No Reservations for Bourdain

photo by Adam Pinkney

No Reservation for Bourdain

By Adam Pinkney

On Season two of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation, he visits the enchanted island of Puerto Rico. Bourdain explores the wonderful culture and cuisine of the island. His approach would best be described as “anti-conquest”. This term was coined by Mary Pratt and is a genre of travel writing. Bourdain does not want to conquer or impose his ideals on the existing culture of Puerto Rico, he insists on kicking it with the natives and becoming a part of their family.

Mr. Bourdain did not want to be a lousy tourist, he wanted to live amongst the people and receive the stamp of approval. Throughout the show he kept repeating how he was in search of the “ real Puerto Rico” and did not want to entertain himself with a typical tourist itinerary. Bourdain was somewhat a passive observer, however he definitely wanted to get down and dirty. For example he stepped into the ring with an undefeated boxing champion Miguel Cotto. Luckily for Bourdain, the champ spared his life.

Other adventures of his travel included a search for the mythical chupacabra, horseback riding, lobster diving, music and lots of food. Bourdain enjoyed the locals and they were also pleased to have him around. At the end of the show he told a couple of locals about his adventures on the island and they gave him a stamp of approval.

I enjoyed this type of travel writing Bourdain pursued. It was more of documenting visually with sound and video of his experience in Puerto Rico. I relate very well to his style of travel writing and would not change anything about his approach. I agree with the anti-conquest theme of innocence. For some reason tying in the theme of innocence reminds me of a bible verse. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Travelers vs. Tourists

By Kali Carter

Centuries ago, before Lonely Planet guidebooks and the Travel Channel, people traveled to places not knowing what they might find. Often times, trying new things or venturing off the paved trails lead to the most hidden and unbelievable treasures. In fact, some of the world's best discoveries came about by accident. When Columbus set sail for India, he discovered America. When Alexander Fleming was looking for a cure for the flu, he had no idea a contamination in the Petri dish would create penicillin. When I traveled to Puerto Rico for a travel writing class, I too was not prepared for what would turn out to be a life-changing experience.

For as long as I can remember, I have done my research on every place I have traveled to. To be quite honest, I am not sure I know how to travel without creating iteneraries or organized plans. This summer, though, I traveled to South America for my first study abroad experience. For the first time, I was not in control of my plans. For the first time, things went wrong. For the first time, I immersed myself in a different culture. For the first time, I actually lived. It was not until Puerto Rico, though, that I figured out why.

On the television show "No Reservations," host Anthony Bourdain travels off the beaten path to find the hidden treasures. He lives by the philosophy that anyone can read a guidebook or pick up a map, but in order to truly experience a different culture, it is necessary to stop reading and start living. One of the best ways to do this is to ask the locals. The locals know where to eat, where to shop, and where to hang out; they also understand the customs better than any guidebook. Anthony Bourdain travels using the concept of the anti-conquest. The anti-conquest is a term coined by Mary Louise Pratt to describe the idea of innonence in traveling.

Like many tourists, I take pictures of what I see, especially when someone points out that a particular building, statue, landmark, etc. is of historical importance. Most of the time, when I return home and look through my pictures, I cannot remember what the picture is of. On New Years Eve, my friends and I met a French man named Vincent. The next day at the beach, there was one moment in particular that our entire group was checking their individual cell phones. I watched Vincent's reaction and asked him why he was smiling. He told me texting and checking cell phones were a very "American thing to do." We proceeded to have a conversation about the need for instant gratification. One thing that stuck with me throughout the conversation is what Vincent called life through a lens. He said many people spend their time travelling by taking pictures or videos, which distracts them from the real picture and learning about what they see. He said it is easier to pay attention when we have to rely on ourselves, instead of technology, to remember the information. Until this moment of clarity, I always thought capturing the picture digitally meant making a memory, but I finally realized the memories are made when time isn't wasted getting the camera out.

At one point during our stay, my friend Lauren and I walked around the streets of the city, when we stumbled upon what appeared to be the Rodeo Drive of San Juan. The street lined with upscale stores like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Gucci, is also home to the famous La Concha hotel. In two consecutive nights, my friends and I saw celebrities Ty Pennington and Benicio del Toro. Although meeting Benicio was a trip highlight, the most fun we had on a night out came in the town of Ponce at a local attraction called Hollywood Cafe. If I wanted to see celebrities and shop at expensive stores, I would have spent my winter break in Los Angeles. Personally, I would rather buy a purse from a street vendor or a souvenir shop.

On our last night in San Juan, our entire group went out to dinner to commemorate our last night. This was also the day before my 21st birthday. In typical tourist fashion, we could have easily gone to a popular tourist spot like Senor Frogs or Hard Rock Cafe, but we tried a local restaurant called Raices, which had some of the best mofongo (a local food) on the island.

In the end, Anthony Bourdain got it right. Although the tourist hotspots almost always guarantee a good time, nothing really beats trying new foods and getting the authentic island experience. I have done a lot of traveling in the past 21 years of my life, but what I learned over the past two weeks is a new way of traveling I will take with me the rest of my life.

