What’s the Deal with Travel (According to Rick Steves)

From my TravelOkcity column in The Tribune (2012)

Whenever travel teacher Rick Steves wanted to understand about a place he’s visiting, he’d ask, “What’s the deal here?”  He always seems curious, wanting to know and understand. I thought I’d like to throw back the question to him. I wanted to ask, what’s the deal with travel? I know  why I want to travel, but why do you want to understand the world?  Why do you organize European tours on a regular basis every year? What’s the deal with the numerous travel guides you’ve authored? Why do you preach traveling as a political act in your TV and radio shows? What do you hope to achieve on your road trip across America?

That's me smiling like a fan girl.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to ask him these questions, but before I could ask them, he answered them for me. He gave me more than just answers; he gave me insights and a new pair of eyes that I could see with in my next adventure. 

The book from which his talk was based on.

I have to admit that I’ve never been a fan of Rick Steves. I always thought that he was too square compared to the likes of Ian Right or Anthony Bourdain. The fact that he focused mainly on Europe (partly he said because he enjoyed his most powerful travel experience there on his first trip overseas.) didn’t help. But in his recent lecture titled Cultivating a Global Perspective through Travel, I developed a newfound respect for him. During the one hour and a half lecture at the Oklahoma Christian University, I thought him to be funny and impassioned about his beliefs.

Another addition to my growing collection of signed books.

He said that the deal with travel is that it offers him an “exciting opportunity to gain enthusiasm for nature and culture” and for things he doesn’t really understand. Cheese for instance used to be just coagulated milk for him. “I was raised thinking cheese is no big deal. It’s orange in the shape of bread. Here you go, cheese sandwich,” he described with almost a straight face. Then he met people who regarded cheese in a different way. “You go to Europe and people are evangelical about cheese. You go to a cheese shop and it’s a cesspool of mold. They have a different cheese for every day of the year in Paris.” He explained that with these discoveries one gains a new perspective and an appreciation for things like a product of controlled spoilage that then becomes a gourmet delicacy, a representation of people’s culture and identity.

"Travel like a medieval jester, " advises Rick Steves. "Bring back valuable insights."

The history degree holder went on to say that travel cultivates the enthusiasm for other things like history. “For me history was just fun. It was just story telling. And when I traveled I realized history is an ongoing adventure and we can all be caught up in it.”

I was never a Rick Steves fan, but as a travel writer, I thought his talk was worth checking out.

He recalled a visit to the Reichstag Dome in Berlin. A large glass dome with a 360 degree view of the surrounding Berlin cityscape, the Reichstag Dome symbolizes the unification of Germany. Steves had the privilege of visiting it during its inauguration.  “I was on top of that dome surrounded by teary-eyed Germans. Any time you are surrounded by teary eyed Germans, something exceptional is going on,” he half joked. “It occurred to me that this is a very powerful symbolic moment in the story of a great nation with the opening of this new capital building, closing a bleak chapter in German history.  No more division. No more communism. No more fascism… A new united government looking into a promising future…It was exciting to be up there. I was caught up in it.” He emphasized that when you go out to see the world, you can be part of all that. 

Unfortunately, people are partly immobilized because of fear. “Fear is for people who don’t get out very much,” Steves said.  “If you get out you realize that part of fear is not understanding.” He encourages people to go out, to understand what they do not know, and to humanize each other.

Cultivating a global perspective through travel.

This is one of the reasons why he dared to travel to a place where not many would venture to: Iran. “My hope was to enjoy a rich and fascinating culture…To better understand the 70 million people who call Iran home,” Steves revealed in his book Travel as a Political Act from which the talk was based on. He admitted it was hard at first with the stigma that hovered heavy over the country and the not so welcoming banners that say “Down with the U.S.A.”  But then he met the smiling faces who say “I love America”, a woman in a bookstore who gave him a book as a gift, and stranger who handed him a bouquet of flowers to apologize for the traffic and then he went home with a better understanding of what the deal is with the people many fear.

He was no Ian Wright, but he was surprisingly funny.

I’ve always wondered, not without contempt, why he would focus on Europe alone when there is so much more that the world has to offer.  But after he explained his deal, I thought, how can I judge someone whose preference was formed by his upbringing but still challenges what he knew and venture into places that I wouldn’t even dare visit?  

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The Beat of the Pilobolus Dancers

photo from pilobolus.com

The other night I saw a rerun of the Oprah show featuring the Pilobolus dancers, an international dance troupe from Connecticut. She was fascinated by them as they performed for the Oscars, shadow dancing to interpret the nominated films.  The fusion of dance, physics, theatre and even physical chemistry was breathtaking to watch. It is human creativity and ingenuity at its finest. And I watched them perform live! Well, rehearse actually (which I think was even better). I met some of them at their home base in Connecticut to interview one of their Filipina members (courtesy of Perla Daly). Sadly she is no longer part of the group. I think she retired to marry a Frenchie.

Below is the article I wrote about her back in 2004 for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Reading it again, I marvel at how much my writing has changed. It also reminds me how blessed I am to be given a job that allows me to experience the world’s wonders in such a way...and dance to its beat.

