Category: Toward the Future

Of the gladdest moments in human life, methinks, is the departure upon a distant journey into unknown lands. Shaking off with one mighty effort the fetters of Habit, the leaden weight of Routine, the cloak of many Cares and the slavery of Home, man feels once more happy. The blood flows with the fast circulation of childhood. Excitement lends unwonted vigor to the muscles, and the sudden sense of freedom adds a cubit to the mental stature. Afresh dawns the morn of life; again the bright world is beautiful to the eye, and the glorious face of nature gladdens the soul. A journey, in fact, appeals to Imagination, to Memory, to Hope – the three sister Graces of our moral being.

Sir Richard Francis Burton

This quote is not from the actor, but from the 19th-century adventurer, archaeologist, linguist and author of the same name….. who had a fascinating life that we won’t even attempt to recap here. Perhaps a little overblown, but the quote captures in spirit the thrill of embarking on a new adventure.

National Geographic has organized a trip in partnership with the Wall Street Journal called “The Future of Everything”, traveling to centers of innovation and creativity across the globe. We start in Seattle, Washington.

Fittingly, we transition from our visit a few weeks ago to the chilly northern climes with a stay at Seattle’s Arctic Club Hotel. It was originally a private club formed in 1907 by a bunch of white men who “struck it rich” in the Klondike gold fields….. more probably from selling shovels to the prospectors rather than panning gold themselves. It is a very cool historic property now, with lots of charm and an arctic critter or two….

A great view of massive Mount Rainier…..

Seattle has a vibrant Chinatown/Japantown/Little Saigon area…

….. with wonderful dim sum eateries….

Also several reminders of a sorrowful chapter in American history – the internment en masse of American citizens of Japanese ancestry during World War II..

……. And now we have transferred to the pre-departure hotel, collected our travel documents and successfully tested negative for Covid…..will meet fellow travelers and the experts that will accompany us on our journey at dinner tonight.

For those of you on his distribution list, Henry will as usual be sending satellite notifications by email as we reach each significant destination.

Tomorrow morning we head to….. Kyoto, Japan.

*******The header art may be familiar if you visited Epcot Center in Orlando in the 1980s …. The artist is Robert McCall and the mural – entitled “The Prologue and the Promise” – was an optimistic future vision created for Epcot’s Horizon pavilion. He perhaps naively believed that humankind would reach upward and outward to sustainable growth and enlightenment as it learned more about the natural world we inhabit. Hopefully what we see and hear over the weeks to come will reinforce this view!*******

(Make sure you click on the header of this posting so you can view the videos!)

Not sure how the Japanese have positioned themselves for innovation in the future….. but they certainly have done a lot of innovating in the past! Sometimes a solution is created where many never even saw an urgent need – such as delivering sushi efficiently to the end consumer…..

Lots of fun, but the consumer ends up consuming much more than originally intended – enhancing revenues for the sushi-shop owner.

Another amazing innovation that is not commonly seen outside Japan – the toilet that washes, dries, perfumes and anoints one’s backside, obviating the need for such pedestrian devices as toilet paper.

An adjunct to this – a device installed next to the toilet that generates white noise to mask the sounds associated with normal bathroom activities….

Japan is also credited with – not so much inventing, but mass-producing and popularizing – many other things. (Think Casio quartz digital watches, the Prius hybrid car, 1980s total quality initiatives (aided by American Edward Deming) and on and on.) Amazing as these developments are, the most compelling impression of Japanese culture is not so much the spirit of innovation as its devotion to beauty and harmony….. vividly evident in:

Exquisite ceramics created through painstaking processes….

A fascinating device used to make decorative braids….

The deliberate elegance of a geisha dance…

Intimidated by the prospect of having my photo taken with one of these meticulously-made-up performers, I did what uncomfortable people often do……

Given the artistic outpourings all around, visitors are encouraged to try their hand at creating their own things of beauty…..

The sad part of this type of trip is the brevity of the stay in each exhilarating destination. But we have a lot more ground to cover…. On our way next to Singapore!

Arrival in Singapore coincided with National Day… so the country was celebrating 58 years of independence with flyovers and fireworks in Marina Bay…..

(Again, please remember to click on the header of this blog post to see the videos….)

A tiny island country, it’s a little smaller than New York City, but holds about 5.7 million people. Its only natural asset is its strategic location along shipping lines between India and China…. That and the ingenuity and vigor of its people!

