Behind A Face We Show The World

So I went to America for two weeks, and it was really good fun. And I didn't update my blog.

SHAME.

But this is not a travel blog, and neither am I qualified enough to write one. Just one comment I would like to make in that respect.

Hollywood is an OVERPRICED, TACKY, SHIFTY TOURIST TRAP. Yeah. You still have to go there though if you're a tourist in LA. It's like how you have to go to Times Square if you're in New York. It was an experience though.

There. That's the one rant done with.

On that note (offend warning), I notice that there actually aren't that many fat people around the USA. Gasp. I've literally traversed the States, and the stereotype just doesn't hold. Like how not all religious aren't extremist. Or something like that.

I have been assured though, that this is simply because I have been visiting the urban areas, where everyone is rushing about and no one really has the time or the money to stuff their faces with. I supposed I should've dug just a little deeper; maybe if I traveled just a bit to the next town over, I might have found a whole new population altogether, which may reinforce or completely shatter the said stereotypes.

Which got me thinking, and that usually puts me in a bad spot, but oh well.

Certainly all countries must put up a front for the tourists, which may or may not reflect the values of the country itself. At least, hide the bad bits. You've got to make some money somehow right?

Only, isn't the whole point of travelling to get to know the country and enrich your knowledge or something like that? Like, will you be content with knowing half the country? Or are you afraid of your country being called a hypocrite? Because let's face it, all countries need monies, and all countries are equally as guilty in this facade.

Do you think we as travelers will feel cheated if we are just given a show of the best of the best?

TBH, probably not. We travel to, as it is aptly put, "get away". From the mundane everyday life that we lead, to search for something new. Something fresh. Something exciting. I am sure that often does not include living a day to day life in those countries, where it might be even worse than where them tourists came from. I mean, tourists could afford to fly to your country, so they must be able to afford a higher standard of living than that.

But really, it all depends on what you are looking for in a holiday. You want a five-star hotel with 3-starred Michelin restaurants everyday? You only have to look. You wanna backpack in a dodgy hostel or couch surf across the Americas, eating dodgy food from vendors which may or may not give you salmonella? You only have to look slightly harder. So it is not saying that a country will completely block off access to "non-touristy" areas. They are still there. It all depends on if you, as a tourist, wanna see them or not.

Unless of course you wanna visit North Korea. Then it is a different bottle of kimchi.

The final word, of course, is be friendly with the locals. After all, they are the ones knowing where the good eats, the best nasi kandar, the sweetest ABC in the neighborhood would be. It's not as exciting as trying everything other than the restaurant with the fanciest sign, but it's better than blindly following the tour/crowd.

Well, cya then. Got more photos to upload soon.