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One day, I’ll get to SXSW, the 9-day festival described as “a unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies” that’s a premier destination for discovery.

Though those quotes come from SXSW organizers, most people I know who’ve attended agree. They come away fired up and full of new ideas about their own work.

This year, Matador has a few staff members at SXSW– our Twitter ninja, Andy Hayes, is there, as is MatadorNights co-editor, Tom Gates. And MatadorTrips co-editor Hal Amen and intern Lindi Horton will be meeting up with the crew for an end-of-festival brunch bash next weekend.

Are you at SXSW, have you been, or would you like to go? Shoot us a line at julie[at]matadornetwork[dot]com to tell us about your experiences and plans.

Community Connection:

SXSW is held every year in Austin, Texas. We’ve built up our Austin Focus Page. Give it a visit!

New logo of Periodismo Humano

Cinnaminta

Julie Schwietert showed me this site last week.

Cinnaminta is, in their words:

a free online service which enables you to request your poems, original writing, celebrations, acts of remembrance, prayers, messages or anything else to be read out aloud in places around the world which are special for you but which you cannot easily visit.

What I find most relevant about this site is the seemingly random way people use the requests, not just for readings, or to yodel across a canyon, but to ask for pictures, video, and sounds from particular places. I feel like the whole concept is a new way of exploring people’s relationship to place.

Periodismo Humano

Periodsimo Humano, or “human journalism” is a soon to be launched journalism project from Javier Bauluz, the only Spanish winner of the Pulitzer Prize. The project will be a non-profit org espousing the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights as its only “guideline.”

Last week they tweeted “why do you want a human journalism?” and then remixed the responses into the post Why a Human Journalism? A Post Written by 200 people. Here is an excerpt:

Queremos un periodismo humano porque necesitamos volver a saber por qué quisimos ser periodistas. Porque no nos resignamos. Porque andamos jibarizados a base de siglas y datos. Porque se puede ser responsable, ético, honesto, concienciado y, además, ser feliz. Porque es bueno que se conozca el código fuente de aquellos que nos informan: sus dudas y sus miedos. Porque el periodismo, como la vida, empieza por las cosas pequeñas

Translation: “We want a human journalism because we need to go back to knowing why we wanted to be journalists. Because we didn’t stop believing. Because we don’t go shrinking everything down to dates and abbreviations. Because you can be responsible, ethical, honest, conscientious, and still be happy. Because it’s good to recognize the doubts and fears behind that which informs us.* Because journalism, like life, begins with the little things.”

*not 100% sure of that particular sentence.

This project looks like a major opportunity for Spanish speaking and bilingual journalists wishing to work with a transparent and brilliant community.

Follow them @PmasDH

8 Key Terms for Determining Legitimacy in Journalism

Sarah Menkedick sent me this article last week on determining legitimacy. I really like this post, particularly in the way it rejects the notion that “professionalism” is equivalent to “legitimacy.”

Jay Rosen writes:

These thoughts grew from a comment thread at Nieman Lab. The post in question was titled: The news Good Housekeeping seal: What makes a nonprofit outlet legit? Such things as: adherence to the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics, submitting entries for professional prizes and holding a press credential from a federal or state body were said to be good proxies for legitimacy in journalism. I objected to this:

I don’t think “professionalism” is a feature of legitimacy at all. We could say it’s one way of attempting to secure legitimacy, but the equation: professional news person = legitimate provider of news does not work.

Rosen then gave his 8 key terms, beginning with veracity:

I’d start with the will to veracity, also known as truthtelling. Truthtelling even when it hurts or causes problems for your friends. Real journalists tell us what happened because it actually happened that way, and not some other way. All forms of legitimacy derive from this one.

Follow Jay Rosen: @jayrosen_nyu

National Day of Unplugging

Finally, I saw the national day of unplugging is “scheduled” for later this week. You don’t have to be Jewish to participate.

Community Connection

Please send media / links to david at matadornetwork.com

The first question you are probably asking yourself is “what is a video of Donald Rumsfeld doing at the top of this blog post?” Go ahead and click on it and watch the video. It is only 21 seconds.