Mr. Bourdain and I

By Marisa Mohi, thinker of thoughts and dreamer of dreams

I don’t think I’m the only woman on this planet that has a crush on Anthony Bourdain. I find the idea of traveling to be simultaneously intriguing and sexy—you know, the sort of intellectual sexy that people associate with black-framed glasses and quoting Dylan Thomas poetry. Also, being on the Travel Channel has boosted his sex appeal in my eyes. I mean, I guess I’ve already mentioned the absurd love I feel for Adam Richman. I’m really just waiting for one of these handsome men to find me and offer me a big ol’ diamond ring. But until then, I suppose I’ll continue with my graduate coursework…hence the rest of this blog.

(I promise, the digressions will be a little less, well…digressionary from here on out.)

So, back to Mr. Bourdain. His show ,“No Reservations”, has become somewhat of a pop culture phenomenon. I can’t go anywhere without hearing somebody talk about the one episode where he drank homemade liquor in Greece, or the time that he was the lone white man in Saudi Arabia. Also, his book, Kitchen Confidential, is nicely situated in the “to-be-read” pile on my bookshelf. The thing about his show and his books that I found so monumentally appealing, is the “behind-the-scenes” look he gives you of the worlds he presents. It’s almost like he makes you one of the locals, or, as in the case of his book, a member of the kitchen staff.

To me, this is what traveling should be.

People who head out to Jamaica to sit at a lame-o upper middleclass, all expenses paid, adult daycare center aren’t really travelers. To me, these folks are still living in the colonial era. (I say this only because I have a degree in English, and well, the Postcolonial theory was always my favorite.) But traveling to an area that is completely different than your home country and then only staying in an area that has been made to mimic the overly American ideal of paradise, complete with five-star hotels and surgically enhanced trophy wives parading in leopard print bikinis isn’t really getting out of your country club comfort zone, now is it?

Bourdain (my homeboy as I call him, especially when I want people to think that I’m cool and cultured and hang out with world travelers even though I pretty much just chill back in Oklahoma) subscribes to a school of thought known as the anti-conquest method of travel writing. Now, not to get too pretentious for all you folks out there in the floating ether la la land that is the interwebs, but I’m gonna lay down some knowledge. Get ready. Academic notions ahead!

Anti-conquest travel writing is the sort of travel writing that doesn’t separate the visitor from the visited. That is, the traveler immerses himself/herself in the culture he is visiting. In doing this, the traveler isn’t able to take the perspective of the outsider and pass judgements on the culture he/she is visiting. He/she isn’t assimilating his/her surroundings into his/her frame of reference. In this way, the traveler functionally presents the culture as it stands, without conquering it with his/her own cultural ideals.

Maybe this is why Mr. Bourdain is totally my homeboy. I love the way that wherever he goes, he jumps into the culture headfirst and does what the locals do. I’ve never seen him refuse food on the basis that it may be a little sketchy. I’ve never seen him refuse alcohol even though, by western scientific standards, it may be rocket fuel. I’ve never seen him refuse to join the party because he doesn’t speak the language. This is the essence of anti-conquest travel. This is what traveling should be.

We can’t look down our noses at people and claim that their quality of life is deplorable, all from the comfort of our ivory balconies of our seaside resort. Without getting too preachy, it’s these kinds of resorts that under develop islands like Jamaica. If you’ve never seen the documentary, Life and Debt, you should check it out. If it doesn’t make you hate big resorts that function as the governor’s mansion on the colonial plantation, then you probably need to reevaluate your values and morals.

I guess, in the end, we are only one world. I feel just as connected to strangers as I do to my family. Though I love my family, I know that the strangers I see as I travel could become a part of my family some day. There are no real strangers in this world, only potential friends. That is why when we travel, we can’t look at those we encounter as “the others"--this isn’t an episode of Lost. This is the human race. We aren’t here to conquer it.

So, as I make my way through Puerto Rico, I try to keep these thoughts in mind. I'm already the farthest I've ever been away from my home and family. The comfort zone is left far behind. There is nothing left to do but enjoy the time I have in the place I am with the people I'm with the way that the people who live there do.

Caution! Beware of Preconceived Notions

By Vince Winston

Watching a guy get punched in the face by boxing champion Miguel Cotto, walking around eating the native food such as mofongo and searching for the legendary Chubacabra monster is probably not one’s first perception of what is meant by anti-conquest travel writing. But this is the essence of what it means to look at a culture from their perspective; immersing yourself within the culture headfirst. And Anthony Bordain’s “No Reservation” episode showcasing Puerto Rico was just that, a headfirst adventure into the world of the United States most diverse commonwealth. He may have taken it a little too literal when he took a right jab to the face by Cotto, but it was a good show of his dedication!

It was a good learning lesson for us to have a preconceived notion from a travel writer before arriving. This helped us understand how easily knowledge can be misconstrued if only one point of view is taken into account. Yes, Bordain did a good job of exploring the island, but since being here and being an active travel writer myself, I have only experienced a few of the local customs he pointed out. The amazing bio-luminous bays, the El Yunque National Rain Forest or visiting the El Morro Fort are things that have equal validation to the uniqueness of Puerto Rico.

