13 December - Backpacker vs luxury
Packing for Vietnam (yes, as previously detailed, the Taylor methond involves placing a large bag, one of those ikea ones will do, in the middle of the room and progressively filling it up with stuff that may be needed on holiday, then eliminating stuff prior to decanting all into the actual travelling bag), I notice I’ve chosen items of clothing as if I was travelling on a budget. I have accumulated mostly my ‘run down’ travel clothes/shoes that I'm happy to then leave behind should I find better items to buy/bring home.
This is bizarre. I am not going on a budget, in fact, it's top end though I may just avoid some super duper five star suggestion of hedge fund girlfriend who was there a year ago. Am not that comfortable five starring it at the equivalent cost for one night of the local's one month wage (when they're earning one that is). It's like my default brain programming is 'down with the poor'. Of course my sort of backpacker wardrobe is hardly typical as it includes high heels and chi chi dresses but still they are not the stuff of five star hotels. I wonder if, lottery was won or marriage to Mr Google was forthcoming, how long it would take for me to get out of this mode. I mean, how many years into massive wealth, would I just accept that I have cash to spend.
The good news is that Toph is reading Naomi Klein' disaster capitalism book, 'Shock Doctrine' (one of my inspired gifts for his birthday of course) and he’s decided all of his own accord not to stay in chain-owned hotels. He says he doesn't see why we should give our money to something that's ultimatly owned by a Hilton who has a seat on the Haliburton Board and so on and is a friend of Robert MacNamara (ok, he is dead I think but as far back as '65 he knew the war in Vietnam was as unjustified as the one in Iraq and still he went ahead and it raged for another ten yeas as we all know). Anyway, I smile and I simply tell him 'Welcome to my world'. Didn't have too many doubts as to his moral fibre but this is just cherry on cake material.
This is bizarre. I am not going on a budget, in fact, it's top end though I may just avoid some super duper five star suggestion of hedge fund girlfriend who was there a year ago. Am not that comfortable five starring it at the equivalent cost for one night of the local's one month wage (when they're earning one that is). It's like my default brain programming is 'down with the poor'. Of course my sort of backpacker wardrobe is hardly typical as it includes high heels and chi chi dresses but still they are not the stuff of five star hotels. I wonder if, lottery was won or marriage to Mr Google was forthcoming, how long it would take for me to get out of this mode. I mean, how many years into massive wealth, would I just accept that I have cash to spend.
The good news is that Toph is reading Naomi Klein' disaster capitalism book, 'Shock Doctrine' (one of my inspired gifts for his birthday of course) and he’s decided all of his own accord not to stay in chain-owned hotels. He says he doesn't see why we should give our money to something that's ultimatly owned by a Hilton who has a seat on the Haliburton Board and so on and is a friend of Robert MacNamara (ok, he is dead I think but as far back as '65 he knew the war in Vietnam was as unjustified as the one in Iraq and still he went ahead and it raged for another ten yeas as we all know). Anyway, I smile and I simply tell him 'Welcome to my world'. Didn't have too many doubts as to his moral fibre but this is just cherry on cake material.
Labels: travel
posted by Lisa Taylor @ 7:37 AM
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