Sedaris on recapturing travel experiences

David Sedaris is at it again in the New Yorker. And here I figured that it would probably be awhile before he wrote for them again due to the intrusive nature of their fact-checkers.

When you’re young, it’s easy to believe that such an opportunity will come again, maybe even a better one. Instead of a Lebanese guy in Italy, it might be a Nigerian one in Belgium, or maybe a Pole in Turkey. You tell yourself that if you travelled alone to Europe this summer you could surely do the same thing next year and the year after that. Of course, you don’t, though, and the next thing you know you’re an aging, unemployed elf, so desperate for love that you spend your evening mooning over a straight alcoholic.

I can relate to the general premise of what he says, but there is so much here that is thankfully unrelatable…yet laugh out loud hilarious.

WAIW Reviewed in the Key West Citizen

I just stumbled upon a review of WAIW in the Key West Citizen.

Do you know where your clothes were made, by whom and under what conditions? Do you care? Should you care?

There’s at least one journalist and travel writer out there who thinks you should.

In his non-fiction debut “Where Am I Wearing,” former Keys resident and Ohio native Kelsey Timmerman contemplates the tag in the back of his favorite T-shirt (it reads “Made in Honduras”) and decides to visit the places where his clothes were made in the hope that he might meet just a few of the people who had produced them.

Key West is where I got my start as a writer. It’s less romantic than it sounds. I didn’t write with a mojito at my side on my sunny veranda beneath swaying palm tree. I wrote in an attic — an actual fold down ladder attic. It was hot. It was dark. I drank water to keep from passing out. Consuming alcohol while writing would have led to severe dehydration and most likely death.

My first ever published words appeared in the now defunct Key West City Paper. I wrote for them for about a year before they went under. I don’t think it was my writing; it was probably the hurricane that hit them and their advertisers. For each story I got paid $0, but the experience was priceless.

Russell Athletics and Union Busting

The latest ire of the anti-sweatshop movement is Russell Athletics. Activists have convinced major universities to cancel apparel contracts with the company.

From Forbes.com:

According to the Workers Rights Consortium, a group that monitors labor conditions abroad for colleges, Russell spent two years trying to intimidate workers who attempted to unionize before closing the factory when they did.

“They’re well on their way to being the first company in history to be kicked out of collegiate sports because of their labor practices,” said Scott Nova, the executive director of the WRC. “I can’t imagine their affiliates will be too happy about that, which includes the NBA and the NFL and others.”

Russell says it announced the closure of the factory last October due to falling demand for the fleece sewn there. The company said it picked the union plant in Choloma because it had a month-to-month lease and cost $2 million less to close than the non-union alternative.

The company said that earlier anti-union actions, including the firing of 145 workers detailed in reports by the WRC and the industry-sponsored Fair Labor Association, were taken by local management. Russell is taking steps to fix such problems, company officials said.

I’m not an expert on collective bargaining, but I think it must be difficult to fight for currently-employed workers. If you fight too much, you just might fight them out of a job. The thing that leaves Russell wide-open here is that the worker’s who the movement are fighting for are no longer employed. The worker’s and the activists have nothing to lose, but Russell sure does - $$. And they’re currently losing it.

The university movement continues to lead the way on worker’s rights. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. To follow along check out the blog “Rein in Russell Athletics.”

Russell is a subsidiary of Fruit of the Loom.

Travel makes the headlines hit home

(I was going to post on some recent headlines that hit me kind of hard. When I started to write about them, I realized I was just rewriting something I had written already. This is that something. I wrote it 5 years ago, but it’s still how I feel.)

Visiting a friend who is a fine wine and cheese kind of guy, he asks me, “What’s your favorite cheese to eat with red wine?”

I turn the question over in my head searching for the perfect cheese or at least one that sounds like it: American, Swiss, French (is there French cheese or only dressing?), Colby, cheddar, smoked cheddar with bacon, Velveeta. “I don’t know? I’m just a simple small town kinda of fella. I actually include Velveeta on my mental list of fine cheeses.”

