4 posts tagged “twitter”
Husband has been away for the last three weeks on business in Japan and will be gone for another two months (I'll be visiting him in May, expect a recap sometime around December, at this rate). Rather than writing blog posts (like a boss. Sorry, can't get that out of my head) about recent trips to Istanbul and Cartagena as I planned, I've been furthering my Twitter obsession and enjoying a bit of fame as a travel publicist, writer/blogger, er, the Notorious M.E.G.
Recently, serious travel journo Rolf Potts started a debate about whether or not to tweet* while traveling. I felt the need to contribute my two cents:
"I’m a recent but devout Twitter fan, mostly because it allows me to keep up some sort of blog in just a few minutes at a time. But it’s the community aspect or watercooler factor that is so fantastic, I was talking to some people last night about how it’s like passing notes all day with a group that feels intimate yet is open to the whole world.
When I travel, I tend to hit the ground running and spend all day exploring and experiencing, no matter the weather or how jet-lagged/tired/sick I might be. Even so, there comes a time once a day or every few days when I sit down with my laptop and find free Wi-Fi connection so I can finally upload photos, look up all the odd/funny/mysterious things I’ve noticed that day and written down in a notebook, logistics I need to look up for the next day, plus maybe check my email/bank account/etc. This is a time to check in with Twitter/Facebook without detracting from the travel experience. There is a difference between spending all your time traveling with your nose buried in your notebook or iPhone or guidebook or whatever, and taking a few minutes to share a part of your experience with your friends at home or on their own adventure. There are certainly Twitter users as well as bloggers who spend so much time documenting their trip I wonder when they find time to be present on it, but they would probably spend there time absorbed in something else no matter what.
On my last trip before I joined Twitter, I was without internet for
awhile (with computer but not about to pay extortionate hotel WiFi
rates) and found myself composing Facebook status updates in my head
for the first few days. Though I imagine that even if I’d had a fancy
smart phone for keeping in touch, you wouldn’t have seen me tweeting
about how amazing the Blue Mosque was or how sick I was of kebaps, at
least, not in real-time. ;)"
One of the wonderful World Hum editors emailed me and asked me, along with some illustrious travel writers, for a tip on tweeting while traveling. Here is my (unedited) comment, clearly ignoring my own advice on brevity:
"Twitter when traveling should be used in the spirit of the site's origin: sparingly. Ideally, Twitter can be a tool to quickly source logistical information or recommendations, or better yet, add a quick observation or comment that doesn't warrant its own blog post or postcard. In Colombia, I tweeted about the random 80s videos I saw in a local bar and the candy pig I got made out of dulce de leche. Best thing about Twitter is the brevity and frequency of the updates, so if you don't find my likening of Bogota Airport to the Dawn of the Dead 1970s mall set but with less zombies and more security, you don't have to read a whole blog post about it."
This little mention brought my number of Twitter followers to over 350 and still growing. This discussion continues to rage on, well articulated by eloquent ladies like Jessica Spiegel and Valerie Conners. I've also argued with friends and colleagues about Twitter, but ultimately, I'm not interested in converting the haters. If you have nothing clever to say, don't say anything at all.
Following this Twitter blitz, I was featured on Jauntsetter.com by the lovely Dorothy McGivney. I did the photoshoot in March and a lengthy email interview and the finished product is here. Now you know my name, please don't stalk, and yes, I roll out of bed looking like that. ;) I will finish my Jauntsetter reign with a guest blog post tomorrow, look out for it. I will try to use this newfound fame for good and not evil, or at least some new blog posts.
*Yeah, sorry, I hate the whole Tw-word trend too, but tweeting is just easier to say than "twittering" or "posting to Twitter."
ETA: My blog post went up on Wednesday, I'm called an insider (blush). Read it here. Excitement continued when my I Heart Brooklyn post went up on NGT's site. Braced myself for the Brooklynites telling me I know nothing, but so far, so good. Hmm, better work on putting some new content up...
