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[Triarius Fidelis]

I'm not going to bother making a poll for this one. There are too many options and overlaps to take account of. Name your most interesting geographical region and, if you like, why

I picked China and SEA:

• Major economic powerhouse undergoing intense modernization, needs to be understood
• Many languages spoken here are tonal and feature an analytical grammar not unlike English, both of which are very appealing features ... Tagalog remains a moon language of course
• People from here tend to be easily impressed if you can say even basic things like "Zhù nǐ hǎo yùn!" and "Chào bà!" and "Savatdi khrap!" with the correct tone and accent. Since I have a nasal baritone to begin with, I don't find imitating regional accents very difficult, and it's been said that I handle pronunciation very authentically. Everything else is word order and minding your manners. Rapport is easily built in this way.
• Impact of Westernization is interesting: while some of it is objectionable in my view (e.g., acting ghetto and some extremely crappy Westernized pop music), it makes other things more palatable. Some yiggers and various other teenyboppers are tolerable if everything else makes the society more progressive.
• Literature is some of the best in the world, e.g., the Ramakien, The Art of War, the account of Fa-Hsien's travels, etc.
  
• Some regions are in sore need of qualified engineers, particularly of the electrical variety
• Many area writing systems are beautiful, if convoluted
• I get a lot of free food in return for services rendered, much of which tastes like manna
• Etc....

Incidentally, I've noticed that all other white people are starting to look the same. That's pretty comical.

[tomh38]

Utopia Planitia (Latin: "Nowhere Plain") is the Martian region where the Viking 2 lander touched down and began exploring on September 3, 1976. It is located at the antipode of Argyre Planitia, centered at 49°42′N 118°00′E / 49.7, 118.0.

Also, Starfleet has (rather, will have) one of its major fleet yards in orbit above Utopia Planitia, starting (I think) some time in the 23rd Century.



Tom

[Triarius Fidelis]

Ok, but what's so great about Utopia Planitia?

[tomh38]

Ok, but what's so great about Utopia Planitia?

Nothing, really ... it was kind of a joke.  Except that I've dreamed of space travel since I was a kid.  In reality, Utopia Planitia is just an big empty plain on an uninhabitable planet.  Nevertheless, I would give just about anything to be the first human being to stand there.

In real life, I'd like to see East Africa.  Particularly, I'd like to see the Great Rift Valley and, more specifically, the Olduvai Gorge.  As far as we know, our origins as a species are there.  I find that mind-blowingly fascinating.  I will go there some day if I get a chance.

Tom

[The Headacher]

As far as I'm concerned, there's no place like home. Sure, there are places I'd like to see if I could just zap to and fro, but I have to admit I feel very uncomfortable at places where I don't understand what people say.

Other than that, I have to agree with tomh38: I too am a scifi fan, and I'd like to see home (in this case earth) from space some time. But I know the chance of that ever happening is slim at best. I'd feel terrible if space tourism would ever really catch on, and everyone would just rocket their way to outer space, needlessly producing loads and loads of carbon dioxide, and burning precious fuels.

[tomh38]

I live in the Midwestern region of the United States.

For some time, quite a while ago, I lived in Italy.

I took a number of trips to various parts of Europe.  Whenever I travelled outside Italy, the train would have to snake its way through the Alps.  I am not a mountain person (i.e. I don't go out of my way just to see mountains, I don't ski, mountain climb, etc.).  But, wow, that was a stunning view at any time of year.  It took my breath away every time I saw it.

Also, in the part of the US where I live, there are hilly, forested areas nearby.  I have a different feeling towards these places than I do for the Alps.  There's something about green hills as far as the eye can see that makes me feel very connected to this little blue marble we're all on.  I used to go camping and fishing in those hills when I was a kid.  I'm a city guy, have been my whole life, but something about those hills that says "home."

Tom

[Triarius Fidelis]

As far as I'm concerned, there's no place like home. Sure, there are places I'd like to see if I could just zap to and fro, but I have to admit I feel very uncomfortable at places where I don't understand what people say.

Easy, bring someone who knows what to say.

Other than that, I have to agree with tomh38: I too am a scifi fan, and I'd like to see home (in this case earth) from space some time. But I know the chance of that ever happening is slim at best. I'd feel terrible if space tourism would ever really catch on, and everyone would just rocket their way to outer space, needlessly producing loads and loads of carbon dioxide, and burning precious fuels.

While the consumption of rocket fuel probably contributes very little to the global carbon footprint, the future of spacefaring is most likely in lunar exploitation and in spaceplanes. Launching rockets from Earth into LEO every time is very inefficient. Spaceplane development (by NASA and private contractors such as Bristol) is underway, too, although there have been too many setbacks and missed deadlines to count. But it seems the Chinese space program is on track. In particular, around 2020, there is like to be a Chinese manned mission to the Moon, and colonization (!) after that.

Also, in the part of the US where I live, there are hilly, forested areas nearby.  I have a different feeling towards these places than I do for the Alps.  There's something about green hills as far as the eye can see that makes me feel very connected to this little blue marble we're all on.

I prefer the term 'damp pebble'. If you consider it, the entire troposphere is really only a very thin film, about a thousandth of the Earth's diameter in depth.

Anyway, like I said, my main geographical interest is in China and SEA. It slackened for a while, but now it is renewed. It is very likely that I will be in mainland China, Taiwan or Thailand in the next several years, looking for permanent residence.

[tomh38]

But it seems the Chinese space program is on track. In particular, around 2020, there is like to be a Chinese manned mission to the Moon, and colonization (!) after that.

Do you think they'd take me with them?  I could do the laundry or something. 

[Triarius Fidelis]

It would not be easy ... but 水滴石穿 (dripping water penetrates the stone)!

[tomh38]

Wait ... WTF!?!  I'm going all the way to the Moon and I gotta do their laundry by scrubbing it up against a rock with nothing but water ... hold on, hold on ... I think I get it ... it's one of those metaphorical proverb thingies, innit?  Kinda like I gotta start writing letters now to the premier of China, and over time I'll wear him down, sort of like how dripping water will eventually penetrate a stone, and then they'll let me come to their Lunar colony and do the laundry by scrubbing it against a rock.

Screw it.  They'd probably just yell at me in their crazy Moon-language and beat me with canes anyway.

[Triarius Fidelis]