About Us
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| George Chris Steffi Grant & Jillian |
WORLD SCHOOL
Falmouth has an excellent school system. The teachers and administration have been supportive of our previous
travels and we appreciate their continued support. Because of their talent and dedication, our children are well
prepared to undertake their academic requirements on an individual basis.
Now we must assume the responsibility to provide the content and depth for all the good stuff a modern citizen of
the world should know. Some updated examples are illustrated below. The staff is learning just as much as the
students!
Falmouth has an excellent school system. The teachers and administration have been supportive of our previous
travels and we appreciate their continued support. Because of their talent and dedication, our children are well
prepared to undertake their academic requirements on an individual basis.
Now we must assume the responsibility to provide the content and depth for all the good stuff a modern citizen of
the world should know. Some updated examples are illustrated below. The staff is learning just as much as the
students!
| Food |
| Technology |
| History, Agrigento, Sicily |
| More History, Angkor Wat Cambodia |
| Adventure, Ton'le sap Cambodia |
| Vocational Education, Cambodia |
| Culture, Hong Kong, China |
| The Instructional Staff George Even after attending 14 schools through high school , I earned a B.S. Sociology '81, B.S. Bus. Economics '83, MBA '88. I served as an adjunct professor for Columbia College. Instructor Naval Flight Officer, navigator and master of anti-submarine warfare. PADI scuba instructor. Chris More traditional approach to a B.A., University of Maine, Orono. Homework warden. |
| Ecology, Northern Thailand |
How to pack you mental suitcase for the trip
In my previous explanation of why we travel, I explained our motivation to go. In the planning phase we collect information and expectations from many sources. This helps to shape our
mental picture of our destination. This exercise is our first mental map of the trip. We decide what we want to do, what is important to see and learn about our destination. We work from a
time-line and adjust logistics concerns to fit. Once the planning process is completed, our expectations take over. This is where reality can easily disconnect from wishful thinking.
Travel is the largest industry on earth, and since discretionary travel is a luxury good, it is largely about selling dreams. These dreams are packaged and sold using the most sophisticated
means available. In the process the images and message become your expectations, your dreams.
This leads to two problems when the reality check arrives. First; advertising is not about reality. The beautiful people in beautiful sets doing the adventurous and carefree activities under
ideal conditions, sets expectations to unrealistically high levels. We mere mortals don't look that buff in a swimsuit, don't know how to surf and don't have a private image maker to set up
these private scenes for us. Given enough money I guess you could travel like the magazine writers to find the top ten jungle spas to lounge your days away being massaged and sipping
mango tea. But that still does not help that swimsuit image.
This is a conundrum that can be solved with a reality check early in the planning process. Realistic expectations, a budget, involvement of all travelling members. Research the destination,
weather and activities so you don't look like one of those Capital One commercials when you get there. Also remember hundreds of thousands of people are planning to do the same thing.
If it is a holiday, God help you.
We plan ahead for things to go wrong. Travelling is a complicated business with many moving parts. Be patient and roll with it if it is beyond your control. Identify and work on the next best
option. Quickly before the other stranded travellers figure it out too.
Like they say in the islands; don't worry, be happy.
In my previous explanation of why we travel, I explained our motivation to go. In the planning phase we collect information and expectations from many sources. This helps to shape our
mental picture of our destination. This exercise is our first mental map of the trip. We decide what we want to do, what is important to see and learn about our destination. We work from a
time-line and adjust logistics concerns to fit. Once the planning process is completed, our expectations take over. This is where reality can easily disconnect from wishful thinking.
Travel is the largest industry on earth, and since discretionary travel is a luxury good, it is largely about selling dreams. These dreams are packaged and sold using the most sophisticated
means available. In the process the images and message become your expectations, your dreams.
This leads to two problems when the reality check arrives. First; advertising is not about reality. The beautiful people in beautiful sets doing the adventurous and carefree activities under
ideal conditions, sets expectations to unrealistically high levels. We mere mortals don't look that buff in a swimsuit, don't know how to surf and don't have a private image maker to set up
these private scenes for us. Given enough money I guess you could travel like the magazine writers to find the top ten jungle spas to lounge your days away being massaged and sipping
mango tea. But that still does not help that swimsuit image.
This is a conundrum that can be solved with a reality check early in the planning process. Realistic expectations, a budget, involvement of all travelling members. Research the destination,
weather and activities so you don't look like one of those Capital One commercials when you get there. Also remember hundreds of thousands of people are planning to do the same thing.
If it is a holiday, God help you.
We plan ahead for things to go wrong. Travelling is a complicated business with many moving parts. Be patient and roll with it if it is beyond your control. Identify and work on the next best
option. Quickly before the other stranded travellers figure it out too.
Like they say in the islands; don't worry, be happy.
| Grant sampling some fried bugs. |
Internet cafe in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Answering e-mails.
| SCUBA diving, Koh Samed Thailand |
| Wildlife, Australian Zoo |
| Strange food, Australia |
| New Zealand "teacher's" lounge, Cheers mate. |
| Survival skills, Fiji |
Yesterday is history, today becomes opportunity and tomorrow is the blank page of possibilities. |
| Greek ampitheater, Taormina Sicily |
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
I have written about our expectations, planning and execution of our grand world tour. Now a few thoughts about what we have learned
along the way. Lounging in a comfortable villa under the Tuscan sun I can reflect on our journey so far.
We have found that world civilizations are built on the same fundamental pattern. Human beings have the same basic needs and
expressions. Respect and kindness are universal. Traveling as a family brings you immediate acceptance from the locals, everyone
loves children. We went looking for the native Thais or Maltese, not tourism professionals. Discussions about their lives, views and
expectations were enlightening and common.
