The Plan, Overview

It's like apples to oranges...

That metaphor captures the nature of comparison. If you want to compare things, it helps if you control the differences and examine like circumstances.  The purpose of this trip is to facilitate the comparison of societies and their political systems.  To that end it helps to have a structure that regularizes the experience of each place and thus facilitates the comparison of one place to another.  So, I created that structure:

The Plan

For each country, I will familiarize myself with its historic and current challenges, ancient and popular culture and important points of interest.  This Preparation Week includes six specific activities

A) Preparation Week:

• 1.    Daily Review of local Periodical.
• 2.    Tour Guide
• 3.    Literature
• 4.    History
• 5.    Academic Treatment
• 6.    Recent Cinema (two genres)

B) Travel Week

• 7.    Arrival,
• 8.    Transit to secondary destination,
• 9.    Primary Site Visitation
• 10.    Secondary Site Visitation
• 11.    Second city exploration - most important points of interest
• 12.    Transit to Capital

Capitals are often intentionally designed to be the showpiece of the nation.  As such, they often present a distorted picture of a society.  The travel week is designed to give me the opportunity to experience the country beyond the capital. 

C) Visiting the Capital

• 13.    National Art Museum
• 14.    National Historic Museum
• 15.    Primary Site Visitation
• 16.    Secondary Site Visitation
• 17.    Capital city exploration - most important points of interest

In the capital, I will experience its highlights.  Often these sites are the source of great national pride.  Exploring them opens windows to a nation’s character, self-image and ambitions. 

The remainder of my time in the capital will be given to visiting the country’s institutions.

Institutions:

• 18.    Seat of Government/Legislative Proceeding,
• 19.    School/ Youth Activity,
• 20.    Police Station/Court,
• 21.    Medical Clinic,
• 22.    Sporting/Cultural Event,
• 23.    Shopping District/Grocery Store,
• 24.    Religious Service, 

Next, a brief explanation of why these things, in particular,  are important.