tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4366474871029120328.post4107029680480091704..comments2024-02-07T10:23:36.023-05:00Comments on When Last We Left Our Heroes...: Random Thoughts on the Town Formerly Known As Sue Nork YittyStephen Lewishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17089504241903477120noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4366474871029120328.post-48699200128951670612010-04-05T19:04:43.205-04:002010-04-05T19:04:43.205-04:00When I wrote the post, I intended the term "t...When I wrote the post, I intended the term "tourists" to be the sort of derogatory term for the stereotype of the obnoxious couple in their mid-forties wearing the loud Hawaiian shirts (despite visiting someplace thousands of miles away and plenty of degrees cooler) that you see in the media and usually instantly hate. I'm not saying that all people who visit other places are tourists, I'm just saying that their innate ability to get in the way does.<br /><br />As for a true definition of tourism, I suppose I'm pretty much in the dark. Perhaps my view of tourism (which I admit is horribly flawed) is kinda skewed by the tourism I've experienced. It's all been strictly scheduled, and not very relaxing. This even includes family vacations to various locations, where we've had a massive checklist of things to do, set up in some order of greatest convenience. This is probably the first semi-relaxing trip I've had in a while, as we had quite a lot of free time to eat or hang out or meander the back alleys of the city. <br /><br />As for the photos, I dunno. I used to be a huge photography buff, stunned by the sights. I'm sure you remember me when I was absolutely snap-happy back in high school. But I've moved on from that "phase" (for lack of a better word), and I don't take as many pictures as I'd like. I'm a boring old bloke, I guess. Maybe this is a dodge, but I'd refer you back to my posts about poetry and how I really can't get an emotional rise out of them.Stephen Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17089504241903477120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4366474871029120328.post-8302621950665742582010-04-05T13:23:45.083-04:002010-04-05T13:23:45.083-04:00Question: Isn't tourism more than just looking...Question: Isn't tourism more than just looking at the sights? Many "tourists" are on "vacations" (I use quote to indicate that these words have variable definitions). <br /><br />Is tourism merely observing "the sights" in a place that is not one's own, or is it interacting with the environment of another place? Or, is it something else entirely, perhaps educational or just relaxing? <br /><br />However you look at it, I believe mere pictures on Flickr are to unfamiliar, "tourist" destinations what a snow globe is to Antarctica.Ryan Ledeburhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368848758587952939noreply@blogger.com