“Oh now, don’t give me that. You’re well-traveled; surely you have a favorite cheese with red wine.”

He was right. I have spent a lot of time away from Home, but that doesn’t make me some kind of find food and wine connoisseur. Maybe I am well traveled, but I traveled poorly missing certain lessons along the way, too wrapped up in thoughts of Home to attain certain wisdoms.

When I travel I don’t attain some greater wisdom or some inner knowledge of who I am and what I want to be. I did not leave Switzerland with an aristocratic appreciation of cheese. To me it’s all Swiss cheese. It just so happens that some Swiss cheeses taste better than others. Between us, some are repulsive.

I am happy with being able to place names, faces, and experiences with certain places. Kosovo and Bosnia were always dark “No Man’s” lands dominated by the violence of warfare until I played playstation with a 22 year old Kosovar, and before I discussed the siege of Sarajevo with a Bosniak over dinner. Hawaii would just be a tropical paradise if I hadn’t neared hypothermia at the summit of Mauna Loa. I would not follow the civil war in Nepal if I wasn’t able to remember the kind smiling faces of individual Buddhist monks, the young street beggar girl who attacked me with a stick, and the smell and buttery warmth of salt tea.

If I have gained anything from my travels it’s not a well-traveled savviness, envied by others, but an increased caring. I care about other nations and their people more having visited them. I listen to the news not for entertainment, but with concern. I care for them because I appreciate their differences, and most of all I recognize our similarities. It’s their Home I visit and realize how not so different it is from my own.

Yesterday, what a laugh

Yesterday I was asked about the theoretical structure of “Where Am I Wearing?” I gave an answer that involved my underwear. I don’t think that plays well in Academia. What I wanted to say was this…

“WAIW isn’t an academic work…people actually enjoy reading it!”

And in bigger news…

Harper laughed!

I’m out of town for one night and I miss her first laugh. Annie gave me the news last night. I’m not sure what time she laughed, but I wonder if at that exact moment her father was being asked about the theoretical structure of his book.

I’m at IU tomorrow

I’m at IU tomorrow morning and afternoon and then it’s off to Chicago to meet with Rule29.

From Indiana University’s Communication & Culture Graduate program’s blog…

David Sedaris Ball State recap

Last week I saw David Sedaris speak at Ball State University here in Muncie.

Nothing is off limits for his wit. Israeli-Palestinian conflict – cracked me up. His family’s love for off-beat taxidermy – killed. At one point he was talking about the preserved severed head of a South American girl from the 15th century and I’m sure I wasn’t alone in my struggle to keep from laughing aloud.

One of the stories he read was about his decision to put out a tip jar during a book tour. He did it to be funny, but soon he was pulling down $200 - $400 per night and, regardless of how great the crowd was, he started to judge them on the amount they tipped him. I enjoyed the story on a number of different levels.

As a former dive instructor I used to practically live off of tips in Key West. Back at the dock after a day of diving, I would stand as the divers exited the boat. A rough estimate of what we thought we should get was $5 per snorkeler and $10 per diver. I’m not sure how many of our passengers knew this; heck, I didn’t know it until someone told me.

He felt bad for judging cities solely on how poor or how well they tipped. As a dive instructor, for awhile I felt the same way about our trips to the reef. Eventually, I got over it and stopped paying attention to how much individuals tipped me. There was one exception: If I put my life in danger saving your butt, I expected a little green. Ironically, the people I saved were often the worst tippers. I think they were embarrassed.

After the talk someone in the audience asked him how much of his stories were true. I think the question was a bit offensive, but David handled it well. He talked about his most recent contribution to the New Yorker. In the piece he visits a Costco with his brother-in-law. At one point in time they are pushing a cart with one item: “a cinder block sized box of condoms.” He bought the condoms to give out on an upcoming book tour (apparently he’s progressed from the tip jar). Thinking they were looking a bit too gay they decided they had to get some other stuff in the cart. His brother-in-law bought a 5lb box of strawberries.