Okay, so I'm a little late to this, but feel I can't go forward without reviewing last week's Twitter posts (notice I've added a feed to the side of this page):
March 9:
Can't wait to hear more about this, crazy! RT @davidfarley: Karosta Prison hotel: http://tinyurl.com/dxrwxa
Just in time for my Cartagena trip in 2 weeks! RT @CNTraveler: Colombia vacation tips: http://tinyurl.com/cgbbxx
March 10: a day of awesome discoveries.
New website from my favorite lawyer/gourmet: http://savour-fare.com/
Love this umbrella shop! http://tinyurl.com/c9hmou
A.Maz.Ing! RT @slapclap: To drive home our obesity problem please refer to this fat monkey in Tennessee. http://tinyurl.com/bmdcm2
Word, I must travel soon to replenish my stock RT @evanrail: Realizing that I haven't purchased a bar of soap in years. Too many hotels.
March 11: I finish Do all Travel Writers Go to Hell?, badbanana continues his reign of hilarity.
Finding it ironic that I'm reading Thomas Kohnstamm's travel tell-all and taking the LP Colombia guide on vacation soon. http://bit.ly/1rmK
Great link! RT @SETinNYC: Loving The New Yorker's Cocktail Recipes for the Recession! My fave is the "Broke and Tan" http://tiny.cc/n9i8r
Hats off to you sir RT @badbanana: Sesame Workshop is laying off 1/5 of its workforce.Sadly, I saw this coming months ago: http://is.gd/mZrS
March 12: I begin the hateful Eat, Pray, Love
Yay, my fave Kennebunkport, Maine shop is on Daily Candy today! www.daytripsociety.com
Really hating Eat, Pray, Love. Found Thomas Kohnstamm far more sympathetic, if a bit scandalous.
You had me at "1 million jobs...$16 billion in revenue" RT @MarriottIntl: Washington Post op-ed by Bill Marriott. http://budurl.com/va94
Exl EPL article @ableimes! I'm only on p. 55, so maybe I should reserve judgment?! @evaholland @davidfarley @italylogue http://bit.ly/iADan
March 13: Friday randomness
Still hating Eat, Pray, Love but like the language stuff. I miss studying Italian. Dante is my homeboy.
Just saw a guy on the street drinking from a teeny jug of milk. It was one of the oddest sights I've seen in NYC in a long time.
Totally fascinating but I wouldn't call them elaborate. RT @SophiaDembling: Hand signals at the Stork Club. http://tinyurl.com/azalng
March 14:
I have no words: http://www.sexypeople-blog.com
Saturday Brooklyn discoveries: chocolate-banana pancakes at Building on Bond, eponymous cocktail at Cornelius on Vanderbilt.
March 15:
Why so hard to find a camera bag that doesnt make you look like a tool?
Most amazing shoes ever RT @functionfoo: Dah Bklyn Timbahland http://twitpic.com/251uw! Too bad they didn't have them in my size.
More on amazing shoes RT @functionfoo: They gots the WTC http://twitpic.com/251xh and plenty of bling http://twitpic.com/251z9
Thought you go me, huh?! Still a few minutes left in the week! Best of the Tweets this week:
February 27:
@badbanana Can't tell a hero by his size, he's just a teeny little super guy: http://tinyurl.com/6q8czb
February 28:
Insanely excited that one of the zoos in Colombia has a liger, bred for its skills in magic! www.zoobaq.org
March 1:
Cool maps from 29travels.com http://tinyurl.com/beg4f6
March 2:
From @worldhum am links, Canadians feeling travel guilt: http://bit.ly/CiXWt
Seeing the fare
wars to Australia and wondering what's the least amount of days you
could spend there to make the travel/jetlag worthwhile?