I’ve seen a lot of people make fun of Rumsfeld for this quote, and honestly I think he has a point. There are things we don’t even know that we don’t know. Most of you probably are aware of something called quantum physics, and most of you probably have never taken a class on the subject. You are aware that you are ignorant about quantum physics. That would qualify as a known unknown.

Just last week in Singapore, I was being taken around the city by a Singaporean traveler by the name of May. She took me to get Peranakan food. What is Peranakan food you ask? It is the cuisine of the Peranakan culture in Malaysia. What is the Peranakan culture you ask? They are the descendants of 15th and 16th century Chinese merchants who settled in Malaysia and took local Malay wives.

I had no idea this culture even existed until May took me to get laska for lunch. It was an unknown unknown.

Over three years of traveling I’ve learned a lot of things. From a raw knowledge perspective, I’ve learned more in three years of traveling than I did in four years of college. If I am learning so much stuff, how can I say that I’m getting dumber the more I travel? Because the things I know I’m ignorant about increases faster than the things I know that I know.

It is entirely possible for an ignorant person to think they are smart. They know so little, and have been exposed to so few ideas, that that have no idea what they are ignorant of. In their world, they know everything because their world is so small.

In the example I gave above, my knowledge of the Peranakan might have increased by +1, but once I knew they existed there was a flood of things I realized I had no clue about: famous Peranakans, Peranakan dancing, clothing, traditions, holidays, etc. My perceived ignorance of Peranakan culture increased by +10.

Hence, the gap between what I know vs what I know I don’t know get wider. I feel dumber, even though I’m learning more.

It can be frustrating. I’m often hesitant to write about a subject because I’ve met people who are much more knowledgeable about it than I am. I’ve been taking photos of protesters the last two days here in Bangkok. I can give you the thirty-second explanation as to why these people are protesting, but I’m not Thai, I don’t speak Thai, and I don’t live in Thailand. The ins-and-outs and the nuances of the issues escape me. As I walked around and spoke to some people at the protest, I became aware of a host of issues I had no idea existed before. I learned more, but I sit here feeling dumber than I did when I started because I’m much more aware of what I’m ignorant of now.

Thankfully, ignorance is not bliss. The increasing gap between what you know you know, and what you know you don’t know means you are being exposed to new things and only fuels your desire to fill the gap.

If you travel and come away feeling dumber than you did before you started, don’t worry. It means you are doing it right.

Related posts:

1. Commentary: Of Things Which Are Different, Both Little and Large
2. Kobe

Second Life is a virtual 3D world where people create custom avatars to interact with other avatars in the online community. You can explore new cities, go shopping, attend classes, and even buy property.

This means if you’ve ever dreamt about being a rich, successful entrepreneur living in a high-rise condo, you have the opportunity to do so with Second Life. Or you could sprout wings and take on the appearance of a fairy dwelling in a giant mushroom, whatever floats your boat.

The game is extremely addictive, but with spectacular, unearthly landscapes, it’s not hard to see why.

1. “Dancing Venezia” by dell_wilberg.

2. The Flower Girl by karindalziel.

3. Be an activist. “Make Slove, not Warcraft” by moggs_oceanlane.

4. Zombie Ballet by moggs_oceanlane.

5. Falling petals on the Tokyo Peninsula by Ravenelle.

6. That’s right, your Second Life characters need to do their laundry. “Shadows@Laundromat” by Ramona.Forcella.

7.Moosh Fashion Show with models and DJ. By Ravenelle.

8.A book signing event with author Julian Dibbell, whose book ”Play Money” is available in both Second Life and in the real world. By John E. Lester.

9.Your Second Life doesn’t necessarily have to take place in human form, be creative. By BlueLinden.

10.A dating world to explore when you’ve already exhausted the real one. By Yuval_Y.

11. “Tuna Oddfellow and Shava Suntzu’s wedding in Second Life.” Not sure which one is the groom and which one is the bride. By isfullofcrap.

12. “The Show Must Go On” performs for the Raglan Shire community, by Vlan Bjornson.

Community Connection

Need a vacation? Second Life might be the future of virtual travel.