The fact-checker at the New Yorker called his brother-in-law to make sure he did buy strawberries. They also called Costco to ensure that they did have a 5lb crate of strawberries and a box of condoms the size of a cinder block.

David said that there are some stories that he wouldn’t write for the New Yorker. He figures that the last thing a taxidermist who keeps severed heads in his store probably would want was to get a call from a fact-checker.

All this makes me feel like I should take better notes.

You know that you’ve made it when…

…you are a local cake judge. That’s what I am today at Kennedy Library in Muncie.

I’m one of the judges in the libraries annual Edible Books Festival:

Entirely edible creations should feature books, a literary theme, stories, authors and/or characters. That’s right, all entries must be created of edible materials. Cakes, pies, vegetables, nuts, bread, popcorn, juices, candy and other food stuffs are great. Just make sure it doesn’t melt or get yucky before the Festival is over at 4 p.m.

This should be fun. Unfortunately, because of health code stuff, there will be no eating of the cakes. So I’ll be judging books that can’t be read and cakes that can’t be eaten.

Last night Annie made an Edible Book based on Where Am I Wearing?. (I guess you could also refer to them as Edible underwear if you are into that kind of thing.) Now before you criticize me for having Annie make the cake, you should know that I helped.

I licked out the bowl.

Bangladesh to ban begging

From the Guardian. (I saw the link on Relevantmagazine.com)

Bangladesh’s newly elected government plans to eradicate begging from the streets of Dhaka and five regional cities during the next five years, after pushing an anti-begging bill through parliament this week.

The heart of the issue:

Farah Kabir, ActionAid Bangladesh’s country director, said: “The [Bangladeshi] government needs to spell out how it will achieve the ambitious target of eliminating begging in five years. We need to see the plan. We will welcome it if the plan is to move people out of poverty, to provide beggars with an alternative livelihood. But the question is, will it just be a measure to make the poor invisible? This was tried in the 1980s when beggars were moved to specially designated villages, but it failed.”

When I saw this headline I was immediately against the ban. But if there is one thing I’ve learned about issues (sweatshops, child labor) surrounding the world’s poor, it’s that I need to guard against my knee-jerk reactions. I rarely gave to the beggars of Bangladesh or anywhere else for that matter. A one-dollar gift on the streets of Dhaka, and you are surrounded by a mob of people wanting more. Plus, there is the issue of begging rings in which adults employ young children to beg for them. And even uglier yet are the instances of beggers intentionally maiming themselves — lopping off a hand — because a maimed beggar earns more.

Putting an end to begging won’t put an end to the living conditions that cause people to turn to begging. If anything beggars are reminders of how much work needs to be done to help the poor. Maybe we need reminded.

I agree with Mr. Fabir, if actions are taken to provide other options or some type of social safety net for the poor, then go ahead with the ban (although jail seems a bit extreme). If not, I think jailing a mother begging for money to feed her children when she has no other options is a violation of human rights.

Where Am I Wearing Wednesday: PJ’s

It’s neither one hour before bed nor one hour after, and I’m wearing pajamas. I realize that this is totally unacceptable.

Like drinking alcohol before noon, wearing pajamas after noon is a sign that you have a problem.

I have a problem.

Or do I? Maybe it’s these darn social norms, these social sensibilities regarding fashion, that are the problem. Why is it that I can’t be at my most comfortable all the time?

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if everyone just wore pajamas?

Think about it. Folks would be happier because they are more comfortable. Crime would go down because most pajamas don’t have pockets to conceal, say, a switchblade. I was going to say that we would all be more equal without expensive suits and fancy shoes that distinguish the CEO from the bank teller, but, I suppose, expensive silk PJs sewn together with gold thread would become all the rage among the rich.

But if everyone wore pajamas like mine, maybe it could make a difference.

I only know of three professions where it is acceptable to wear pajamas:

1) A pajama model – It’s good work if you can get it.
2) A writer – This is my excuse. Some days I don’t leave the house and my cat Oreo is the only one that sees me. She already thinks that she’s my superior so I really don’t have any ground to lose there anyhow. (A confession: I put on a pair of jeans before my wife gets home so that it looks like I did something.)
3) A garment worker – When you get paid less than $2 per day, who’s going to say anything?

