December 2005 | Letters to the Editor
Travel Unravels
I was deeply moved by Suzanne York’s “Travel Unravels” story in the November issue. I think that this is an excellent opportunity to not only examine tourism abroad, but tourism within the United States, especially tourism in San Francisco and the Bay Area.
Tourism is the leading industry in San Francisco and tourists and local business people alike rely on the city’s fine hotels and restaurants for memorable personal and business events.
I was struck especially by the last paragraph of York’s article because it can be rewritten to perfectly describe the invisible men and women in San Francisco’s finest hotels who prepare the food, make the beds, and clean the toilets for the city’s visitors and business community.
As we turn our attention to the problems of worldwide tourism, let us not forget that exploitation begins at home. In fact, two groups that are currently advertising in your publication, Yoga Journal and Tibetan Aid Project are holding events in the near future at boycotted hotels in San Francisco (Hyatt Regency and Four Seasons), despite repeated efforts on the part of the hotel workers union to help them move their respective events to hotels where workers are being treated fairly.
I hope that the current labor dispute at the 14 Multi-Group hotels in San Francisco and the labor dispute at the Claremont Resort and Spa in Oakland will inspire the fantastic writers at this invaluable magazine to closely examine and report on how the residents and business community in this city can stop exploitation of tourism workers right here in San Francisco.
— A. Heather Williams, Boycott Coordinator, UNITE HERE Local 2, SF
Is it Really Yoga?
I love the question that Lisa Maria leaves for us to think about, in the end of her amazing article “Naked Yoga” ( CG October issue): Is it really yoga? Well, who I am to decide that? Each individual has unique needs and experiences (chosen and not chosen) in life; their own traumas and challenges; and mostly their own way to find their own healing. The dharma (your actions in this life) will bring you closer (or further) to that sense of union with the infinite soul. And all is up to you!
My only concern is that when you call something “yoga,” you call it “tantra,” you call it “spiritual,” and this is not really the truth. If you are teaching sexuality, sensuality, sexual games, body freedom or whatever — name it as it is. I see it as a distortion of the sacredness behind each one of those traditions. I see that you can easily slip from one addiction to the other: food disorders, sex disorder, ego disorder etc.. Or, what is more dangerous, you can misguide, mislead and use others’ vulnerability to feed your own ego. My question to those that are diving into this is: what is the real intention behind it all?
— Nubia Teixera, San Anselmo
Naturally Tasty
I love the cover and photos accompanying the “Farm Fresh” article in the November issue! Keep them coming!
— Emily Fleisher, Berkeley
Recommend this page to a friend
Top Ten pages recommended to friends:
