Jessie Voigts in Scotland

Today we get to know a bit more about our Culture Travel Tuesday contributor, Dr. Jessie Voigts. Regular readers of A Traveler’s Library are familiar with Jessie, since she has been an almost monthly contributor for many moons.  She has been bringing us synopses of interviews with authors from her wonderfully useful website Wandering Educators.  Don’t be fooled by the title–teachers are not the only ones who can benefit from the broad array of travel advice offered at W.E. Take a look at the many categories on her site and you’ll see what I mean.  But Jessie’s first love is broadening the understanding between cultures.  I am very happy she accepted the assignment of bringing to readers of A Traveler’s Library ideas for travel that deepens our understanding of different cultures. You saw an example last month when she wrote about a museum and battlefield in Scotland. Now for the inside scoop on how her interests developed, and how  it affects her life today and other inside secrets of Jessie.

A Traveler’s Library: In your bio you mention that you majored in International Education. Can you explain that a bit? How is that different from majoring in Education?

Jessie Voigts: My PhD is in Comparative and International Development Education from the University of Minnesota. Although I had to take classes in education (US and global) and development, my main focus was on cross-cultural adaptation and study abroad. To me, international education is about being curious about the world; exploring and learning about other cultures and places.

Jessie visiting Basel, 1994, while she was in Europe.

ATL: Have you taught abroad, or taught foreign students in the United States?

JV: Yes to all of the above! I’ve taught courses on study abroad, courses on cultural adjustment for students getting ready to study abroad, courses on culture to both US and international students, worked with international students and scholars at MSU and UMN in a variety of ways, worked in Japan, and also was the Director for Michigan State University’s Summer London Study Abroad programs one year. What I love most about international education is that it is so joyful and life-changing to promote learning about the world.

ATL: How do you think having a background in International Education has affected the way you plan your travel?

JV: Yes. I don’t care for tours or quick travel. I like to go somewhere and really learn about a place – the people, culture, events, books, music, history, etc. I also love to do my research – digging deeply into the knowledge of a place beforehand allows us to dig deeply into a culture, when we get there.

ATL: You also mention your interest in traveling with disabilities. Do you want to expand on that?

JV: I have several disabilities, including a mobility disability. Because I can’t walk much, Where we travel is extremely important. Thus far, I’ve traveled to only first-world countries, where travel for people with disabilities is a bit easier. I also make sure we have a rental car, so that I can get to places. Once you’ve experienced travel with a mobility disability, it changes your worldview. Structural barriers are everywhere – you have to decide if you have the energy and will to cope and adapt. And, you have to be willing to let your family go into ancient castles and towers where you can’t climb the tiny winding stairs (hello, Ireland!), and find something else to do on flat ground. I have realized how lucky we are in the US, where the ADA mandates accessibility.

Jessie, 4years old, at our family cottage in N. Michigan

ATL: When you were a child did your family travel a lot?

JV: Yes! Our whole extended family is comprised of international travelers and scholars. At any given time, my parents, brother, aunts, uncles, or cousins are somewhere exploring the world. My parents placed great importance on travel, sending me to Japan for a summer when I was in middle school. We also traveled all over North America, and often to our cottage up in northern Michigan. I love that you can travel to both familiar and unfamiliar places, and experience them in such different ways.

ATL: When did you take your first trip out of the U.S. and where to?

JV: Well, we were always going to Canada, since Michigan is right next door..so probably as a tiny baby! I love those Canadian Butter Tarts! My first trip outside of North America was to Japan, when I was a young teenager. We had hosted a Japanese exchange student the summer before, and that summer, I went to stay with her family. It changed my life!

ATL: What is your best suggestion for overcoming culture shock, or the fear of getting outside the comfort zone of our own culture when we travel?

