The tedious itinerary of a Physician Anthropologist
Most of you will have absolutely no interest in this
itinerary, I am putting this down on paper because I am so confused, when
trying to juggle between USA holidays, flights over to Europe, my brother’s
request to go to SE Asia and in between doing some work. But then again, work
and life has been the same, I do not know where life ends and work begins, and
as some philosophers might say, I have never found work to be stressful and travel is
a form of transporting between these non-stressful events.
Three months in this year left, which would see me
travelling to India twice, both times to Fort Cochin, the only place I know in
India; once to Malaysia (even though I have been there four times already this
year) and my second visit of the year to Cambodia. There would be two visits,
both of them two weeks long to the American Indians, twice to La Habana and one
visit each to Brussels and Brittany.
Travel is anthropology to me, the cultural diversity and the
slow motion movement of people from various parts of the world onto my path. I
especially enjoy flying Qatar Airways with its multitude of nationalities and
the wonderful lounge at Doha; I feel like the Cuban Ambassador to Fort Cochin (May
our Ambassador in New Delhi forgive me), Both KL and Siem Reap are welcome
destinations. Brussels is to relax, just catching up on reading Medical and
Anthropological literature, just today found a book, written by a Finnish
Anthropologist: KINSHIP, LOVE AND LIFE
CYCLE IN CONTEMPORARY HAVANA, CUBA, which will make a good reading on the long flight
from Colombo to Boston via Doha. Visiting Cambodia is a lesson in Medical
Anthropology even though the Angor archeological site is a distraction (having
visited it at least five times) and look forward to a simple way of living. KL
has a special place in my heart, have made good friends there and always
grateful that I was introduced to the Yogic Philosophy of Patanjali in KL.
Habana is the moveable feast and this year I would like to welcome the New Year
walking along the Malecon as the clock chimes midnight. American Indians,
especially the tribes that I visit have become like a family to me. While they
live in an isolated part of the USA, and getting there takes effort and time,
once I am there, I am completely immersed in their culture and enjoy the warmth
of family life. So this is a short summary of my world for the next three
months.
I can spend hours planning my trips as it involves various
favourite airlines and the incredible length I would go to fly them. A normal
flight from Miami to Brussels which I did less than one week ago, would involve
flying to Boston on American Airlines, then on Qatar Airways to Doha, back
track with them to Casablanca and take an Iberia flight to Madrid, then on to
Brussels. Only a Frequent Flier junkie would understand the logic behind it, if
you are one I don’t have to explain it to you.
This was an unusually fecund year for Frequent Flying
Benefits, as I held Gold status on Copa in Panama, United in USA and Etihad in
Abu Dhabi and Executive Platinum status with American in USA and Diamond Status
with Avianca in Bogota. Next year, I plan to reduce it to just three: EXECPLAT
with American Airlines, Gold with Qatar and Gold with Copa Airlines. Patterns
of flying might change as well: Brussels/Brittany/London would remain, as would
Miami, Havana and the Indians. I have a feeling that I might travel more to my Australasian
stomping grounds, beginning with a trip to Melbourne and Auckland and perhaps
Cairns, and Suva in Fiji. In South America I would be happy to go to Buenos
Aires in Argentina as well as Leticia in Colombian Amazon.
So here is an uninteresting or boring for most, itinerary of
an enterprising Physician Anthropologist
I have just arrived from Habana, Cuba via Miami, flying
Havana to Panama City to Miami to Boston to Doha to Casablanca to Madrid to
Brussels.
8 October Brussels to Istanbul to Male on
Turkish, then on Spice Jet to Cochin
14 October Cochin to Colombo
15 October Colombo to Doha to Boston to
Chicago to Omaha
16 October To
the American Indians
28 October Omaha to Chicago to Boston to
Doha to Colombo to Singapore, arriving on 30
30 Johor
Bahru, Malaysia
31 Malacca,
Malaysia
1 November KL
4 November Siem Reap, Cambodia
8 KL
9 Fort
Cochin, Kerala
13 November Salalah, Oman
15 Salalah
to Muscat, Oman
16 Muscat
to London to Brussels
19 November Brussels to Casablanca
20 November Casablanca to Doha
21 November Doha to Boston to Miami
23 Miami
to Panama to Havana
28 November Havana to Panama to Miami
29 November Miami to Chicago to Omaha to the
Indians
15 December Omaha to Charlotte to Miami
18 December Miami to Boston to Doha to Casablanca
to Lisbon arriving 20
21 December Lisbon to Nantes, France, train to
Auray in Brittany
26 December Auray to Nantes, France to
Casablanca, Morocco
27 December Casablanca to Doha to Boston to Miami
arriving 29
30 December Miami to Havana, Cuba
Home Sweet Home..
