General perspective of “fun” during events and travel has changed a lot, or I probably belong to older generation. Now, people are worried more on documenting fun stuff happening rather than actually enjoying them. Concern is more on bringing the proof home, what if people don’t believe you? Moreover, this documentation proof will have more weightage if it is posted on the spot, through a Smartphone!

Photography now includes a bunch of clicks in timer mode and “photographer’s” head inserted in every damn photo, of which there are four of each kind – horizontal, vertical, zoomed out and in. Just in case first one doesn’t come up well. I get more irritated when, that photographer chooses me over the timer, to do this dirty work.

image via thedailywh.at

Alright, context is Xmas holidays (BTW, my status is “not going anywhere in this freakin freezin cold”). I almost booked a package trip to Europe where they promise to show six countries in seven days – on a bus! I read reviews about them, fact is – they certainly do. They keep up their word of showing you all six countries in time, on schedule. But in order to ensure that they will give you only 15 minutes for each famous place! “Ah, this is Eifel tower, there is ticket counter – be back in 15 minutes!”. This is not for me, this package for that bunch of photographers, who will manage to click fifteen hundred photos in fifteen minutes, with of course – hugging, pushing, pulling and hanging Eifel tower from a distance.

I don’t have to prove anyone that I’ve been to so many countries with so many monuments visited (from the outside). My travel idea is different– an old school one. I miss those days, when my friends had time for real travel, fix a start date/time, fix a vague destination, keep end date flexible and just start! These things don’t happen any more.

Some samples, now, if you did not understand my irritation yet:

• please trust me on this; I am not making this up. Upon a question how was your Scotland trip, one of my friends gave feedback: “Edinburgh has nothing, just some old buildings. Rest of the Scotland just mountains and cold, total waste of money!!”
• In Welsh trip our group “democratically” chose not to take mountain railway, since it was expensive!
• I haven’t met a single guy who agrees with me that; a walk on south bank is better than a round in London eye.
• can you believe Madame Tussauds is one of top ten attractions in London! All you can do here stand next to celebrity wax model and click!

Hope you guys don’t have these problems this holiday.