JV: My best advice is to roll with it, and balance spending time with people who understand what you’re going through (expats) and locals. If you spend too much time complaining to fellow expats, you won’t be able to progress past those difficult parts of cross-cultural adjustment. As well, if you only spend time with locals, you won’t be able to get those complaints out of your system. So – roll with the changes and the difficulty, have a great support system, and try to appreciate the culture where you are. Pretty soon, you’ll laugh at being annoyed at being crammed onto trains, and just figure out your own tricks to get in the door first. Eventually, with enough time and cultures under your belt, you’ll become a cultural marginal – able to fit into any culture around the world, and knowing that each culture is important and valid in its own right. I can’t say enough about cultural relativism!

Rainbow on Clifford Lake where Jessie Voigts now lives.

As to the fear of getting outside your comfort zone – isn’t this WHY we travel? To challenge ourselves, to learn about ourselves and others, and to expand our world views. Yes, it is uncomfortable to look at the street food offered, and see bugs and things you would never have imagined eating. Try it – you might be pleasantly surprised – or have a great travel story to tell! It might be stressful, to be in a place where the worldview is SO different from yours – just remember that your worldview is not the only one. The best part of travel is exploring difference!

Thank you Jessie. And what an inspiring answer to the question of how we can travel outside our comfort zone. We’ll look forward to more inspiration each month as you bring us more motivations for travel.

Pictures used here were taken by Jessie Voigts, and are her property. Do not reuse without express permission. Thank you.

Would you like to share an experience you have had during travel that made you aware of the differences in worldview? Do you travel to get outside your comfort zone? Tell us about it in the comment section.

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Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist

Saturday, June 11 is the last chance to win a copy of this book. I am the co-author with Charnell Havens, and I will immodestly state that this is a beautiful book that tells a fascinating story of the life and work of a Navajo Artist who lived from 1917 to 1956.

The book includes more than 260 illustrations, many full color reproductions of paintings never seen in public before.

The artist’s life tells a story of a boy given up by his mother after his father died, a child taken away to a boarding school far from his native reservation, many successes in the art world, and many romances, and finally a long struggle against alcoholism.

Wandering Educators reviewed the book and interviewed Charnell and me and they donated this book to give away. Be sure to check the interview, because your comment there enters you in the contest, also.

There are three ways to enter to win the random drawing.

• Leave a comment at Tahoma Blog.
• Leave a comment at Wandering Educators on the book review.
• Subscribe to Tahoma Blog (tell us in a separate comment if you are already subscribed).

See all the details, and get the links you need at Tahoma Blog.

The book sells for $50.00. But one lucky person will get a copy FREE.

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Book Cover: Taking Root in Provence

Destination: France

Book: Taking Root in Provence by Anne-Marie Simons

A Guest Post by Dr. Jessie Voigts

[Note: What you see below is a portion of a recent interview that Jessie Voigts published at Wandering Educators. I extracted just three of the questions and answers, but there is a lot more. Read the entire interview at Wandering Educators.]

Ever wonder what it is like to live in Provence? Yes, we’ve all read Peter Mayle‘s books, and dreamt of moving there. But to actually do it? What’s it like? We recently spoke with Anne-Marie Simons, author of Taking Root in Provence.

Taking Root in Provence is a dream of a book – slowly going through each season in Aix-en-Provence, complete with festivals, daily routines, and the joys of life. We learn of hot summers, markets, traditional horsemen, festivals, strikes, Cezanne, wine, food, mistrals, opera, and more.

Each chapter is an ode to living in Provence – and it’s not all smooth roads, as Anne-Marie ably discusses the challenges in living in a different country (with a new language!). This ‘year in the life’ book is such a fascinating glimpse into living in Provence – it inspires, teaches, and brings such joy in a life well-lived.

Wandering Educators: What was the genesis of your move to Provence?

Anne-Marie Simons: We moved to Provence because it was our favorite vacation spot but also because we felt that all around us in Washington people did not like the ” dolce farniente” that we liked. In our view, doing nothing is not a waste of time; it is a way of passing the time differently. After long years of hard work we do enjoy taking 2-hour lunches, a siesta now and then, going to the movies without taking the car out, buying our fresh fruits, vegetables and fish at the market every day, having frequent dinners with friends at their place or ours. At lunchtime, our American friends start looking at their watch after 45 minutes (yes, even the retired ones) and are out the door after one hour, and even dinners have to start early and end by 10 PM because the guests have to get up early the next morning. I know I am generalizing and that Washington is an all-work-no-play town, but you might say that we were interested in playing and found nobody to play with. Europe has a different rhythm that suits us very well.