Photo: linh.ngân

Sometimes it feels like my memory fails me much more than it should.

And yet, more and more research seems to provide evidence to the contrary – that, in fact, all information that has ever passed through our brains is retrievable.

But what if all that information wasn’t actually stored in our brains, and what if that means we’re all even more connected than we thought?

Systems philosopher Ervin Laszlo recently wrote a post at Huffington Post asking the question, If Your Brain Is A Quantum Computer, Can It Connect You To The World? In it, he poses a quantum idea of knowing:

Not only are the neurons of our brain thoroughly entangled with each other–so that they can assemble and then process information with lightning speed–they are also entangled with the world beyond our brain. The logical conclusion is that the bulk of the information picked up and processed by the brain is not stored within the brain; it’s stored in the vast information field that embeds the brain.

Laszlo calls this storage facility of ideas and memories (minus short-term memory) our “cosmically extended natural Internet.” From there, he hypothesizes our brain is kind of like a broadband receiver, scientifically allowing for the possibility of extrasensory (yep, ESP) perception.

We know that travel might just make you smarter, and that visiting foreign places helps to see past the headlines and hype. But what this type of perceiving might mean on a human level is that our brains are trying to constantly link in and harmonize with other people, places, nature, and really, the world at large.

Makes a good argument for those who believe we are all interconnected beyond just our DNA, but does it stack up to the reality of a world heading toward harmony?

What do you think of the idea of brain-as-internet, and do you think it can help bridge differences across cultures? Share your thoughts below.

Protesters and riot police at protest, Bangkok, Thailand

Related posts:

1. Daily Travel Photo – Bangkok, Thailand
2. Daily Travel Photo – Bangkok, Thailand
3. Daily Travel Photo – Bangkok, Thailand

This week’s guest is Grant Martin, editor of Gadling.com. I’ll also admit that this is one of our worst episodes, due in no small part to my poor internet connection.

Subscribe on iTunes | Become a Fan on Facebook | Download the iPhone app

Related posts:

1. This Week In Travel – Episode 29
2. This Week In Travel – Episode 27
3. This Week In Travel – Episode 28

Photo: kennymatic

1. Don’t… skydive

In Auckland, you can jump face-first off the Sky Tower, try a bungy jump (both reverse and the traditional — from the Harbour Bridge), and of course skydive.

And, okay, if you’re only in Auckland as a stopover, by all means go for it. But for those headed south, there are many more and better opportunities to shake, fling, roll, or bounce yourself silly.

Do… get cultured and soused

There are museums, galleries, beaches, and shopping by day, and plenty of clubs, bars, and gigs at night.

Find out what a flat white is by indulging in Auckland’s café culture, particularly on Karangahape Road or in Ponsonby.

Or, if you just want to relax, you’ll find lots of like-minded individuals to shoot the breeze with in the common areas of the city’s many hostels — known here as “backpackers.”

2. Don’t… expect anyone to recognize your jersey

There’s a small contingent who follow American football, and lots of people shoot hoops in the park. Our soccer team has even made it into the 2010 World Cup.

But those aren’t the biggest sports down here.

Do… realize New Zealand is sports mad

Highly recommended are netball, cricket, and of course rugby. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to see them, because every park is filled with local teams at the weekend. Just check the map for green areas and head on over. You’ll be surprised at the turnout even for social matches.

If you do have money to spend, it’s worth trying to get tickets to watch either cricket or rugby at Eden Park. While many North Americans say they don’t “get” cricket, if you go to a one-day match (a “one-dayer”), you’ll be all right.

Photo: Kiwi Flickr

And since rugby is one of the things New Zealand is famous for, there aren’t many more “authentic” local experiences than watching the All Blacks play.

3. Don’t… pack your top hat and tails

Not that you would, but who knows what’s in some of those giant backpacks. You won’t need any dressy clothes unless you’re here on business.

Even when dining at a nice restaurant, the tendency is to under-, not over-, dress.

Do… focus on comfort

New Zealand is a laid back sort of place with a relaxed dress code. The summer uniform is shorts and jandals (flip-flops); for the winter, well, just add a hoodie and beanie.