Unique dancers find a different kind of dance theater  published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer http://jobmarket.inquirer.net/people/people.php?artdate=2004-06-25&artnum=3 With Macavinta and Perla Daly of Pinay.com As she walked in the cafe in the little town of Washington Depot, her gait revealed that she is a professional dancer. Her small but sturdy frame had an air of confidence and grace. She wore a long-sleeved black leotard and a sarong-like skirt wrapped around her tiny waist. Her long black hair was tied in a loose bun to reveal an unmistakable dusky Filipina countenance. In that small obscure town of Connecticut where some trees are pink and the people have snow white skin and apple red cheeks, she had found her place in the sun. Jennifer Macavinta is one of the privileged six who dance for the Pilobolus Dance Theater. The Pilobolus Dance Theater is an American dance company that combines physics with art. Photo from pilobolusdt.blogspot.com Pilobolus is a modern dance that incorporates movement, theater and physics. Each performance is a different story that displays an interesting mix of humor, beauty, art, improvisation, expression and mystery. According to Macavinta, Pilobolus is not ballet. It's not gymnastics or acrobatics and neither is it theater but everything combined. In short, it's a class of its own. Class of its own The company is a small team of four artistic directors and six dancers. Not much in number but their impact captivates hundreds of awed audiences worldwide. From Washington Depot, Connecticut where the company is based, the group travels cross-country and across the globe traipsing and pirouetting their way into audiences' hearts. photo from dartmouth.edu Widely raved, the Pilobolus Dance Theater has been awarded with the Primetime Emmy Award, the Berlin Critic's Prize, the Brandeis Award, the Scotsman Award and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award just to name a few. Standing out, blending in The art of Pilobolus lies not in the movements alone. Part of the essence comes from the performers themselves, how they look and how they blend in together. A visual treat, the company of six is an interesting mix of cultures and colors. "You have to have an interesting look," emphasizes Macavinta. "You have to be aesthetically pleasing somehow but not necessarily like the way most dancers would look." The petite Filipina stood out in the company but interestingly, she blended in nicely as well with the brawny guy in long dreadlocks, the willowy blond and the tall athletic brunette. There are only four men and two women in the company with exotic names like Mark Fucik, Andy Herro, Renee Jaworksy, Cleotha Mcjunkins III, Manelich Minniefee, Matthew Thornton and Jennifer Macavinta. All have different unique backgrounds and histories. Macavinta in action "It's all connected, the shapes, the bodies, the costumes and the colors," Macavinta further explains. The look of the members, for example, compliments and contrasts with each other in an interesting way. According to Macavinta, the company sometimes prefers to have one light-haired woman and one dark-haired woman. But it's not the same all the time. When one of the members left, the company replaced him with somebody who looked entirely different. The company doesn't necessarily require a specific look. It's how a member blends in and at the same time stands out by bringing in an interesting twist to the group. "You just have to have your own flavor," says the only Asian in the group. Improvisation The dancers themselves collaborate on choreographing, dancing, managing and publicizing their own programs. On a typical rehearsal day, you would see the dancers exploring new moves while music played on. Sometimes it becomes play as they experiment and discover new things. Macavinta actively contributes to the choreography and usually shows her colleagues the new routines. The Pilobolus Dancers stretching their limbs at their home base in Connecticut. "We experiment across the board with everything," says Macavinta. Finding inspiration from almost anywhere, the dancers usually start with the music. "Pilobolus marries music and movement together." On one occasion they choreographed a piece with Bjork (a European contemporary singer) playing in the background. After the dance was completed, Bjork was replaced with another song resulting to a refreshing performance. "It changes the way we move but it's the matter of the process of how we got to that point. We just layer it by finding inspiration from anywhere really." Interesting There is no cookie-cut school where you can train for Pilobolus. The team members are from different schools of movement. Some had martial arts background. Others were into ballet or jazz. The rest of them didn't even do dancing till later. "The way people get into the company is a mystery because there are four directors and when they audition they're not looking for somebody who is a perfect technician," shares Macavinta. "You have to be interesting. You have to be able to think of 25 solutions to a problem. You have to be open and also you have to be able to know how to bend when somebody else is saying 'Oh, I can't do it this way.' " Teamwork oriented, members should be able to get along with the other people in the group. poetry of life, light, and limbs The company is on the look-out for people with a passion for dance and an open-mindedness for improvisation and creativity. And because Pilobolus is partly theater, dancers should know how to act. Also, strength comes into play. Since Pilobolus is an art of physics, fitness, flexibility and agility are required. Performing several times in a year, the dancers only get two weeks off. After a tour, they get back to the studio to rehearse and create new pieces. The dancers are required to have downtimes so as not to burn out. This means doing something totally different from Pilobolus. Macavinta does yoga and swimming to relax. While a lot of stretching is required, working out is not necessary. Macavinta claims that they burn enough calories from their routines. In fact, everybody loses weight in his or her first year in the company. Reaching out Aside from the privilege of being a part of a highly heralded dance company, there are also other perks. Macavinta claims the pay is very gratifying. According to Macavinta, most ballet dancers in New York rehearse knowing that in all probability, they won't get paid. Pilobolus takes care of its people. And unlike other dance companies, Pilobolus dancers enjoy basic benefits like dental and medical insurance. But more than the tangible benefits, the dancers relish the satisfaction of being able to express themselves through their bodies and through movement. Pilobolus for them is also family. "I love the company so much. It's such an interesting mix. A very (tightly) knit group," shares Macavinta. She also loves performing for the kids. "They just love it. They're expecting some boring cultural performance then they realize they can laugh." It is because of these pleasures that the Pilobolus dancers strive to come up with quirky, inspiring, and sometimes even spiritual pieces to entertain people. Pilobolus is a name of a fungus that shoots its spores up to eight feet high. Much like the fungus from which the theater was named after, the Pilobolus Dance Theater continues to stretch out their limbs and their minds day to day to reach out and touch people.

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