WE: What are your favorite places to visit?

AS: My personal favorites are cities like Marseilles, Toulouse (only the old center), Montpellier, Nice, St. Tropez off season, and Arles or Avignon for different things (bullfights or theater). All these places are within easy driving distance from Aix. And of course, Paris, which takes only 3 hours to get to by TGV (fast train). There are many other French cities I have enjoyed visiting, but one of the advantages of Aix is that it is located within driving distance from Barcelona, Spain (4-5 hours), Genoa or Turin, Italy (4 hours), Milan (5 hrs) etc. Different cultures, different foods, different languages just hours away. Moreover, from Marseilles you can take a ferry boat to Corsica and Sardinia, or an overnight ferry from Toulon to Rome. It is a wonderful way to travel, taking your own car with you.

WE: What is your favorite thing about living in Provence?

AS: Provence seems to have everything: good weather, good food, friendly people, a relaxed pace, and great natural and man-made beauty. It has beaches, mountains, time-forgotten villages, sophisticated towns and glitzy resorts. Truly something for everyone, but to enjoy all these gifts to the fullest I would highly recommend to those who mean to retire and live there year-round that they learn the language and connect with the local people. Perhaps rent for a year, perfect your French, familiarize yourself with the local customs and adopt them, then decide whether or not you could live there for the long term. If you decide to do so, you will find the French quite open to other cultures and happy to welcome you in their midst. They might even brag about their new “ami américain.”

Dr. Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts is the Publisher of  WanderingEducators.com and contributes each month to A Traveler’s Library. She has a doctorate in International Education, and is passionate about intercultural learning. She and her husband are Worldschooling their daughter, and enjoying every minute of it. She is also a nature photographer and lives on a lake.

We stayed in the north of France when we were in that country. Have you been to Provence? Would you move there? We want to know. And by the way, how DO you pronounce it?

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Photography Website: Walking to Mexico by Jordan Bower

A GUEST POST by Dr. Jessie Voights

(Note: When I saw Jessie’s article about Jordan Bower on her web site, I asked her if she would share his wonderful adventure with the readers of A Traveler’s Library. No, it is not a book, but perhaps it will become one.)

Jessie says:

Recently at Wandering Educators, we featured a personal journey that resonates with me. Walking to Mexico is foremost a journey of connection. World traveler Jordan Bower has chosen to walk from Vancouver, British Columbia, all the way down the coast to Mexico.  I am so impressed with Jordan’s walk that I am constantly heading to his website, to see more photos and learn who he is meeting and learning from.  It’s all about sharing ideas and stories, faces and places.

Sharing Photos on the walk, Harbin Hot Springs, CA

I  love Walking to Mexico for several reasons: First, the photos that Jordan takes – and shares. He takes photos of everyone he talks with and the landscapes he sees.  Then, he prints the photos and shares them with the next people he talks with. It’s a circle of giving, of humanity meeting each other.

Jordan gets that travel – and life – is disconnected, due to distance, the internet, and our increasingly insular lives.  Or, as he notes, “our disconnection with the humanity in each other and in ourselves has left us bereft of the type of synergy that can develop into inspiration, creativity, and love.”

This journey is a tale of love, connection, of finding oneself and sharing that process with others. “What we really want, I believe, is a sense of home, a sense that our lives can be meaningful, a sense of being able to make a difference.”

Roosevelt Forest, CA

And his journey raises the ultimate change in narration we need to make, in today’s society:  “Which is to say that what we really need is a new type of story.  We are, after all, just the stories that we tell ourselves, and it’s clear that the pace of technological and ecological change has outpaced the development of even our brightest storytellers.”

Brookings Oregon, immigrant story

Jordan has encapsulated what the digital disconnect is doing to our society – and is trying to reach out and make a new sort of connection, using the Internet but also talking, listening, and learning. I’m listening and learning, myself – focusing more on slow travel for our family, and disconnecting to truly connect, again. If you’d like to read more of Jordan’s story, please head to Wandering Educators.

Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts is the Publisher of WanderingEducators.com and contributes each month to A Traveler’s Library. She has a doctorate in International Education, and is passionate about intercultural learning. She and her husband are Worldschooling their daughter, and enjoying every minute of it. She is also a nature photographer and lives on a lake.

The photos with this post all come from Jordan’s photo-filled website. You can click on each one to learn some more about the story behind it.

We have featured some other long-distance walks, but this one is certainly unique.  If you were going to walk across the continent, what would you personally wish to accomplish?

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Book Cover

Destination: Australia

Book: Natasha Lands Down Under (a young adult novel), by Katherine McCaughan

GUEST POST by Jessie Voigts

I’ve recently read an extraordinary book, entitled Natasha Lands Down Under. Written by Katherine McCaughan, this book is an intercultural odyssey, set in China and Australia. Natasha Lands Down Under is a compelling read, exploring one Russian family’s migration from China to Australia in the 1950s, through the eyes of a young girl.

The book explores the cultural implications of migrating – and of being an outsider in not one, but two different countries. The intercultural adjustment of the family – and of Natasha – is one that many of us will recognize. Living in different places, learning a new language and cultural context, and figuring out intercultural differences is a challenge that I love to embrace, as difficult as it can be. Seen though a young girl’s eyes, however, is to see it anew, with a fresh perspective that reminds us that kids often go through very different issues abroad.

I love this book – have read it thrice! – and each time I’ve discovered something new. Natasha Lands Down Under is a enchanting read, with a protaganist that we can’t help but root for as she stumbles through – and thrives in – life in a new country.

Author Katherine McCaughan was born in Shanghai, China to Russian parents who fled to Australia in 1950 after the Communist Revolution. She graduated from the University of Sydney and Sydney Teachers College, and taught English and History at the high school level. In 1977, with her husband and children, she moved to Chicago, Illinois, where she worked in real estate and relocation. It was in Chicago that McCaughan began writing down family stories from the dangerous and tense times the family faced during the Second World War, the Japanese occupation of China and the civil war that followed.

In 1993, she and her husband moved to Hong Kong where they lived for ten years.  Here McCaughan wrote book reviews for B- International Magazine and personal essays for AWARE magazine. Also, for many years she taught creative writing at the Hong Kong YWCA. The nostalgia brought on by the Chinese and British cultures in Hong Kong inspired the interweaving of the family stories into a fictional novel, Natasha Lands Down Under.  Drawing on McCaughan’s experiences, the novel explores issues of migration and adaptation through the eyes of young Natasha.

For more information, please see:

You can also follow on the Facebook Page

To read an interesting chat with the author, go to Wandering Educators. Learn how the author’s life parallels that of her fictional Natasha and how she copes with having lived in four very different cultures (now America).

Now it is your turn. Have you ever had to move somewhere that made you feel like an outsider? What is your story??

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Book Cover: An Old Castle

Destination: Northern Ireland

Book Review: Northern Ireland: An Old Castle Standing on a Ford: One Yank’s Life in an Almost Peaceful Belfast (2010) by Caroline Oceana Ryan

A GUEST POST by Kerry Dexter, Music editor at Wandering Educators.com

Caroline Oceana Ryan is an American poet, playwright and travel writer who in 2000 left her life in Los Angeles to live in Belfast, Northern Ireland for six months.
She expected Belfast to be a burned out shell after decades of armed conflict. And though there were still political murals to be seen in many neighborhoods, that presence paled compared to the vibrant people of the North, who were at turns joyful, tragic, creative and stuck in their ways. Over the next six years Ryan returned for further six-month stays, learning about the North and its people.

An Old Castle Standing on a Ford: One Yank’s Life in an Almost Peaceful Belfast , is the result of Ryan’s time in Belfast. The first half of the book focuses on Ryan’s initial impressions of the Northern people and their working lives, their creative brilliance and their beliefs. The second half has more to do with the political side of things, informed by Ryan’s on the ground experiences living in Northern Ireland, and her access to those involved in the day to day politics of the north.

