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Travel dispatches from a shrinking planet

RECENT DISPATCHES

5.6.08

On the Occasional Importance of a Ceiling Fan

Emily Stone knew well the kind of moment she was experiencing in Puerto Rico: the guy, the Cuba libres, the accelerated intimacy. It was perfectly safe, she told herself, as long as she knew when to get out.

4.23.08

A Writer’s Port of Call

Adam Karlin went to Indonesia to work as a reporter. But after a visit to Jakarta’s old wharf to see the aging Makassar schooners, he left with a calling of a different order.

Q&A

Tony Horwitz: Rediscovering the New World

Ben Keene talks to the author of the new book “A Voyage Long and Strange” about travel, American myths and the importance of visiting places where “history happened”

SPEAKER'S CORNER

In Patagonia, In Patagonia

Tim Patterson packs his fleece and long underwear, and enters the Twilight Zone where corporate branding meets the multilayered reality of place.

ASK ROLF

Should I Quit Law School so I can Travel the World?

Vagabonding traveler Rolf Potts answers your questions about travel

BOOKS

�The Worst Guidebook Writer Ever�?

Lonely Planet author Robert Reid reviews Thomas Kohnstamm’s “Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?” and weighs in on the controversy surrounding it

HOW TO

Have a Hockey Night in Canada

From Montreal to Sault Ste. Marie, the sport is the country’s greatest passion. Eva Holland explains where to go to indulge—and who you need to know.

AUDIO SLIDE SHOW

Promised Land Closed

And other odd and unlikely signs from around the world. Aficionado Doug Lansky, editor of the book “Signspotting,” recounts his 10 favorites.

THE LIST

10 Sizzling Hot Travel Tips From Sir Francis Bacon

Rolf Potts repackages the 17th century philosopher’s ‘Of Travel’ essay in the manner of a 21st century magazine feature

TRAVEL BLOG: Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Week

Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Week: The Rise of China

Amazing bit of not-so-trivial trivia: “China today exports in a single day more than it exported in all of 1978.” Source: Fareed Zakaria’s new book, The Post-American World, as quoted in Sunday’s New York Times.

By Jim Benning • 5.12.08
Weblog • China • Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Week
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Shrinking Planet Headline of the Day: ‘Free Tibet’ Flags Made in China

Police in Guangdong are on the case, the BBC reports. Here’s the kicker: “Workers said they thought they were just making colourful flags and did not realise their meaning.”

Photo by -Marlith- via Flickr, (Creative Commons)

By Jim Benning • 4.28.08
Weblog • China • Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Week • Tibet • Tres Loco
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Shrinking Planet Statistic of the Week: Chinese Restaurants

“[T]here are about 40,000 Chinese restaurants in the U.S., ‘more than the number of McDonald’s, Burger Kings, and KFCs combined.’” Source: The Chicago Tribune quoting Jennifer 8. Lee in a review of her new book, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food. (Via aldaily.com)