Singapore has been very busy with reclaiming land from the sea – expanding its land mass by almost 25% – while providing for rising levels due to global warming….. and finding new sustainable sources for water and food, most of which has typically been imported.

Conservation and recycling are an important part of everyday life…

Horticulturists and environmental specialists are looking at inventive ways to grow more food and expand growing areas. In a city of skyscrapers, green spaces abound…. Even 51 stories above the street.

They boast two of the largest greenhouses in the world…

And are also proud of their “super trees” that collect rain water, carbon dioxide and nutrients, then feed them back to plants that release oxygen….. (“Just like real trees,” says Henry!)

An amazing place on so many levels….. including its respect for the origins, faiths and practices of its people. They have four “official” languages and a broad distribution of ethnic populations and religions. In fact, multiculturalism is incorporated in the constitution and shapes national policy!

Although full of modern buildings and sweeping views, Singapore does not feel like a playground for the wealthy, but has beautiful public spaces that everyone can enjoy.

There is so much more to learn about the history of this country, how it attends to the needs and aspirations of its citizens and what it is doing to face the future! We hope to return, but this journey will continue on to Seoul, South Korea.

With only a single full day in Seoul, there was not much time to do more than walk around…… fortunately finding a local food market with colorful displays, including an array of kimchi. Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish made of fermented vegetables (often cabbage) with a variety of seasonings, sometimes spicy and sometimes mild.

(Again, click on the title of this blog posting so you can view the videos…)

So much fun to watch food preparation from the sidewalk.

Regarding the theme of this trip – the Future of Everything ….. Unfortunately, some of the activities originally planned around this topic have not been possible for one reason or another. Experiencing these places anew is nonetheless a treat!

That said, South Korea has been a hot spot for modern culture in recent years…. With cute cartoon animals and characters….

K-pop (Korean popular music), as typified by BTS…. (And if any of you old people out there have never seen them perform, you should. Pretty amazing.)

And let’s not forget the sensation that was…..

Following this brief stop in Seoul, there will be a bit more time to explore the next destination….. the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

This post will have nothing to do with the future of anything, but will depict a bit of the color and vibrance of traditional Mongol nomadic culture. (Again, there will be lots of brief videos in this post…. Please click on the heading to view them!)

The Gobi desert is not really desert, but grassland or steppe. And at this time, it is fresh and green from a recent rain. Gers – circular tents known elsewhere as yurts – are where people and visitors live.

The vistas are vast…. Truly “big sky” country.

Shepherds on motorcycles guide herds of goats toward a watering hole…

Horses…. A pivotal part of the Mongolian lifestyle….roam freely.

A cool way to experience this landscape is on the back of a motorized vehicle… here a nice, quiet electric scooter.

Then, too, there is the “ship of the desert”…..

Naadam is a traditional festival celebrated here….. featuring archery…..

Wrestling…..

Note that the winner collects a prize of these little sweetened bread cubes that he (or she!) shares with the spectators.

Horses and horsemanship are a key part of the nomadic culture…. Here is a race as part of the Naadam.

Festival participants, officials and visitors are encouraged to have a sip of fermented mare’s milk from a communal bowl as part of the proceedings….

Music and dancing are energetic and fun…. Listen carefully to the rhythm and you will hear the cadence of hoof beats!

Mongolia was a special treat – lively with an intriguing history and welcoming people. Wish we had come here on a road trip a decade or two ago. We even like the hats!

Next up on our schedule is a brief sojourn in Samarkand, Uzbekistan… a little further down the important trade route called the Silk Road.

Fun fact – about 94 percent of the cars you see in Uzbekistan will be white Chevys…..

What’s the deal? Daewoo, a South Korean firm, built the largest car manufacturing plant in Central Asia in the 1990s in Uzbekistan in partnership with the government. They since became a part of General Motors…. And now GM Uzbekistan is owned 25% by GM and 75% by the government. Sales are boosted as this same government imposed a large tariff on imports….. consequently, Chevys are ubiquitous here. White is the prevalent color as it stays a bit cooler in the desert heat.

So much for the Future of Capitalism!

Samarkand is located right around the midpoint of the Silk Road, the ancient trade route that connected China with Western Europe, and all points in between.

