During the coming weeks, 365's very own Alexander Kandiloros will be writing a post every Wednesday. There’ll tips on how to travel almost for free, how to arrange a lunch with Regina Spektor and ideas for new sports and livelihoods, such as below:
At a Thai beach a friend complained about how tourists destroy Thailand. Pool tables and Coca-Cola at each beach, who do we think we are? We should leave them alone and their culture rather than infect them with Western inventions. Really, I ask, is it that how culture works? All the pool-playing Asians I’ve encountered have liked the game.
And what would Sweden be like, without pizza, kebab, or sushi? Have they invaded Sweden, destroyed our culture, or they have enriched it? We are all citizens of the world. Swedish, Mexican, Chinese, these concepts are outdated. We are all just people, who want to have fun, eat good exciting things, and to be comfortable.
The idea of taking something home with me that wasn’t fake clothes or a stomach disease began in Beijing when I saw these colorful projectiles flying between senior citizens in the several parks. Further down in Asia we saw the same thing. Old and young kicking at something I didn’t at first understand what it was. I finally bought one to get to the bottom of the mystery at hand and it turned out that the thing was made out of four colored goose feathers with suspension in the bottom that you kick. A combination of badminton and Hacky Sack.
Jianzi.
I had never seen anything like that, and none of those I asked at home had either. Now a few months later, the first load has arrived, and with luck they’ll make summer in Sweden a little more fun, and a bit more colorful.
If you find something in your travels that’s fun, clever, or useful that you can’t find in your home country; by word of mouth or on the Internet, do the following:
1) Find out if there is a reason that there isn’t any in your country.
2) Calculate what it would cost to bring the thing to your country.
3) Bring the thing to your country.
4) Sell it to shops, start an e-store, or sell it to those you know.
Bonus: You will find Jianzi here. http://www.getjianzi.com/
Required time:
1 week or less
Cons:
You could lose some money. You could be sitting in a bar 50 years later and damn yourself about how someone stole your idea. NOTE: Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Ask for the total price if you ship the stuff home.
Pros:
You make your surroundings more fun, more varied and you can share anything you like. You will get a kick out of people get excited by something you came up with. Like the light version of being an inventor. You can make money from your idea.