It is impossible to visit every place that makes a culture unique, which is why it is so important to have different perspectives when reading about a place. The more views and opinion you have will only enlighten yourself to the different areas that make a place special. But be careful though, you don’t want to get your “lights knocked out!”

Unity In Puerto Rico

Unity In Puerto Rico

Zaina Al Ghabra

January 10, 2010

Traveling today has changed drastically when you compare it to the agendas of those who traveled before us. Back then travel was dedicated to advancing certain agendas. Those traveling to far away places were a minority who were assigned to certain tasks. Luckily today, more people associate traveling with leisure and as a way to learn about our world and all its complexities. Anti-conquest is a word coined by Mary Pratt, which refers to the innocence of travel rather than traveling for conquering and dominating other people and cultures. Many of us find ourselves traveling to far away places simply to fulfill a curious obligation within ourselves; thus reiterating the notion of anti-conquest.

Anthony Bourdain is a well-known author and chef who travels documenting his experiences and broadcasting them on the Travel Channel for the world to see; a luxury that was not readily available in the past. His series integrate Pratt’s notion of anti-conquest, as he travels to different parts of Puerto Rico and offers his own account based on what he has seen and experienced. More so, he offers pointers to those who plan on following his footsteps into unknown lands. Bourdain also emphasizes the importance of familiarizing oneself with the local population, gaining a “real experience, rather than being immersed in tourist destinations with other tourists.

When it comes to the amount of things I have witnessed and been a part of on this lovely Island, I can definitely say I was offered a well-rounded experience. Bourdain stresses on tasting a Piña Colada when in Puerto Rico, and I can walk away assured I was lucky to find and indulge in the freshest Piña Colada on the Island. More so, Bourdain emphasizes a little restaurant in Old San Juan called “Raices,” of which myself, Dr. Subervi and Dr. Carstarphen, along with a few other classmates had the wonderful opportunity of eating at. Not only did we eat there, but we indulged in the all famous Mofongo. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican delicacy composed of mashed triple fried plantains topped with your choice of meat, chicken, shrimp or vegetables. Bourdain also made sure visitors know the relevance and love people in Puerto Rico have for rice and beans.

Lastly, visiting Vieques, The Three Kings Festival, El Yunque Rainforest and the Bioluminescent Bay just last night, truly offered a tourist experience like no other. I feel as though I can walk away from this trip with a personal account of the Islands rich beauty, history, food, culture and people; Anthony Bourdain would be pleased. Of course none of this would have been possible without our amazing tour guides who gave us their all, our professors who are the backbone of the trip, and of course my fellow students who filled our journey with laughter and fun.

Travel for travel's sake.

By: Lauren Hale
The idea of anti-conquest is a narrative term coined by Mary Pratt. It referred to the innocence of travel and going into a land with the intentions to learn and observe the beauty of a culture as its own. These ideas of anti-conquest were the opposite of going into a land to change the culture and become a dominant power source. In the beginnings of travel writing, a major component of the genre was the idea that learning and taking accounts of a new place could lend aide to its conquer. With new world discoveries being an important part of the time period, travel writing gave a sense of familiarity with these unknown regions. In the present day, we see more travel for anti-conquest reasons. This idea of "leisure" and "culture learning experience" are prominent reasons for people to extend their temporary locations to other places.
Looking at Anthony Bourdain series on the travel channel, you witness a person traveling to different lands solely to learn about a new culture and having an immersed experience. His segments incorporate some of the travel ideals that Mary Pratt set forth with her idea of anti-conquest. At the beginning of his Puerto Rican segment, he said he wants to see the "real Puerto Rico." This being the areas of the island that are not advertised as tourist attractions and are more local hangouts. Locations such as these throughout a city are usually the most beneficial to immersion into a culture. He begins his segment by tasting local cuisine, something that I was keen on doing while I was here. The one thing I wanted to eat on this whole trip was the typical rice and beans dish, along with tostones. How the women of Puerto Rico stay svelte, I have no idea. I would not have the willpower to not eat these fried and carb loaded delicacy's every day.Anyways, viewing Bourdain's series made me realize that I am apt to doing anti-conquest traveling myself. I like to explore areas and culture and apply them to my own life. Seeing a new place for its existing beauty, rather than trying to make it into something else, is a rewarding experience. Take tonight for example. We were able to witness a beautiful, natural underwater world at the bioluminesence bay. I have never seen anything as remarkable as that and it was literally a life changing experience. Taking in that site as it was, a beautiful Puerto Rican treasure, was made possible by existing as a visitor, a tourist. Jn my opinion, traveling to a new place would not have been the same if I had an agenda such as those who existed in the beginning of travel writing. I enjoy being a participant in new cultures, not a advocate for changing them. To me, one of the biggest luxuries in life is being able to submerge yourself into a new place and take in all it has to offer.