Most notably traveled by Marco Polo in the 13th century, the Silk Road was a thoroughfare for the exchange of goods, and a pathway for transferring knowledge and culture. Conquerers such as Genghis Kahn and Timur (aka Tamerlane) roughly followed its direction in expanding their domains east and west. Silk Road traders and merchants may also have been responsible for the spread of diseases, such as bubonic plague.

Today in Samarkand, one visits the magnificent mausoleums, mosques and madrasas (places of higher learning) that transport you to those ancient times (hopefully without the plague part). But of course you must be prepared spiritually and physically. You ladies must be sure to cover up all of your offensive parts….. which appears to mean all of them.

Quite a stirring sight, even from behind a veil…..

Locals visit as well as tourists.

Tamerlane himself is buried here…..

And his tomb gets the finest gold leaf decoration…..

Very nice also from the outside….

The bazaar was fun, but few photos….. just a lovely boule of bread:

And a purchase from an enthusiastic young vendor…..

Now we leave exotic Asia for the Baltic states…. Starting with Estonia.

Estonia is proud of its leadership in digitizing administrative government functions and social services. Healthcare, banking, taxes, and welfare programs such as pensions and subsidized child care are all handled with a single identification card and password. (All of which is made easier by Estonia’s socialized system and small size…. 1.3 million people with single-payer medical coverage, a simple tax code and free and universal internet access.) In any event, its tax and legal structure have been designed to be attractive to businesses and start-ups, and it has become a high-tech hub.

Tallinn, the capital city, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe…..

Estonia has been a part of many empires over the centuries, but gained its current state of independence from the Soviet Union 32 years ago. Remnants of Russian architectural influence are still evident…..

Our time here was short, but we were able to visit the maritime museum and see the pre-World War II submarine Lembit, which was the pride of the Estonian navy.

Henry found a fellow license plate enthusiast and scored a couple of new additions for his collection.

And another sign of an enlightened society…. Free sanitary products for women..

A fairly restful stay here before crossing the Baltic Sea to Helsinki, Finland.

Helsinki is a fun city to explore – great spaces dedicated to its spirit of community.

The central train station, constructed in 1919, was designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen in a modern style…..

His son, Eero, gained renown as an architect in the US who designed the famous Gateway Arch in St Louis and the TWA flight center for New York’s JFK airport.

Some fascinating sculptures….

Junk becomes art….. a jumble of bicycle parts dredged from the bay on display.

Lots of bike lanes and relatively light vehicle traffic make this a comfortable place to take a ride.

The waterfront features a colorful outdoor market.

An unexpected discovery was the city’s library, a sweeping modern structure on a vast plaza….

The best part was inside. This place functions as a community arts center, a brilliant adaptation of the traditional library to modern times. Meeting rooms, art studios and recording studios are available at little to no cost. Even musical instrument rentals are free…

The facility includes banks of sewing machines and all kinds of craft equipment for public use, including this 3-D printer.

Play stations and virtual reality studios… and old-fashioned chess sets that people (even children!) actually use…

And of course there are books (carefully transferred for shelving by little robots)….

And places to enjoy them.

A cafe on the roof includes a sweeping terrace with a fabulous view.

To us, this is the Future of Community, where public spaces not only please the eye, but provide fodder for creativity and connection to fellow citizens!

SÁPMI (LAPLAND)

Sápmi, often called Lapland, a region inhabited by the indigenous Sámi people, includes the northern part of Finland, as well as contiguous parts of Norway, Sweden and Russia. The Sámi are traditionally reindeer herders, although they have been active in many other parts of society. (The Sámi were called Lapps, but they find the terminology offensive, so we will stick with Sámi and the name of their homeland, Sápmi.)

Our short visit included time at a reindeer farm…

And a performance of the a cappella Sámi singing form known as joiking, characteristically performed with a great deal of energy and quite a lot of volume!

We are continually amazed and delighted at what there is to learn about other places and cultures. But we will return to somewhat familiar territory at our next destination – Reykjavik, Iceland.

(Don’t forget to click on the title of the post so you can see the videos!)

And now we return to Iceland, the last destination on our around-the-world journey. We will not see Northern Lights this time either….. still a bit early in the season ….. but our Iceland Air jet is fortunately equipped with a substitute.

Having just been here a couple of months ago, the sights were familiar….. including geothermal springs and a geyser.