As I’ve spent a good bit of time in the North of Ireland and in the border counties in the Republic, WanderingEducators’s publisher Dr Jessica Voigts asked me to speak with Ryan about her book, and about life in Northern Ireland.

Kerry Dexter for Wandering Educators: if you were to describe your book, An Old Castle Standing on a Ford: One Yank’s Life in an Almost Peaceful Belfast, what would you say?

Caroline Oceana Ryan: It’s an honest account of life in Belfast during the past decade – it’s both a personal journey and a cultural one. Belfast is so worth knowing. It was then, as it is now, full of raw energy, creative innovation, a great nightlife, new business, modern architecture, an optimism you wouldn’t expect.

I describe the Northern people – their humor, their conversations and personalities, and local events—some groundbreaking, some tragic. The tragicomic view of life that the Irish have had for centuries is still very much in evidence.

WE: Why did you decide to write the book at this time?

COR: When I first traveled to Northern Ireland in 2000, the Good Friday Agreement, which introduced peace to the North after 30 years of civil war, was only a couple of years old. I wanted to see how peace was taking root there in its first few years.

I’ve always loved Ireland – the land, the music, its powerful myth and symbols. The Good Friday Agreement was a hard-won miracle on all sides. It came about because (Irish nationalist) Social Democratic Labour Party leader John Hume sat down with (pro-British) Ulster Unionist party leader David Trimble to create a blueprint for peace. They were the architects, and what they built is still standing, and growing stronger, despite setbacks.

They shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts – well deserved. Hume spent years during the 1980s and 90s, talking to Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein/IRA, to get him to start seeing that the democratic method would be far more helpful to establishing an independent North than any amount of bullets and bombs.

WE: You cover quite a span of time in the book — how did you choose your focus?

COR: The main idea was to expose the reader to Northern poetry, humor and theater, in a natural everyday sort of way. I kept returning to that, despite the political and military information and interviews, because poetry, music, humor and myth are at the center of Northern life. And it keeps you sane, in the writing process, to have large parts of the story that are joyful to write about!

Please read the rest of this interview by Kerry Dexter at Wandering Educators.

Thanks to Kerry, and to Wandering Educators for letting us introduce this book about Northern Ireland.

CORRECTION: BLOGGIES Voting closed February 20, so it is too late to vote, but you can still take a look at these sterling nominees!

Just a reminder, Kerry Dexter’s Music Road is up for best music blog at the 2011 Bloggies. Besides choosing Kerry, I’m also voting for some other people you may recognize from guest posts here–Reel Life With Jane.com (best entertainment blog), The Geezer Sisters (Best writing of a blog), My  Itchy Travel Feet (best travel blog) and take a look at the only New Zealander to make the finals in the Australia/ NZ category, Frugal Kiwi.

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Travel Wonders of the World features my awe on seeing the  The Bayeux Tapestry and several of my photographs from Bayeux.

Your Life Is A Trip, I talk about an experience I had at a pueblo, while gathering material for Quincy Tahoma: The Life and Legacy of a Navajo Artist.

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Grand Canyon Side Canyon

(Photos in this post were taken by Vera Marie or Ken Badertscher on a 1990 raft trip through the Grand Canyon, scanned from prints.)

Destination: Grand Canyon, USA

Book: The Grand Adventure: A True Story of Survival and Determination on an Amazing River Journey into the Grand Canyon and Other Canyons of the West, by Mark A. and Donna E. Hicks.

A Guest Post by Dr. Jessie Voigts with suggestions from her 8 year-old daughter, Lillie

The Grand Adventure, a book for young people, shares the story of a man, John Wesley Powell,  and his trip down the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon.

It’s full of fascinating facts – want to know why one spot is called Disaster Falls? Did you know that Powell was interested in geology and the artifacts that he found?

It’s a tale of a journey of hardship, of perseverance, of learning about yourself and others, and about the power of hope and discovery. I love this book – the illustrations are both beautiful and realistic. It made me want to go the Grand Canyon (although with easier transportation).

