Priorities when planning a holiday in Almea.

[Zerrakhi]

If I could plan a holiday in Almea, what would I prioritise?

Answer: Xurno. Nothing else matters, so long as I can visit Xurno (among other things Xurnash is the coolest-sounding language on the Sounds of Almea page). But in doing so, I'd want to know the answers to a few questions:

1. What's the environment like? Weather, scenery, tourist attractions, regional variation, etc. Would I find parts of the country more comfortable than others?

2. What are some traditional Xurnese musical instruments? What are the characteristics of the native musical tradition? Is music always played strictly as composed, or is there a place in at least some parts of the tradition for spur-of-the-moment creativity such as improvisation and ornamentation? What would be my fate if I endeavoured to learn a native instrument and enough of the language to compose a song?

3. What's the predominant cultural attitude to foreigners? Is there an interest in foreign ideas about philosophy and art as potentially enriching contributions, or is there a strong prejudice against things from outside? Would Xurnese intellectuals welcome a discussion of, say, examples of terrestrial poetry and thought that seem to parallel ideas from Endaju? philosophy (e.g. it's not hard to find terrestrial examples of the dance metaphor)?

4. What are some possible downsides to visiting, or living in, Xurno?

So, what would other people prioritise doing or seeing if they visited Almea?

[vlaran of verduria]

I would definitely start in Verduria City and try to get a room in the Corona Inn. I'd base myself in the city and stay there for a couple of weeks I wouldn't miss the temples, the races, the University or the Old Ruins. I wold then either island hop to Avela via Flora (not missing the journey from Pickapo to Syxesteer) and Kebri. Or, if I was planning a longer trip (at least a year) I would take the Svetla Road to Zesifo and on down to the Xazen Valley and Xurno. I wouldn't mind seeing Ceiy either.

[dunomapuka]

I would go see Kebri. I like their focus on wine- and cheese-making. And all the olives. And the sitting on pillows. I imagine I'd have the best dining experience. Oh, and I like their language.

[Yiuel Raumbesrairc]

I have my own taste and would begin in Belshai, that little inland State between Xurno, Skouras and Lenani. It seems to me like the mix of what I like the most, multiculturality and confederacy. And they are open to anything, as long as no one is put to danger along the way. So, I'll begin there. And it's the only country where there are a few tongues spoken in close range. And the mix a culture would bring a mix of cultural products as well. Marvellous food

[WeepingElf]

Hallo!

If I could plan a holiday in Almea, what would I prioritise?

Answer: Xurno. Nothing else matters, so long as I can visit Xurno (among other things Xurnash is the coolest-sounding language on the Sounds of Almea page). But in doing so, I'd want to know the answers to a few questions:

1. What's the environment like? Weather, scenery, tourist attractions, regional variation, etc. Would I find parts of the country more comfortable than others?

2. What are some traditional Xurnese musical instruments? What are the characteristics of the native musical tradition? Is music always played strictly as composed, or is there a place in at least some parts of the tradition for spur-of-the-moment creativity such as improvisation and ornamentation? What would be my fate if I endeavoured to learn a native instrument and enough of the language to compose a song?

3. What's the predominant cultural attitude to foreigners? Is there an interest in foreign ideas about philosophy and art as potentially enriching contributions, or is there a strong prejudice against things from outside? Would Xurnese intellectuals welcome a discussion of, say, examples of terrestrial poetry and thought that seem to parallel ideas from Endaju? philosophy (e.g. it's not hard to find terrestrial examples of the dance metaphor)?

4. What are some possible downsides to visiting, or living in, Xurno?

So, what would other people prioritise doing or seeing if they visited Almea?

I'd also like to visit Xurno: I am very curious what a country run by artists looks like.

Greetings,

J?rg a.k.a. WeepingElf

[Zerrakhi]

I'd also like to visit Xurno: I am very curious what a country run by artists looks like.

I must say I'm sceptical of the notion that campaigns against ugliness would be wholly in the interest of the poor; on Earth, whenever society has taken it upon itself to hide poverty from view, the result has generally not been pleasant. I wonder what as-yet-unrevealed dark side present-day Xurno might have. The dark side of a high value of aesthetics might well be an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude.

The Dance metaphor, as I said, crops up occasionally in the poetry of Earth. Here's a modern day example of a song that uses it, and back in history, Johannes Kepler wrote a poem using a similar metaphor (translation from Koestler): "<i>Thus God himself / was too kind to remain idle / and began to play the game of signatures: signing his likeness unto the world. / Therefore I chance to think / that all nature and the graceful sky are / symbolised in the art of Geometria. ... / Now, as God the maker play'd / he taught the game to Nature / whom he created in his image: / taught her the selfsame game / which he played to her...</i>". I wonder what the Xurnese would make of these two examples (or perhaps the ancient metaphors are becoming cliches by now in which case they might not stir much comment). I'd love to have a copy of Kepler's poem in the original archaic German.

I once wrote a description of Christian belief and morality in terms of Kepler's "game of signatures", my theme being that when we behave ethically and therefore make the world just that little bit more heavenly, we are participating in the game of "signing God's likeness unto the world". I vaguely wonder if there's a niche for this meme on Almea. As for the song I linked to, I like it a lot, athough it becomes excessively heavy (in the musical sense) towards the end.

Well, that was rather a digression, but it was an Almea-inspired digression, so that's OK.

I would go see Kebri. I like their focus on wine- and cheese-making. And all the olives. And the sitting on pillows. I imagine I'd have the best dining experience. Oh, and I like their language.

On what page of Virtual Verduria are these aspects of Kebrini culture mentioned? (I looked, but couldn't find them.)

[zompist]

1. What's the environment like? Weather, scenery, tourist attractions, regional variation, etc. Would I find parts of the country more comfortable than others?

The lower Xengi valley, the heart of Xurno, has a climate comparable to northern Germany or southern Scandinavia. Northern Xurno is more temperate. There's a wide range of scenery (though not much in the way of mountains-- the mountains tend to be where other people live). For tourist attractions, a few will be listed in the Almeopedia.

2. What are some traditional Xurnese musical instruments? What are the characteristics of the native musical tradition? Is music always played strictly as composed, or is there a place in at least some parts of the tradition for spur-of-the-moment creativity such as improvisation and ornamentation? What would be my fate if I endeavoured to learn a native instrument and enough of the language to compose a song?

I have to think about musical instruments more. I can answer the rest, but you may not like the answer. Xurnese music (and all its art) includes both rigorous skill and improvisation-- but, career-wise, it happens in that order. Young artists keep busy learning to make art in conventional ways-- these are rigorous and numerous, so they take years to master. The established artist, by contrast, is free (indeed expected) to improvise and to create new forms.

3. What's the predominant cultural attitude to foreigners? Is there an interest in foreign ideas about philosophy and art as potentially enriching contributions, or is there a strong prejudice against things from outside? Would Xurnese intellectuals welcome a discussion of, say, examples of terrestrial poetry and thought that seem to parallel ideas from Endaju? philosophy (e.g. it's not hard to find terrestrial examples of the dance metaphor)?

They're comparable (though not identical) to the French, who do value foreign culture, yet are capable of writing a book which cites no one except French authors. The Xurnese are surprised, but not resentful, if someone outside Xurno has a good idea.

[dunomapuka]

On what page of Virtual Verduria are these aspects of Kebrini culture mentioned? (I looked, but couldn't find them.)

The Kebreni language page; I'm basing most of this on one of the sample texts. The pillows thing was somewhere in the lexicon. I do hope the Almeopedia will have some more info on this charming-sounding culture.