FAQ

Food

Are you concerned about the ethical implications of the food you eat?

I believe that making our food chain sustainable and ethical is one of the most important challenges of our time. Whenever I can, I eat sustainable, organic, local and ethical (SOLE) food.  I am concerned not only with the exploitation of the animals we eat, but also about the humans, at every stage of the production of our food.

Out on the road, it’s hard to maintain these standards. I favor them whenever I can, but if, say, a local family invites me to dinner, it would be terribly improper of me to question the origins of their food. I believe that dialog, not boycott, is the way to improvement, and I endeavor to promote the values of SOLE food both with the people I meet, and with the readers of this blog.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have eaten a number of things which were in clear violation of Western ethics, including whale sashimi in Japan, and dog from North Korea. I am not proud of this, but neither am I proud that my own society encourages child slavery through the chocolate and coffee industries.

You don’t seem to spend much time exploring haute cuisine; is that on purpose?

Although I have an immense appreciation for innovative, talented chefs, I believe their work is to traditional cuisine what modern art is to folk art. I like modern art, but there is less to learn from it about the traditions and soul of a people.

Not only that, but local food, as a rule, is much less expensive, more genuine, and tastes better than haute cuisine. The choice becomes pretty obvious.

Do you go out of your way to eat “weird” food?

I have no desire per se to eat “weird” food that might make Westerners gag. I’m not interested in “extreme food” for its own sake. There is, however, an incredible variety of food that is considered “extreme” by Western standards, but which are staple food for other people (and vice-versa, I assure you!) In that context, I am always delighted to push the limits of my own sensibilities to discover a new flavor, a new glimpse of a people.

One such example is fish heads: they are a staple ingredient of many Chinese cuisines, yet I never tried them until I realized how popular they were at local restaurants in Shanghai. I was compelled to try them not because they were strange, but because they were obviously a delight to many Shanghainese. As a result, I’ve grown very fond of fish head, and the dish is as normal to me as macaroni casserole.

How do you avoid getting sick?

I’m not immune to the occasional food poisoning, but in my experience, the overwhelming majority of the times I’ve been sick in my travels has been from imported or “upscale” food. As a rule, if a place is packed with locals, especially working class, you’ll have access to fresh, delicious, and inexpensive food. It’s also important to adopt the eating habits of the locals: eat and drink what they do. Also, don’t go crazy imagining that every little thing you eat is out to get you: this is the best way to condition your body to fall sick.

I’ve written more extensively about how I choose where to eat on the road, in my blog post Eating at Street Level.

Why are you rarely negative of the food you eat?

This blog isn’t about food critique, it’s about discovery and exploration. I do eat food I don’t like from time to time, but I’m more interested in sharing illuminating experiences about the places I visit. I’m also pretty positive by nature and look for the good in things. This and an open mind go a long way towards appreciation of almost every meal.

Travel

How can you afford traveling the world like you do?

A few years ago, I worked my butt off in a videogame company in Shanghai, and managed to save a bit. Mind you, traveling doesn’t have to be the luscious, expensive affair that the tourism industry wants it to be: by seeking out cheap accommodations and eating local and modest, and by traveling slow, it’s very easy to spend much less on the road than at home.

Are you concerned with the ecological and social impact of travel?

Yes. Contrary to what the tourism industry would like us to believe, I see travel as an immense privilege rather than a right. This is evident when we consider the way we restrict foreign nationals from traveling to our own country. As such, I try to minimize the negative impact of my travels by encouraging local commerce, by being mindful of the environment wherever I go, and by treating my hosts with dignity and respect.

Regardless, I am under no illusion that what I do doesn’t have a negative impact. I try my best to minimize it, and I sincerely hope that the positives stemming from honest dialog and local commerce can outweigh the negatives.

Are you concerned about visiting countries with repressive regimes?

When I visit a country, I’m visiting their people, not their politics. Anyone in America or Canada can tell you that they are not their government; if this is the case in modern democracies, imagine how much it is true of nations with unelected rulers.

When visiting countries with questionable political regimes, the importance of encouraging local, small-scale businesses becomes essential: you want the money to go to the locals, not to some Government-sponsored tour company (although granted, this is unavoidable in countries like North Korea.) Most importantly, you want to make the best impression of your country and its ideals: only through respectful dialog with the people you meet can you truly become an agent of progress.

Where are you traveling during your trip?

Helene and I do not want to set a fixed itinerary, as we want to travel slow and seize opportunities as they appear to us. So far, we have traveled through Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East, and hope to visit North Africa and South America in our future travels. As of July 2010, we have visited Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand,  Laos, India, Qatar, Turkey and Syria; I have also traveled solo to Lebanon and Jordan. Countries I am very interested in visiting (though not necessarily on this trip) are: Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Iran, Ethiopia and Algeria, among many others.

Why not purchase a Round-the-World (RTW) ticket?

RTW tickets are an inexpensive way of traveling for a year. On the downside, they restrict your flexibility, and encourage you to travel by air very often. Both Helene and I felt that we should travel slow, and allow for no fixed itinerary or timetable.

Where do you usually stay?

This depends on the region we are visiting. In South-East Asia, it’s trivial to find accommodations that are both incredibly cheap and cozy. Otherwise, youth hostels are available in most major cities around the world. Finally, whenever we can, we contact local hosts via the CouchSurfing community, of which we are enthusiastic supporters.

Do you want to meet?

I would love to! Drop me a line and let’s talk.

Writing

Would you be interested in writing for print or as a guest blogger?

Maybe! Feel free to drop me a line and we can talk about it.

Photography

What’s your photography training?

I have none. I just like taking pictures, and I’m trying my best to improve. I’d love to hear what you have to say about them, whether it’s praise or constructive criticism.

What’s your photo gear?

Since I carry everything I have on my back, I’ve stayed away from heavier SLRs and lens kits. I use a Canon PowerShot G10, which is both sturdy and extremely flexible. I used to have an external flash for low-light photography, but I found it both bulky, and impractical and annoying for strangers nearby. Finally, as I do not have easy access to a good monitor, I endeavor to shoot pictures near-perfect to prevent the need for exhausting digital development.

How do you shoot food?

I use macro mode, and favor a large aperture for shallow depth of field and speed. Since I don’t carry an external flash, I’ve developed a habit of selecting the table with best lighting, an almost unconscious habit now. To stabilize the camera for long exposure, I use a variety of low-tech solutions, such as holding the camera with the strap stretched taut, or resting the lens on the side of the plate. Hey, whatever works!

Do you have RAW pictures available for print?

I’ve started shooting in RAW format starting in India. So anything you see after that is available in RAW.