Fleeces are also popular in the winter and you’ll see a fair number of commuters wearing them whether they have a t-shirt or a shirt and tie on underneath.

4. Don’t… think the CBD is all there is

Auckland can seem pretty small, and in many respects it is. The CBD (Central Business District) and its little collection of high-rise buildings don’t match up to those of most international cities.

Do… explore the third largest city in the world by land area

But remember — there’s much more to Auckland than the CBD. Out west you can drive or tramp through native bush to the other side of the Waitakere hills to find some prime beaches.

Photo: Sids1

Covered in sparkling black sand, Piha, Kare Kare, and Te Henga/Bethell’s are popular with surfies and kite surfers.

In the harbour, there are many islands to explore — Great Barrier, the beaches and wineries of Waiheke Island, and Rangitoto and its climbable volcano.

5. Don’t… underestimate the cuisine

Locals can be somewhat confused when visitors complain about the food, so perhaps it’s not obvious where to look for the best eats.

Ask around and make a habit of walking down side streets to see where Aucklanders are eating. Of course, you do need to try a steak and cheese pie or a mince potato top, but don’t stop there.

Do… order Asian

New Zealand is geographically much closer to Asia than Europe, and we’re slowly embracing this fact. For specific recommendations, check out Eating Asian in Auckland: A City Guide to Ethnic Food.

6. Don’t… stay indoors in the summer

It’s just not allowed! No self-respecting Kiwi would waste a perfect day indoors when there’s so much going on outside, and we’d be horrified to think that our visitors might miss out on what life is all about here.

Do… check out the festivals

Photo: wonderferret

Many of these are free.

There are cultural festivals, like the Lantern Festival at Chinese New Year, and Pasifika, one of the biggest Polynesian festivals in the world.

Many parks host local festivals, where you can bring your own picnic and enjoy the free concerts, plays, or movies.

7. Don’t… freak about the rain

It’s not worth waiting for the rain to stop before you head out. Accept that some days might not turn out picture perfect and sunny. But that’s not to say it’ll be pouring the entire time.

Do… take layers

With reference to the advice in #3 above, you’ll begin to understand why Kiwis dress for comfort. In ten-minute intervals you’ll be rained on, get sunburnt, or catch a chill from a southerly (cold winds that come up from Antarctica).

You’ve been warned.

8. Don’t… get sunburnt!

Seriously…don’t. Thanks to the hole in the ozone layer, the burn time in New Zealand is about 7-10 minutes in the summer. Many people don’t believe this and suffer the consequences on their first trip to the beach.

Do… wear sun protection at all times

The good news is we’re more aware than ever about the dangers of the sun and there’s a wide range of sunscreen available at any chemist’s (drugstore).

Ask any Kiwi kid and they’ll tell you to “Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap!” Translated, that’s slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat, and wrap on some sunnies (sunglasses).

Photo: CowCopTim

9. Don’t… miss the local music

With such a small population, it’s hard for New Zealand to attract big name bands. There are many talented local musicians that have filled the void.

Do… pick up a gig guide

You can find guides and flyers at Real Groovy, Tourist Info, and the many city cafes to get an idea of what’s on.

New Zealand is an island nation that likes laid-back sounds influenced by reggae, dub, and Polynesian music, but we’re also into our rock, pop, you name it.

Check it out — since it’s mostly local, you have a good chance of getting into the afterparty.

10. Don’t… shop downtown only

Downtown is great for outdoor gear, t-shirts, and souvenirs, but it’s mainly chain shops. Apart from some interesting outdoor wear, there’s probably nothing you couldn’t find back at home.

Do… funk out on K’ Road

Karangahape Road (called K’ Road) and its side streets are Auckland’s alternative area. There’s an Asian supermarket if you’re missing tofu, a couple of places to sit and write your journal with a cup of chai and an Indian sweet, secondhand shops, bars, and cafes with good coffee and atmosphere.

This is also the place to get a Maori tattoo. Everyone’s doing it.

Community Connection

The Traveler’s Notebook has podcast called Road Trip: Northland, New Zealand and info on How to Work New Zealand’s Wineries.

