Simply Leave

Chatting with the people you meet during your travels can be one of the most rewarding parts of any trip. Other travelers can have a lot of experience, and people in other parts of the world can explain perspectives that are very different from those you might find back home. Here is quick guide for conquering your initial fear and starting a conversation.

1 - The Weather

Creative Commons picture by extranoise.

As blasé as it may sound, talking about the weather actually works. The weather is something that we all experience, are all influenced by, and usually don’t blamed on strangers. A quick “I’m glad it is such a nice day” or “wow, I wasn’t expecting that rain” is a nice non-aggressive opener.  It is so good at starting conversations that I sometimes wonder if all of human society would fall apart without such a topic.

Disadvantage

You can get trapped in a conversation doldrum. Once the ice is broken you are still miles from other topics.

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Check out the reflection in his visor. It is of the astronaut who took this picture.

I can see the desolation, extreme isolation, and unfiltered bombardment of solar radiation…but that reflection. It strikes a cord in me that results in both amazement and a touch of fear.

This elevator could put a certain chocolate factory to shame. Taipei 101’s high speed elevator can climb at 37.7 miles per hour. That is the fastest ascending elevator in the world. It gains altitude a little less than twice as quickly as a human cannonball. It is an elevator that climbs as fast as a Boeing 737. I guess it makes sense that such an elevator is in one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers (the Burj Dubai is taller but incomplete).

A Rate of Climb Comparison

The building of such a tall structure in Taiwan demonstrates a certain amount of moxy on the part of…well…almost everyone involved. Taiwan is a seismically active area that has a history of getting pummeled by typhoons. It has the natural disaster downsides of both Florida and California. This is where they decided to build a huge skyscraper.

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Creative Commons picture by Jasoon.

Phillip Smith was anticipating the fun and confusion of his next vacation so much that he had to cancel it. “I just got too freaked out” he explained. Many look forward to their vacation for months. Sometimes this leads to an increased level of excitement and preparation. Other times it is slow descent into panic.

“In retrospect it seems like it was the wrong decision” Philip said, “but the more I read about the possible pitfalls and adventures the more it seemed out of my league.” Philip was planning a trip to San Francisco with his wife of 12 years. They had the needed money. They had arrangements with airlines and hotels. However, he wasn’t sure he had the right bag or if he could properly avoid being mugged. “If I was mugged, how would I respond?” Philip wondered if he should go to the police, fight back, yell “thief” really loudly, or just pull out his sidearm and start shooting.

“I’ve seen those movies where the police turn out to be accomplices of the criminal. I wouldn’t be smart enough to figure that out. I could lose everything!”

The Lay of The Land

Creative Commons picture by CarbonNYC.
The majority of modern GPS devices are quite fancy. Their displays are big enough to let to you count the rays from Janet Jackson’s sunburst jewelry. They have databases that contain information about every major road on the continent. Some of them even have an internet connection so you can easily find the nearest waffle house next time you stroll through Tulsa. These $500 devices have a clearly defined niche right on your car’s dash. However, much like coral and tropical frogs if you take them very far out of their niche, they die. These devices can not survive long without a car’s steady supply of electricity.

On the other end of the GPS spectrum are devices designed for hikers. They are often about the size of a late ’90s cell phone and intended for use far from power outlets. Several are even waterproof, can last over 15 hours with only two AA batteries, and cost only 100 dollars. Unfortunately they bring with them a lot fewer creature comforts. The displays are often black and…kind of grayish. They are allergic to internet connections, and their maps are rarely very detailed and sometimes nonexistent.

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