For the past five months we have not experienced any anti-American anything! No posters, protests, comments. Some people said they
did not like President Bush, followed by Tony Blair and various other leaders. Usually these were Brits.
Our number one export worldwide is our pop-culture. For good or evil, we are influencing the planet via TV and print. America
dominates the world of entertainment, and it is programming like Bay watch, Charlie's Angels and Pimp My Ride that are popular. This is
the America they come know. We met a young Englishman (19) from London that moved to Malta. His impression of the USA was one of
gangland violence. He said he would like to see the US but was afraid of the violence. He actually thought young thugs with automatic
weapons roamed the streets our cities! He also wanted to know where San Andreas and Liberty City were, from the game Grand Theft
Auto. Unfortunately, this young man was so grossly misinformed that we initially thought he was joking. His only source of
misinformation was our pop-culture. Most of us can usually distinguish between entertainment, infotainment and information. People
not part of our culture don't often know the difference. This is the basis for the application of propaganda.
The influence of this dominant cultural and economic position is the trend toward universal adaption of technology, symbols, and change
(globalization). We can find an ATM in remote villages, nutrition information on packaging, credit card acceptance, cellphones,
appliances you can figure out even if you can read the settings, and standard displays of information that if you know the pattern, you
can determine its meaning. These are skills we have refined over the last five months on the road. I welcome the standardization of the
technology, my computer and cellphone can communicate. The world's cultures that accept change are also being universalized as a
by-product of our adaption to technology, economic and cultural trade. Our expectations for other cultures is that they have somehow
been frozen in time and should be on display for us, like a human zoo. For the benefit of the tourists, they usually are (for a fee). Just
like foreigners expect to see cowboys and Indians out west.
This cultural amalgamation has been going on since the beginning of civilization. What is new is the fantastic rate of change and
adaption or lack of it. For us, we anticipate the progress and welcome it. For the people in the Thai village that gather to watch the TV
via their satellite dish powered by old car batteries, I wonder if the images on the screen are any different to them than the magic of the
spirit gates we pass coming into the village.
I have written about our expectations, planning and execution of our grand world tour. Now a few thoughts about what we have learned
along the way. Lounging in a comfortable villa under the Tuscan sun I can reflect on our journey so far.
We have found that world civilizations are built on the same fundamental pattern. Human beings have the same basic needs and
expressions. Respect and kindness are universal. Traveling as a family brings you immediate acceptance from the locals, everyone
loves children. We went looking for the native Thais or Maltese, not tourism professionals. Discussions about their lives, views and
expectations were enlightening and common.
For the past five months we have not experienced any anti-American anything! No posters, protests, comments. Some people said they
did not like President Bush, followed by Tony Blair and various other leaders. Usually these were Brits.
Our number one export worldwide is our pop-culture. For good or evil, we are influencing the planet via TV and print. America
dominates the world of entertainment, and it is programming like Bay watch, Charlie's Angels and Pimp My Ride that are popular. This is
the America they come know. We met a young Englishman (19) from London that moved to Malta. His impression of the USA was one of
gangland violence. He said he would like to see the US but was afraid of the violence. He actually thought young thugs with automatic
weapons roamed the streets our cities! He also wanted to know where San Andreas and Liberty City were, from the game Grand Theft
Auto. Unfortunately, this young man was so grossly misinformed that we initially thought he was joking. His only source of
misinformation was our pop-culture. Most of us can usually distinguish between entertainment, infotainment and information. People
not part of our culture don't often know the difference. This is the basis for the application of propaganda.
The influence of this dominant cultural and economic position is the trend toward universal adaption of technology, symbols, and change
(globalization). We can find an ATM in remote villages, nutrition information on packaging, credit card acceptance, cellphones,
appliances you can figure out even if you can read the settings, and standard displays of information that if you know the pattern, you
can determine its meaning. These are skills we have refined over the last five months on the road. I welcome the standardization of the
technology, my computer and cellphone can communicate. The world's cultures that accept change are also being universalized as a
by-product of our adaption to technology, economic and cultural trade. Our expectations for other cultures is that they have somehow
been frozen in time and should be on display for us, like a human zoo. For the benefit of the tourists, they usually are (for a fee). Just
like foreigners expect to see cowboys and Indians out west.
This cultural amalgamation has been going on since the beginning of civilization. What is new is the fantastic rate of change and
adaption or lack of it. For us, we anticipate the progress and welcome it. For the people in the Thai village that gather to watch the TV
via their satellite dish powered by old car batteries, I wonder if the images on the screen are any different to them than the magic of the
spirit gates we pass coming into the village.
We have been asked often how much a trip like this costs. Now that we have returned and I have updated the planning/expense spreadsheet, and refined the cost of this adventure. We set out with a budget goal of $100 per person per day, and began planning the trip. Since then, the dollar has fallen against the Euro by another 10 percent. We are good at finding deals on pricing and try to economize where possible. Planning for a group of five is very different from going alone or as a couple. You need more or bigger rooms, vehicles, tickets, etcetera, and it all costs more. Logistics planning is critical. Overall we did very well by our plan. We were away from home 151 days at a total cost of $86,600, which works out to $574 a day, or $115/person per day. Considering there were 29 days aboard cruise ships, we made the trip very close to our planning budget. The Pacific portion was $48,940, 80 days, $612 per day. European portion was $37,670, 71 days, $531 per day. The entire trip was on schedule and budget. Considering the number of moving parts, currency fluctuations, political coups, health issues, and Murphy's law, we successfully completed a most remarkable endeavour. This may well come to represent the high water mark of our travel experiences. |