You can not judge people from in the past to the same standards we hold today. We are products of our environments and culture. People 200 years from now will not see everything the same as we do today. Just because we live in the current year doesn’t mean we have everything figured out. I’d rather hear her true feelings (and see them through the context that they were formed ) than not hear her observations or her not telling what she really felt just to shield readers worried about people’s feelings… a hundred years in the future.
She described what she saw. Brutally honest, it has to be said but, not judgmentally. This was the same woman actively helping the people suffering dire poverty in Edinburgh, Scotland. She ignored warnings about her personal safety in order to do that work. This, at a time when England was fast becoming very rich. If you have no social security net, no effective healthcare or health education, life rapidly becomes ugly and brutal. Without the likes of this woman, it would be forever ignored.
If you want to learn more about her story, you might want to read the manga Isabella Bird in Wonderland. Of course it embellishes her character a bit more to be likeable but I think it's an interesting and entertaining read.
Thanks for the suggestion! Her book was less approachable since it was written so long ago. It was monotonous and some of her attitudes were certainly shocking. It sounds like Isabella Bird in Wonderland is a good choice for someone new to Isabella Bird!
The book is titled "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan". Not sure where you got your "Northern". It's been pointed out that in fact she originally planned to get a boat from Niigata to Hokkaido.
Near the end of summer 2014, I amazon’d this ‘Unbeaten Tracks’ and her 1897 ‘Korea and Her Neighbors’, both Japanese translated books. Well, as I’ve found out then, not all, but most of her books (in English) are web obtainable. At that time, I was suddenly obsessed by her for don’t know why, I finished reading that ‘Korea’ one in roughly 20 months, read her original text along with Japanese translation, En-Ja, sentence by sentence carefully, and from time to time repeatedly. Well, I’m after all foreign to these two languages, that’s why it took me so much time. After that, I gave up reading ‘Unbeaten Tracks,’ my obsession cooled down for don’t know why. But these days I’m more or less inclining to pick it up and read it through ... may be, unconsciously, don’t like that paid to Amazon money be wasted...?
Wow, you must have learned a lot about her travels? What was the most interesting part to you? I liked when she was staying at the temple overlooking the wilderness of Hokkaido and she snuck out to catch the sunset when she was supposed to be eating dinner with the people hosting her.
It’s true I think that book full of fun. But I’m not sure if it’s pertinent to say I have learnt a lot about her travels. However, I was lucky to come across that book, by reading (with my very limited capacity in English and Nihongo) one ...and so lengthy... book contrastively in these two foreign languages, a progress though not pretty remarkable but to some degree beyond my expectation, has made.
Disagree. if you're determined to read her ahistorically then you might find her annoying. but you're very partial about you ahistoricism aren't you, @@Cultural_Encounters ?
@@Cultural_Encounters Can't agree sorry. The devil is absolutely in the detail where she is concerned. Yes, she was brutally honest in her descriptions but, she was also willing to roll up her sleeves and help.
@@Cultural_Encounters 1st - love your work & presentation. Very interesting. 2nd - Volume on audio - even with external speakers on my iMac - is inadequate. You just need to dial it up a bit, then double check to make sure this didn't reveal any other adjustment needs. Audio is trickiest part of video.
![1878: Isabella Bird and the Ainu [Part II]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/GwkaBKjQf-8/mqdefault.jpg)
![1878: Isabella Bird and the Ainu [Part II]](/img/tr.png)
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
You can not judge people from in the past to the same standards we hold today. We are products of our environments and culture. People 200 years from now will not see everything the same as we do today. Just because we live in the current year doesn’t mean we have everything figured out. I’d rather hear her true feelings (and see them through the context that they were formed ) than not hear her observations or her not telling what she really felt just to shield readers worried about people’s feelings… a hundred years in the future.
She described what she saw. Brutally honest, it has to be said but, not judgmentally. This was the same woman actively helping the people suffering dire poverty in Edinburgh, Scotland. She ignored warnings about her personal safety in order to do that work.
This, at a time when England was fast becoming very rich. If you have no social security net, no effective healthcare or health education, life rapidly becomes ugly and brutal. Without the likes of this woman, it would be forever ignored.
My hero!! Do a video about her trip to Hawaii!!
The next video will be about her trip to Hokkaido, but I'll see if I can research her Hawaii trip this year!
If you want to learn more about her story, you might want to read the manga Isabella Bird in Wonderland. Of course it embellishes her character a bit more to be likeable but I think it's an interesting and entertaining read.
Thanks for the suggestion! Her book was less approachable since it was written so long ago. It was monotonous and some of her attitudes were certainly shocking. It sounds like Isabella Bird in Wonderland is a good choice for someone new to Isabella Bird!
The book is titled "Unbeaten Tracks in Japan". Not sure where you got your "Northern". It's been pointed out that in fact she originally planned to get a boat from Niigata to Hokkaido.
Thanks for the clarification!
Near the end of summer 2014, I amazon’d this ‘Unbeaten Tracks’ and her 1897 ‘Korea and Her Neighbors’, both Japanese translated books. Well, as I’ve found out then, not all, but most of her books (in English) are web obtainable.
At that time, I was suddenly obsessed by her for don’t know why, I finished reading that ‘Korea’ one in roughly 20 months, read her original text along with Japanese translation, En-Ja, sentence by sentence carefully, and from time to time repeatedly.
Well, I’m after all foreign to these two languages, that’s why it took me so much time. After that, I gave up reading ‘Unbeaten Tracks,’ my obsession cooled down for don’t know why. But these days I’m more or less inclining to pick it up and read it through ... may be, unconsciously, don’t like that paid to Amazon money be wasted...?
Wow, you must have learned a lot about her travels? What was the most interesting part to you?
I liked when she was staying at the temple overlooking the wilderness of Hokkaido and she snuck out to catch the sunset when she was supposed to be eating dinner with the people hosting her.
It’s true I think that book full of fun. But I’m not sure if it’s pertinent to say I have learnt a lot about her travels. However, I was lucky to come across that book, by reading (with my very limited capacity in English and Nihongo) one ...and so lengthy... book contrastively in these two foreign languages, a progress though not pretty remarkable but to some degree beyond my expectation, has made.
Very interesting story.
Glad you liked it :)
She is from a different time. She didn’t have an open mind to the difference in others
haha "if you're interested in reading her book for yourself, don't!" ok... I was about to. thanks for the great summary!
Thanks for watching! Her book might be worth a glance but it's definitely monotonous to read the entire thing
Disagree. if you're determined to read her ahistorically then you might find her annoying. but you're very partial about you ahistoricism aren't you, @@Cultural_Encounters ?
@@Cultural_Encounters Can't agree sorry. The devil is absolutely in the detail where she is concerned. Yes, she was brutally honest in her descriptions but, she was also willing to roll up her sleeves and help.
Very interesting and informative video, but please sweeten the audio.
Thanks for watching! What do you mean?
@@Cultural_Encounters 1st - love your work & presentation. Very interesting. 2nd - Volume on audio - even with external speakers on my iMac - is inadequate. You just need to dial it up a bit, then double check to make sure this didn't reveal any other adjustment needs. Audio is trickiest part of video.