Mark Hicks is one of my favorite authors/illustrators – he’s got a plethora of talent and a way of telling a story, in pictures and in words. Let’s talk with Mark about his new book.

Grand Canyon rapids, Colorado River

Wandering Educators: Please tell us about your new book, The Grand Adventure.

Mark Hicks: The Grand Adventure is the true story of John Wesley Powell’s first expedition down the Green and Colorado Rivers and through the Grand Canyon in 1869. This daring 1,000-mile journey is one of the great exploration adventures of the American West.

WE:  What inspired you to write this book?

MH: I wanted to try and share with kids what it was like to go into a wild, unexplored area and be unsure if you would even come out alive. No maps, no GPS, no cell phones to call for help! The Colorado was a mighty river back then and the boats they went down in were so small. Imagine the courage and determination it took to do this — and John Wesley Powell only had one arm!

WE: What do you love most about the Grand Canyon – have you ridden in the river there?

MH: There’s just so much to love about the Canyon. I could go on for hours about its beauty, but I’ll keep it short. The North rim is my favorite side. A lot of the flora and fauna is unique to the area. It’s just so beautiful — especially at sunset and also during summer thunderstorms. And a thunderstorm at sunset on the North Rim of the Canyon, well, it’s nothing less than absolutely glorious.

Rainbow at Grand Canyon

To read the rest of the interview with author/illustrator Mark Hicks, please see the book review section at Wandering Educators.

Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts is the Publisher of WanderingEducators.com and contributes each month to A Traveler’s Library. She has a doctorate in International Education, and is passionate about intercultural learning. She and her husband are Worldschooling their daughter, and enjoying every minute of it. She is also a nature photographer and lives on a lake.

Thanks for bringing us this author and this book, Jessie and Lillie.  I have always been in awe of Powell’s accomplishment, but also have to laugh at how he and all the early explorers wrote off the Grand Canyon as worthless. Try to tell that to the tourism industry in the Grand Canyon State–Arizona! Ken and I were fortunate to take a river raft trip through the Canyon in 1990. Boats and food have definitely improved since Powell’s trip!

So, have you been to the Grand Canyon? What’s your favorite part?

Any comments on today’s post (up until Wednesday morning, Jan. 26) gives you a chance to win either  book about another Arizona icon–Tombstone Postcards, or a copy of Under the Huang Jiao Tree, award winning book about China.  And all comments through January 31 will enter you in the drawing for two nights at a Cambria Suites. See contest rules.

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Reading a book

We brought you reviews of 129 books and 20 movies this year. Really?? Guest reviewers wrote 38 of those reviews, but I penned the rest.

If you are a regular reader, you may understandably be yearning for “faraway places with strange sounding names.”

And you can see why it is difficult to pick my favorites! Plenty of the books I shared with you were classics or at least a few years old. So although I loved James Thurber and Tom Wolfe and Donald Harrington and Willa Cather and others,  I am only counting NEW books here. Here’s the count down to Number One:

Disney World

10. A Journey Through Literary America by  Tamirah Dempsey. A gorgeous photo book visiting author’s home territories.

9. 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go by Susan Van Allen. Although I tend not to review this kind of book–almost a guide book–this one is delightful from beginning to end and the frosting on the cake is book recommendations from several women who write about or cook in Italy.

8. Come Again No More by Jack Todd. (Wyoming) I galloped right through this novel about life in Wyoming during the Great Depression. (Road Trip Book)

7. Dogtown by Elyssa East. (Massachusetts) Our very first road trip book turned out to be a great choice for several reasons.

6. Iran by Inge Morath. This black and white photos in this book were taken in the 1950′s, but the book was brand new in 2010.

5. Nine Lives by William Dalrymple. (India) After reading a column by Dalrymple, I was prepared not to like his writing, but this book won me over. The stories of nine holy men and women in India.

4. The Last Child by John Hart. (North Carolina) This mystery was a winner of best novel award in the Edgars, and I can see why. A road trip book.

3. February by Lisa Moore. (Newfoundland) As gloomy as a foggy winter day in her home country, the novel is based on a true event. Nevertheless the book exudes hope.