My pajamas were Made in Cambodia. It was in Cambodia that I first saw workers wearing PJ’s to work.

My PJ’s are from the Genuine Sonoma Jean Company. With that said, let’s see what I can learn about them using our WAIW Wednesday methodology.

1) About the Genuine Sonoma Jean Company -

The Genuine Sonoma Jean Company is owned by Kohl’s. While Kohl’s corporate site has some stuff about being green on their front page, some digging is required to find their Terms of Engagement (PDF).

For the most part, the TOE holds suppliers responsible to their local laws: All Kohl’s Business Partners must operate in full compliance with all applicable local and national laws, rules and regulations pertaining to all aspects of factory operations in the jurisdiction of which they conduct business.

Some of their requirements are fairly vague and the language fairly shallow: Subject to the requirements of local law, a regularly scheduled workweek of no more than sixty (60) hours and one day off in every seven (7) day period are encouraged.

Let me just say that my dentist encourages me to floss regularly and, though I know I should, I usually don’t until the week or so before my appointment.

The TOE also does a few things that I found interesting, including defining child, “Child” is defined as a person who is younger than 15 (or 14 where the law of that country permits) or younger than the age for completing compulsory education in the country where such age is higher than 15.”

It also highlights section in bright yellow, giving great importance to a timekeeping system Working hours must be recorded by an automated timekeeping system. Whenever a worker is present in a facility, the worker’s time must be recorded and the worker properly compensated. This applies to both regular and overtime working hours and any time used for work preparations or repairs.

In China I heard of workers clocking out and going back to work. I don’t care how high-tech your time keeping system is, you can’t prevent that.

You might find the bit about 14-year-olds making your clothes distasteful, but you should keep in mind the context of the country. I visited Cambodia while trying to track down the folks who made my blue jeans. When I was there someone told me that I had to go to the dump. When I did, my perspective changed. Nicholas Kristof, the New York Times columnist did a similar thing that’s worth reading. However, I disagree with some of his assertions. This post is getting plenty long so here’s a link to my arguments to Kristof’s piece.

Cambodia happens to be on of the better run garment industries and heavily monitored by the International Labor Organization so it’s doubtful that my PJ’s were made by someone under 18. But you never know. I’m sure a lot of my other clothes were.

2) Kohl’s under fire -

Kohl’s, as one of the largest players in the American apparel industry has its fair share of skeleton’s in the closet.
Green America has a Responsible shopper profile on them . And the Daisy Fuentes line got pulled in 2007 after sweatshop allegations.

3) The Garment Industry in Cambodia –

The garment industry accounts for about three-quarters of Cambodia’s exports and the global economic downturn is hitting Cambodia hard. Workers who came from the villages to work in the garment factories because they didn’t have much better options, are losing their jobs. Here are a few recent headlines:

Cambodia’s Garment Workers Hit by Recession, Too
Garment Industry Unravels

4) Cambodia info -
GDP per capita – $1,200. Although I know that most garment workers earn half as much, about $50-$60.
Unemployment (2007, probably much higher now)– 3.5%.
Population below poverty https://www.un.org.kh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=128:un-rc-speech-cambodia-economic-forum-2009&catid=44:un-speeches-and-statements&Itemid=77)– 30%

5) Be heard -

Join me in sending an email to Kohl’s - factory.compliance@kohls.com. Feel free to use the email I just sent or edit it to fit your concerns.

Dear Kohl’s,

I’m a consumer who realizes that my purchases have environmental and social impacts on the world. I choose to support companies that acknowledge their impact and try to lesson it. I would like to encourage the progress of your Green Scene program and ask for you to list from the countries from which you source.

Also, while searching your website, I didn’t see if any of the factories from which you source were monitored. Are they?

Sincerely,

Kelsey Timmerman
Engaged Consumer

Unfortunately, I have to leave my writer’s cave today, so I better go change out of my pajamas. If you bump into my dentist, tell him that I flossed this morning.