Feature Photo: ewilman / Photo above: BrentOzar

It’s also home to 460,000 acres of national park land, and a multitude of beaches that get much less attention than South Beach and are badly in need of cleanups. If you are in town, consider taking a break from the sun and surf to contribute some time and explore aspects of the city that rarely get notice.

Refugees and Migrant Workers

International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee first established its presence in Miami to help Cubans relocating to the city in the 1960s, but today serves the thousands of refugees primarily from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean who reach Miami’s shores each year.

Volunteers assist them in finding homes, employment, and rehabilitation for those escaping extreme violence and oppression. Long term volunteers have the opportunity to become mentors. Email VolunteerMiami@theIRC.org

WeCount! Community Workers Center

Located in Homestead, an agricultural area of Miami where many Central American, Mayan, and Haitian migrant workers live and work, this center seeks to provide a safe space for day laborers to find employment as a dignified alternative to standing in the street.

Volunteers are needed to teach English and computer skills classes. You can call the center at 305-278-7740 or email Albert Rodriguez at ralbert@we-count.org

Haiti Disaster Relief

Konbit for Haiti

Home to the largest Haitian American community in the United States, and serving as the nearest port, opportunities abound to assist in earthquake relief efforts for Haiti from South Florida.

Volunteers are urgently needed to package and ship donations, coordinate healthcare professional deployments, provide grief counseling, assist with Temporary Protected Status applications, and provide administrative support to organizations working from Miami.

Stop by Konbit for Haiti, a storefront turned community center in the heart of the Little Haiti, which is serving as an information hub for volunteers. They are located at 521 NE 81st Street.

Environmental Issues

Miami Group of the Sierra Club

Rapid expansion and development are constant threats to Miami’s ecosystem of beaches, swamps, and forests, and to its many endangered species like manatees and sea turtles.

Sierra Club volunteers can participate in everything from beach cleanups to writing news items to leading groups of inner city kids on nature outings. A list of email contacts for different areas of volunteering is available on their website.

Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Though it’s about an hour drive from the mainland to the various islands that compose the Florida Keys, it’s a worthy endeavor for anyone interested in unique conservation contributions.

There are short and long term volunteer opportunities like assisting in the therapy of injured dolphins or performing dives to conduct fish counts in natural coral reefs. There is housing available for some of the long term programs. Inquire with Lilli Ferguson, the volunteer coordinator, at (305) 292-0311 x245 or Lilli.Ferguson@noaa.gov.

Hunger and Homelessness

Camillus House

Photo: Billa

Camillus House has had a presence in Miami for over 50 years as one of its largest homeless shelters, even as the community surrounding it has increasingly gentrified and pushed for its relocation, which will finally happen in 2011.

Started as a small endeavor by some Irish priests, the towering building on the outskirts of Miami’s Overtown district offers housing, food, and health services for the homeless. Short term volunteers can assist in food distribution at the daily soup kitchens, while long term volunteers can get more involved with its various programs.

Instructions for volunteering can be found here.

For those with limited time, a great resource for volunteer opportunities on a day to day basis is Hands On Miami. There are also community volunteer events throughout the year such as MLK Day of Service in January, Biscayne Bay Cleanup in April, Coastal Cleanup in September, and Hands on Miami Day in November.

Community Connection:

If you’re headed to Miami for a visit, be sure to read Jared Romey’s Budget Guide to South Beach.

This is just a quick update, because I don’t have time to do a full write up. Yesterday I attended the political protests in Bangkok. I spent several hours walking around the protesters with my camera. Everything was peaceful. Not only was it not an angry mob, it had the atmosphere of a festival more than a political protest. People were bending over backwards to get me to take their picture. The photo of an angry protester shouting just wasn’t in the cards. I’m heading back to take some more photos today, this time I’ll have some batteries for my flash and an extra battery for my camera.

View my collection of photos from the Bangkok protests here.

Related posts:

1. News From The Ground: Thailand Protests
2. Daily Travel Photo – Bangkok, Thailand
3. (Literally) Stuck in Penang