2. The Woman Who Fell From the Sky by Jennifer Steil. (Yemen) I was so fascinated by the book that I did a second post with an interview of the author.

1. The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Robertis. (Uruguay)  When I read this book back in January, I said that I had already found my favorite book of the year, and I was right. The wonderful story brings a lesser-visited South American country to life and tells the story of three generations of women. Not since Isabella Allende have I been so charmed by a south American novel.

To see a list of some of the best new books during the last quarter of the year, see my article at Wandering Educators. And if you want MORE Travel reading, World Hum listed 100 travel books earlier this year.

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A Bit of Romance on the Road?

Destination: India

Book: Peep Peep Don’t Sleep
by Ajay Jain

A GUEST POST by Dr. Jessie Voigts

Having a sense of humor while traveling is one of the surest ways to enjoy life and all
the riches it has to offer. One of my new favorite books is a hilarious photo journal
from India, called Peep Peep Don’t Sleep. And as we all know, reading while traveling isn’t limited to books – it can be signs, t-shirts, pamphlets, and more.

Written and photographed by Ajay Jain, this book is an inside look at culture, humor, travel, and the intricacies of language. We often read this with our 8-year old daughter, and laugh together. It is a book rich in culture and language, and so very funny. We were lucky enough to sit down and talk with Ajay about his book, traveling on the road, smiling, and more. Here’s what he had to say…

Wandering Educators:  Please tell us about your book, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep

Ajay Jain: Put simply, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep is a collection of funny road signs and advertisements that travellers can spot in India. In fact, the title of the book comes from one of these signs. Most of these are from the Indian Himalayas.

What prompted me to come up with such a book? We all notice and get entertained by road signs when we travel, but rarely have these been the subject of any books or even magazine features. Especially since most of us don’t travel enough to see all the different signs literally scattered all over.

Being a travel writer and photographer, I took this challenge upon myself. I had no idea how many interesting road signs existed, or what it would entail capturing all of them. If I didn’t get enough, the book would not happen. I had only one choice: hit the road like an explorer into unchartered territory. And be on the job till I achieved my objective. It took a year and over 10,000 kilometers (6,000 miles) of driving but it all came together in the end.
The inspiration was both providing an entertaining read, as well as creating an archive of these signs. They have a value today because they exist; the collection would be invaluable tomorrow when these are long gone.

Getting philosophical on the road

What was I looking for? Messages for drivers, advertisements and public notices – anything that would entertain and say something about the place and its people. It would be travelogue of a different kind. And were they a discovery! The ones on Indian highways are in a zone of their own. They shower you with words of wisdom, keep your mind sharp as you unravel their cryptic messages, tickle your imagination, amuse you and entertain you. In public interest, they lend a hand to Alcoholics Anonymous.

Since journeys are meant to be a pleasure, they remind you to ‘Smile Please.’ This is the expression this book wants to see on its readers.

No Photographing, Tourist!

WE:  What is it about road signs, language, and cultural assumptions?!

AJ: Different signs reflect different aspects. For example, many of these signs are put up by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a division of the Indian Army responsible for construction and maintenance of roads along India’s international borders. Thought up by the engineers on the site, one only wonders why they put such signs up. Was it their attempt at cheeky humour? Was it a lesser grasp of the English language that makes them sound like this? Likewise, many of the shop signs and advertisements show an earnest effort to attract customers even if one flounders with the language.

To read more of the interview, please visit the book review section of Wandering Educators.

Jessie Voigts

Dr. Jessie Voigts is the Publisher of WanderingEducators.com and contributes each month to A Traveler’s Library. She has a doctorate in International Education, and is passionate about intercultural learning. She and her husband are Worldschooling their daughter, and enjoying every minute of it. She is also a nature photographer and lives on a lake.

Jessie  says she still laughs when she reads the book. Thanks for sharing, Jessie.

Every traveler has read signs–and menus–in awkwardly translated English.  Sometimes the humor is intentional. Sometimes it becomes philosophical. Share the funniest or oddest one you’ve seen.

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