Letters to the Travel Editor
Seattle’s annual Bumbershoot festival takes place over three days at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center under the Space Needle. “It is monstrously amazing,” writes Anna Armitage.
Relax, we know who we are
I was a spectator at the track and field sessions at the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles. Since it was so hot there was a break in the competitions from midday until late afternoon. Thousands of spectators filed out of the Coliseum into the surrounding park, intent on shade and lunch.
There was then plenty of time to talk to those sitting on the grass alongside us: mostly Americans. I would instigate the conversation by asking the open question: “And where do you come from?” Boise, Idaho, or Saratoga, Florida, they would reply. Being a long-time travel agent, I knew where these places were. But the Americans had no notion of New Zealand at all.
Then I decided on a stock-in-trade answer that the Americans would resonate to. My answer. “Well you take-off from LA, and it takes five hours to fly to Honolulu. You then turn left, and it is eight hours to Auckland, New Zealand. They would continue to think I had landed in Australia. So I continued. “No there is no harbour bridge between Auckland and Sydney. It is nearly three hours’ flying time.”
Reflecting on this all these years later, I venture to consider that the situation of geographic ignorance still persists among Americans. But it does put things into perspective. We are not the centre of the universe, as many of us think we are. We are but three little dots in a mammoth ocean. And as long as we appreciate our wonderful country, that is what really matters, despite the fact that Big Brother knows little or nothing about the Maori or the All Blacks, and our wonderful scenery. Best regards,
Vern Walker,
Green Bay
The Travel Editor replies: Friends of mine were
travelling in Europe many years ago and met an American couple on a train. They chatted happily for a while, and eventually the American fellow said: “My, you people sure do speak good English for New Zealanders.” See it all in Seattle
I saw the awesome two-page [advertisement] spread [Travel, February 26], and — as a recent immigrant from the USA — was horrified to see my music festival was not mentioned. Dare I even tell you? Obviously, yes. Seattle’s annual Music/Art/Culture/everything festival is over the first weekend in September. A secret time of year when the clouds part and the sun shows this cold raindrenched part of the world what it’s there for. The festival is called Bumbershoot (bumbershoot.com). It is monstrously amazing — music old and new, theatre performances in three locations, poetry readings, and a giant fountain.
This all takes place over three days at Seattle’s Pacific Science Center under the Space Needle (with new glass floors). You can even see an IMAX or a laser show or play with everything science-y. I recommend the Body Science exhibit, where there’s a sneeze machine — come prepared to get messy.
Most of all, come to rock your face off. I’ve seen all my favourite Indie bands, as well as class acts like the Steve Miller Band, and huge rockers like Lorde and Kanye are known to grace the scene.
And if it does rain? Just grab your rain jacket or an umbrella. (Whad’ya think bumbershoot meant?)
Anna Armitage