My two inexplicable obsessions! RT @travelchannel Anthony Bourdain is in Sri Lanka on tonight's No Reservations. http://tinyurl.com/cxdc5o
March 3:
RT @SocialMedia411: Jon Stewart explains Twitter - "because it's AWESOME": http://bit.ly/Cc9oV
Ooh, bus parts! Sure sign of recession RT @NewYorkology: rt@funwithiago The MTA has found stuff, wants to give to you http://tiny.cc/Qc4Yd
Great quote about how living in NYC feels "unreasonably far from the place where real life is carried on": http://bit.ly/qHQp
March 4:
Best of Barbados deal is back! I did this last year, stayed at Silver Point Villas, awesome deal. http://bit.ly/TcQXX
All great stuff RT @worldhum: from @myessis: just posted a heaping dose morning links: http://tinyurl.com/dc9cb9
March 5:
"We're looking for Joe the Bellman." Travel industry campaigns bailout backlash http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123620554538133281.html
@HotelChatter Sean Paul shows another awesome side of himself! http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/3/2/104322/3958/hotels/Sean_Paul_Tells_Us_His_Own_Hotel_Room_Confessions
March 6:
@laurably Well put. Also loved this piece on how travel is important from the HuffPost: http://bit.ly/QgLD5
Good news from Arthur Frommer here: http://bit.ly/3gUav and here: http://bit.ly/DleZ
March 7:
Having my photo taken for jauntsetter.com!
March 8:
"Dayton under $900 a day" haha, I love Paul Rudd RT @juliabainbridge: Love this: http://is.gd/ivLd
Until next week...
I will run out of trips to recap at some point, so new feature! Since I'm on Twitter like it's my job (which it sort of, kind of is), I read tons of interesting links and posts each week. So here's a look at the tweets of the week from www.twitter.com/thenotoriousmeg:
Feb 23:
-Bollywood dance moves. Am already a pro at the "twisting in the lightbulb" move: http://tinyurl.com/bzfrzr
-Wow, someone needs some PR 101. RT @elliottdotorg: Amazing story of blogger @jasonroe vs Ryanair -- http://snipr.com/chug7
-Awww, glad to hear this news. RT @molliechen: legacy of union square peeler seller lives on http://tinyurl.com/d6suuh
Feb 24:
-This luggage is awesome: www.steamlineluggage.com (from today's Daily Candy)
-Really cool Harlem Toile wallpaper from yesterday's MUG: http://tinyurl.com/apdjh8
-Art in the subway: http://atlanticpacific.moma.org/
-It gets better! RT @elliottdotorg: "Lunatic"bloggers vs. Ryanair: the sequel -- http://snipr.com/ckays
-Really interesting, but I was expecting it to be about hotels closing RT @Jaunted: Foreclosure tourism - hot in '09? www.tinyurl.com/bvoogz
-LMAO! RT @badbanana: The government wants to ban pet chimps?.... you can have my chimp when you pry him from my cold, dead neighbor.
Feb 25:
-Send your fur coats to comfort orphaned wildlife, how adorable is that?! http://www.hsus.org/furfree/campaigns/c4c/
-Thanks @stancioff File under "no duh:" DABA fake: http://bit.ly/vftqM
-So cool, I think we all need some Carnival right now: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/02/carnival.html
-Finally watched Mickey Rourke's acceptance speech: he's too awesome for Oscar. Worth the time and obscenities. http://bit.ly/oc7yh
-Wonderful, thanks RT @molliechen: nick dawe's fantastic photos of british shopkeepers http://is.gd/kUk8
Feb 26:
-Really interesting article. RT @Marilyn_Res: via Foreign Policy: tourism in Iraq far-fetched? Look at Colombia. http://tinyurl.com/awn2pg
-Remember to read this article on St. Petersburg later from @worldhum: http://www.slate.com/id/2211882/entry/2211884
-@twinmama adorable, check this out! RT @katert0t: drowns in work, and yet I paused for the Tiny Art Director: http://tiny.cc/mjGxW
-RT @badbanana: Without the internet, I'd never know about all these newspapers closing.
Today:
-My monkey-owning dream will never die, but I knew even as a child that a pet chimp is a recipe for disaster: http://bit.ly/13LMw5
Note to self: find synonym for interesting.
