(Untitled)

[apiphile]

First thousand words. I think I'm looking at this being around 5,000? Short stories are so fucking hard to wriiiite.

Comments

[wolfy_writing]

Mu said, “Oh thank God you’re here, I’ve just been trapped downstairs listening to Iain’s blow-by-blow account of how spiritually enriching it is to go and stare at poor people in Laos.”

I've been to Laos as a tourist, and this made me laugh.

[apiphile]

I figure there's "go to Laos and enjoy Laos" and then there's "OH IT TOUCHED MY ~SPIRIT~ AND MY SOUL THOSE AMAZING BROWN PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS MEEEEEE". ;)

[wolfy_writing]

Yeah, I've seen those types. In a class at my university, there was a talk about the distinction between tourists and travelers, and it really annoyed me because the teacher was totally spreading the "Deep, important traveler who has great insight and is so much better than mere tourists" idea, and that's both damaging and hideously pretentious.

[apiphile]

Mother was a big fan of that dichotomy, whereas I think at least tourists can be coralled via specific channels to specific places and don't get under everyone's feet in the "out of the way totally authentic" places where people don't want us. But then I suppose that DEEP IMPORTANT thing is just status-wanging, trying to show other people from the same place as you how much BETTER your holiday was. What a load of fucking tits.

[swear_jar]

Ping does not seem like a happy character, so much.

[apiphile]

'Tis only the beginning.