2.1 My travels

Dad's Musings:

I would like to find a way of questioning the diary writer about travel to praise what they enjoyed most in meeting a different people's place
...Perhaps there could be a kid's version of this adult recognition space of loving each other's countries http://www.quicktopic.com/12/D/tfrfXSANMSxP

I remember never understanding any history or geography lesson from dusty books unless I had already been to the place or knew some friends there. Which explains why I never passed 8th grade exams in either subject, imo. However if I have been somewhere and you then show me what the people most loved in that place wrote in their diaries about the challenges (geographic, historic, social, economic, innovative) peoples of that place persevered through- then you light up my mind with imagination, particularly if somewhere along the line an apparently famous person gives a minute or two to meeting the child that I am -and saying that's a good question you asked. I need to start a blog somewhere on which places organise tourist greetings like that (starting with why Hollywood fails my geography exam). And as for opportunities of virtual tourism, virtual penpals, searching for your deepest mentors through life - are there any teachers of nine year olds who get that? We need to celebrate your initiatives as one of the primary vents of social entrepreneur olympics - mail me at wcbn007@easynet.co.uk if you wish to nominate such a teacher or teaching space

I don't think you can be really proud or joyous about exploring your community until you can share equal joy in another's community. But once you have accomplished the magic trick of loving 2 places and peoples for their humanly best diverse opposite -the worldwide cultural mix is the limit. I have never seen children start off prejudiced or fearsome against each other until an adult accidentally or knowingly messes up nature's love of evolutionary opposites. If you think as an adult what I have just voiced is too idealistic - fine, but my question is at what age do we really need to close that open space on the way young people hub together.

Also whilst I am not against Patriotism, you might want to explore the Scottish view of world's most valued people. We were one of the first worldwide social networkers with 5 times more of us living around the globe than in Scotland. We have several centuries experience of this because back then when England and Scotland United in Kingdom, the English set up early global accountants and taxmasters and convinced many Scottish Lords that sheep were more valuable than people to raise on their lands- we negotiated a free ticket to another land in days when ironically travelling the globe was very arduous but there were no passport controls to keep any goodspirited family out of looking for space to be free and happy. Somewhere in this diary we will need to explore whether what the top calls progress actually crowds us the chances to breathe and reflect that ordinary people's lifetimes need to preserve health ways ahead

Like my dad, I also believe nations are becoming more of a barrier than a support to networking humanity in 21st C http://www.normanmacrae.com/netfuture.html#Anchor-Changin-17192
we need to give our kids the freedom to discuss this

Whilst in this section I had better do a bit of weblogging of a nine year old's history of travel and wishes. I realise round the world voyages while you are 8 are "spoilt" (so yes I am asking how we as parents could have got more out of them for her)

age 6 - the only time mom let dad and I go on a holiday on our own even though she doesnt like travelling- to disney world from Washington DC- daughter's view : a paradise for princesses - dad's view plastic hell on earth except looking at my daughter's eyes shine

age 8 round the world from DC to Perth to meet 5 cousins: daughter's view did not want to ever leave such a large and happy family of children from 6 to 17, and 2 dogs: parnet's view - oh dear, why couldnt we be living next door if it means that much to our daughter

---

cut!

---

Oh dear my 9 year old daughter has caught Hillary Duffitis and says Hollywood is the place she most wants to visit in the world.

This raises a serious question - if you as a parent have to fulfil your child's wishes to see Hollywood what on eartn do you do there that helps them discover something they can learn to do oand enjoy through life?

As far as I know, this is the main joy of all tourism; and I will be starting up a survey of which places do the best job in greeting tourists who want to be cross-cultirally moved for l;ife before they leave? Please do stand up -or mail me at wcbn007@easynet.co..uk so we can work out co-publishing spaces worldwide ) for your global village community if you feel it converts tourists into long-term amateur storytelling champions on behalf of your culture or some other lifelong collaboration (co-mentoring or other) benefit relevant to nine year olds up.

Meanwhile I wil be making a free gift offer to all those American Idols who fail to win number 1 at University of the Stars