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Aboriginal Australia 101 | A quick introduction for visitors
David Whitley takes a look at the 50,000 year old history of Aboriginal Australia and the issues that still face the country’s indigenous population today. It is often said that Australia lacks culture. This
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Why the hell are you using chopsticks?
If you need to do a complicated sum, what do you use? Is it an abacus or a calculator? I think we all know the answer to that. For all the traditional charm of
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The battle for Berlin: Can the artists survive in the shadow of the Wall?
As the areas where the Berlin Wall once stood rapidly gentrify, the spray-painters, stencillers and squat artists face being moved aside… The man who hangs cats High on the wall is a cartoonish picture
Read More »Why I didn’t love Cambodia
Prior to my arrival in Cambodia, I had heard pretty much only good things. Swathes of people I know and respect had thoroughly enjoyed their time there, and said it’s amongst their favourite places
Read More »Cultural expectations – is the onus on the visitor or the host?
When in Rome… By and large, I like to go with a “when in Rome” policy. If the traditional owners don’t want you to climb Uluru, you don’t do it; if walking around in
Read More »Religion and cultural tourism: The inner discomfort of the atheist traveller
A confession I have a confession to make: I find many world class art galleries and museums really, really dull. Some I broadly like, bits of others I really like. But on the whole,
Read More »Should flight crews be wearing masks?
A common complaint amongst air stewards and stewardesses is that passengers keep their headphones on whilst trying to communicate. This is an absolutely understandable gripe – it’s incredibly rude, and forces the crew member
Read More »Overplaying the indigenous card – why the demand for ‘Aboriginal’ tourism is not being met
A few weeks ago, I was in Queensland, Australia. I had a spare day and picked up a leaflet for an Aboriginal guided tour in the rainforest. It sounded pretty good – promising plenty
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