain it):

The maps…are equal area cartograms, otherwise known as density-equalising…

Read More >
 
1 comment