Tips for a Purchase-Free Vacation

I visited Seoul a few weeks ago with some co-workers and it was my first vacation since my decision to stop buying things. Going on vacation with the "no buying" rule stuck in your head of course makes you look even harder at the things that are on offer, and Seoul is a fantastic place for markets full of knick-knacks, souvenirs, key chains, stamps, magnets, silly t-shirts, local crafts, and all manner of things one doesn't really need -- it was so hard not to be tempted!

But the decision not to focus on the things you buy and take home with you also helped me focus on the there and then, the experiences and the moments I was having in Seoul. I have compiled a few tips for a purchase-free vacation and I really hope it helps those of you who wish to travel green and travel light, and avoid all buying all the silly knick-knacks and souvenirs, gifts, etc. we convince ourselves we need to purchase in order to immortalize our trip and impress our friends!

Tip #1: Indulge in Gastronomic Experiences and Local Flavors

As a foodie, this was an easy one for me -- I literally ate my way around Seoul. From the markets, the wonderful street food, snacks and back alley restaurants, I indulged my belly in all sorts of experiences and learned that Korean food goes way beyond kimchi pancakes and birimbop! Anywhere I saw a line, I ate! Not spending on souvenirs and other silly stuff also meant that my budget for food was larger, and I was also able to indulge in some fancier meals than I would usually eat while traveling.

Tip #2: Focus on Cultural Experiences

Instead of heading straight to the shopping districts, my trip focused on museums, palaces, historical neighborhoods... I even went to the theater to watch a Korean musical -- I didn't even know these were so big in Korea, and popular for young couples on dates! I came away with a much better understanding of Korea's cultural heritage and history, as well as contemporary culture.

Tip #3: Go Local

Through a mix of online research and a little help from a friendly expat currently living in Korea, I was able to learn a bit about how the average Korean spends time, what are popular hang-out spots and weekend activities, etc. This led to walks around artsy neighborhoods, a picnic near the old city wall, and people-watching/dessert eating at popular cafes I might otherwise have passed by! A truly authentic taste of the youth culture in Seoul!

Finding Freedom in Wanting Less

How Vacations Affect Your Happiness

Do vacations make you happy?

Could there be anything happier than this?

This interesting blog post in the NYTimes argues that although vacations can make you happy, it is actually anticipating a vacation and planning for it that makes people happiest.

Given the results of a study conducted by Dutch researchers, the article suggests that the actual travel itself might be stressful, and that upon returning to work, people find that the large volumes of work they need to catch up on end up canceling out the effects of the vacation! To maximize the boost in happiness that anticipating vacations can bring about, the author suggests breaking up a 2-week vacation into two 1-week trips at different times of the year.

This article baffled me because it flies in the face of a lot of research on happiness that I have read. A lot of research seems to suggest that experiences such as trips can have lasting benefits, far beyond the short-term happiness boost of buying a new consumer good. Also, trips with significant others and family seemed to bring people together and strengthen relationships.

A lot of research I read previously also suggests that, unlike the purchase of consumer goods, the memories of a trip will seem happier and happier with the passing of time. We tend to forget the stressful occurrences and fights and see everything through rose-tinted glasses that make us look back on the experience even more favorably than we originally saw it.

Perhaps this was the problem with the research study they report on here: The researchers asked about the trip immediately after the subjects of the study came back. Their memories of the stresses of the trip, airports, etc. were all very fresh on their minds and they were just getting back to a big pile of accumulated work... the results might have been very different if the questions were asked under different circumstances, or a while after the people returned from their trip!

Personally, I have found that the memories of trips I have taken, whether alone or with friends and loved ones, remain some of my happiest memories. Perhaps it varies from person to person? I definitely have a a bit of a travel bug, being a Sagittarius and all... what do you guys think?

Rainy-Day Letter Writing

It's been a very morose few days in Shanghai, the endless fine drizzle just doesn't let up! These might be days when I would usually get bored out of my mind and go spend a day at the mall buying useless things at cheap stores, window-shopping and gorging on fast-food.

Cute paper, a purple pen and pink envelopes!

Instead, I have decided to catch up with some friends in a more old-fashioned way, and compose a letter on fancy paper to a dear friend who is leaving China for graduate school in the US in just a few days.

Do you remember the feel of pen on paper? The fun of picking out nice paper to write on? Stuffing colorful envelopes with well thought-out words and nice wishes? It was fun and therapeutic, and I hope my friends enjoy it as a heartfelt little gift that will remind them of the good times we have spent together.

One of the best things about buying this kind of letter paper in China is the cute Chinglish on it. This one says:

"Think about you when you're speaking about love, there's never too late."

How Materialism Affects our Children

A really interesting study conducted by UNICEF looked at how materialism and inequality affected children's well being in the UK, Spain and Sweden.

These countries were chosen because children's well being was found to be lower in the UK than in the two other countries, and the researchers wanted to understand why. The results of the study revealed that UK parents spent a lot more on toys and consumer goods for their children, but less time with the family and doing outdoor activities, which the kids really reported enjoying and desiring to do more often.

The piles of toys did little to make the children in the UK truly happy.

I focused on the part of the report that talked about materialism, and was really interested in the researcher's conclusions that:

"Behind the statistics we find many UK children do not refer to material goods when talking about what makes them happy, and also understand the principles of moderation in consumption, but may have parents who feel compelled to purchase, often against their better judgement."

As we might expect, the children really showed that time with friends and family, time spent outdoors and in creative play were far more important to their happiness and well being than the excess of products and toys that parents in the UK fill their homes with!

Defying Gravity (and my Chinese Horoscope) in the Yanwu Climbing Gym!

In 2013 my Chinese horoscope literally advised me not to take up rock climbing, saying that I should keep my feet on solid ground this year and watch out for objects falling on my head... CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

While I have climbed a few times before, it has been almost 10 years (a decade!!) since I've done anything even remotely serious with it. I decided to go back when I found out a good friend from college, who I climbed with back in the day, is now in Shanghai --  shout out to Charlie Liu!

A great space, with challenging routes even for more experienced climbers!

All of this goes along with my desire to buy less while spending more time gaining new experiences, having fun with friends and enjoying new ways to spend my time, hence the desire to join them on their adventures!

It says a lot about our world of conspicuous consumption that one of my first thoughts upon entering the little climbing world of Yanwu was "Oh crap, I'm going to have to buy climbing shoes..."

As if buying the shoes would make me a better climber, or help me fit in more, or make me somehow more committed to the activity due to the cost incurred -- all the things we think when we decide to take up a new hobby and go out to buy all the "necessary" equipment. Oh well, I have already decided that if I am still climbing a year from now, then I can get the damn shoes!

The place was fun, the routes were great and the staff was super attentive and helpful to a beginner. At just 55 RMB for the entrance fee and rental shoes, along with one-on-one instruction from a dude called "Gecko," I really hope to make it back for more fun!

Buff bodies at Yanwu!

Gender Roles in Advertising

This blog is mostly about recognizing that corporations and the media have a vested interest in making me want things I don't need so that they can keep generating profits.

This involves them convincing me that I need to buy, wear, own and show off certain things and look a certain way in order to be happy, accepted, sexy, desirable, popular, etc.

On a slightly related note, this interesting video looks at how media and advertising don't really stop there -- they skew our perceptions of reality so that we change our behavior to fit the mold they've created. In this case, the video examines gender roles in advertising and how they manipulate our ideas of masculinity, femininity and sexuality. Enjoy!