I don’t think this weeks Reprint needs any words at all. Just look at him. He’s the cheerleader of the tour bus troop. I’m outspoken in my denial of there being a fundamental difference between a traveller and a tourist so I’ll choose my words carefully.
What you’re looking at is the amazing spectacle of debating monks at the incredible Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet. The senior monks are in effect, educating the rookies. They debate on all aspects of monastic life, from Buddhist philosophy to who does the dishes. The man stealing the stage is naturally, American (I heard him speak) and he should not of even been standing where he was.
This Reprint loosely raises the debate; is all-access tourism good for Tibet? Being on the fringes of this spectacle it was hard to imagine that these young monks were not influenced by the actions and attitudes of myself and Mr. I ♥ Tibet. I won’t comment too much as the Reprint is a light-hearted feature. In fact I’ll balance things out and say that monks are one of the rudest, most annoying sets of people I’ve ever had the displeasure of queuing up with. If you let one monk queue jump, you might as well wait for nirvana. There. I said it.
Has this weeks Reprint image hit a cord? Let me know about it via the comments panel, or for more imagery from along The Trail take yourself over to the stills gallery.
It’s amazing to me that the few Americans that do have passports are almost always these types of idiots. And before anyone gets their knickers twisted…I am American. Almost all the Americans I meet abroad are elite snobs who are culturally-insensitive, expect things to be and work like home, and my favorite, expect everyone to know and speak English to them no matter what country they’re in.
There have been quite a few people I’ve met abroad who have commented to me that I’m unlike any American they’ve met and that I’m cool. There are some of us out there…it’s just we’re a little harder to find but worth the effort, because, hey, we’re cool!!
Thanks for your comment Stacy.
My favorite was a young Floridian guy who was openly racist, sexist and – you guessed it – homophobic. He was against anything that didn’t fit the grain of his church, but then, I met him in polar opposite of cultures, China.
I think Americans do get a bad rap, though generally the independent ones I meet are much more liberal and add a lot to their environment. I used this man as an example of inconsiderate tourism more than to target the culture of American travellers per se. At the end of the day, I didn’t feel much better being on the edge of such a grand part of Buddhist life in Tibet.
Don’t worry, Ant, I didn’t take any offense.
I’m starting to think that the US should start banning certain citizens from leaving the US.