Also waterfalls (this one is the Gullfoss), with Henry and his new friend Louis looking on.

Between geothermal and hydro-electric power generation, Iceland has all the energy it needs, and then some.

Another obvious marker of geothermal activity is a volcano. Do not think that I have forgotten about Iain’s challenge… or my promise to attempt to pronounce the name of the famous volcano that erupted in 2010, whose ash output shut down air traffic across Europe for more than a week, disrupting the plans of millions of travelers.

Iain, hope you have your beverage in hand, because here it goes…….

In an environment hostile to traditional agriculture, Iceland is actively developing local food sources to reduce its dependency on imports. This greenhouse not far from Reykjavik produces just over a ton of tomatoes PER DAY year-round, using hot water from geothermal springs to keep things warm and bees from Holland for the most efficient pollination.

They have also developed a thriving tourist trade, serving lunch to hundreds of people alongside the vines….. and it was fabulous! But only if you like tomatoes.

And as Henry points out, the people eating lunch in the greenhouse provide the plants with something they need just by breathing out – carbon dioxide, an element that is crucial to the photosynthesis process!

Þingvellir National Park is significant for reasons both geological and historical. First of all, it is a place where the tectonic plates that define the edges of the North American and European continents are pulling apart, creating a gorge….

and a dramatic, rugged landscape of lava fields and a crystal-clear lake.

Considered the oldest national parliament in the world, the Alþingi (anglicised as Althing) was founded here in 930 AD. Chieftains from all over Iceland traveled to this spot each year for two weeks to collectively make laws and settle disputes. The procedural official was called the Lawspeaker; he recited the laws from memory from a promontory called the Law Rock.

All free men could attend the assemblies, which were the commercial and social events of the year. Women came as well, but were tending children and cooking food, while daughters were evaluated on their suitability for matrimony and childbearing.

Today Iceland is still governed by a parliament called the Alþingi, and the early site is a gathering place of national importance.

An educational establishment of note in Reykjavik is the Phallological Museum, which we glanced into briefly ….

Hallgrimskirkja, a church that is an iconic part of Reykjavik’s skyline…..

We broke away from the group for a quick lunch at this very popular hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik, which has been in place since 1937…

A mark of a truly advanced society is a tradition of communal bathing… the onsen in Japan, the scrub in Korea, the hamam in Turkey, the banya in Russia and the sauna or hot pot in Nordic countries. These practices are lacking in America and many Western European countries… which managed to thrive in spite of the stench of their citizens in earlier times.

There is bliss in a Finnish sauna….

Stunning beauty in the dry sauna at the Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik (with the largest single pane of glass in all Iceland)…..

and a shared sense of well-being in the thermal waters of the famous Blue Lagoon….. (as mineral masks take years off mature faces).

How very civilized!

Soon we return to our native land, flying to our nation’s capitol, then driving back to East Texas and home. Final post to follow!

Back to the US after a fast-paced tour through an amazing variety of places.

How rewarding the trip was….. the appeal of this kind of travel is waking up every day knowing that you will see or learn something you have never seen or maybe even thought of before. We met a lot of fascinating people….. and were reassured that there are still many thoughtful, caring citizens in this increasingly-polarized world.

On the other hand, we got a little tired of trudging around in a group, off and on buses big and small for long trips and short trips. We were happier skipping some of the planned activities in favor of simply walking around. And nobody seemed surprised that most of the travelers came home with a small case of Covid… since recovered, in our case.

Accolades are due to National Geographic for putting together a broad array of experiences and seeing to a jillion details so that we could concentrate on developing more understanding and respect for cultures and histories so unlike our own.

We return to Washington, DC and from there take a road trip back to the desiccated husk that is East Texas after many weeks of oppressive heat and drought.

Until next time, please…. Go in peace. And you don’t have to “go” in a private jet…..

… You can go instead to the new Ethiopian restaurant across town, or go to a nearby archeological site (there are more than you think!) or go to the local library to learn something about a culture you have never heard of (ask a librarian!) or go to a music or dance performance for sounds and rhythms from another corner of the world. Take yourself away from the familiar with an open mind and be prepared to be deeply affected….. You may feel a little diminished in the process, but also more integrated with the richness, history and variety of the people who populate this precious, fragile planet.

Go! …. In peace.