We had the chance to interview Kaila Yu for this episode of the Conservation Interview Series. Kaila is a Taiwanese-American singer, songwriter and former model. She was the lead singer and vocalist of female rock band Nylon Pink, appeared in magazines such as Stuff Magazine and Maxim, appeared in films such as The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, and also hosted shows on channels such as MTV Asia, TorqueTV, Octone TV and Ripe TV. Here is what she had to say:
How has travel inspired you to become a better person?
Travel has made me a better person because it has exposed me to different cultures and allows me to consider life from an entirely different point of view. I so easily fall into living in the echo chamber of Los Angeles and it’s so refreshing to see that there is a huge, magical world out there with lives and viewpoints dramatically different from my own. Also, my life is so busy at home, it’s often only when I travel that I get a chance to pause and reflect upon all the things that I am grateful for.
What one travel experience changed your life and why?
The one travel experience that changed my life was my trip to Vietnam. Vietnam was a war-torn country more recently than we would want to remember but everywhere I went, I was met with smiling faces and passionate people. I am Taiwanese by ethnicity and am partial to Taiwanese food (I think it’s the best in the world) but Vietnamese food gave it a serious run for the money. In Los Angeles, we have tons of pho restaurants and have quite a selection of authentic Vietnamese food but I only fell in love with Vietnamese food after I visited Vietnam. What I learned was that the food in Los Angeles is mostly food from southern Vietnam, who were allied with the US during the war. I prefer northern Vietnamese food, from Hanoi specifically. It changed my life and changes my life every time I travel because I discover that there is so much more I still need to learn about the world and Los Angeles.
Why should people care about conservation?
People should care about conservation if they care about the future. We cannot live as if our heads are in the sand and pretend that there aren’t consequences for our actions. It is heartbreaking for me to learn that there are only hundreds of thousands of elephants left in the world down from millions at the beginning of the 20th Century. How can we stand by and do nothing as such magnificent, gentle and kind creatures disappear from the world? I am so glad to see that the world is becoming more and more conscious of the need for conservation.
What does the word ecotourism mean to you? And how do you play your part in that movement?
Ecotourism to me means being conscious of the consequences of my actions while traveling. It means traveling while leaving the least impact and trying to make sure that my tourism dollars work to benefit the local communities. I always want to strive to learn how to understand other cultures better and connect and learn from others the best that I can.
What three pieces of advice would you provide to someone who is about to start an international tour or experience?
My three pieces of advice would be:
1. Learn everything you can about the culture , people and language of the place that you are going to be traveling to before departing from home. You’ll be amazed at how much more of an enriching experience that you can have during your travels when you do some research first.
2. Be opened-minded. It’s perfectly fine to travel with an itinerary and tour but be open to new experiences and spontaneous side trips with new people that you meet along the way.
3. Try local food. Being a foodie, I always want to try the local food of where I am visiting. Not the food in the touristy restaurants, but the food that the everyday person eats. I feel its best the best way to connect with the culture instantly.
Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden is the first of its kind in Laos dedicated to biodiversity conservation and ecotourism. Why is their focus important to you?
Similarly to Vietnam, Laos has a history of conflict. Many precious artifacts, buildings and much of nature was destroyed during these times of strife. I think it’s amazing that efforts of biodiversity conservation and ecotourism are being made in Laos and I hope that this spurs the start of many more similar efforts.
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I’m Kaila from http://www.nylonpink.tv !
Pha Tad Ke recently launched Green Thumb to enable people to participate in a crowdfunding tournament that supports conservation efforts in Laos. You could also have the chance to spend 3 months as a social impact CEO with our team if your tournament team does well. So, what are you waiting for? Click here to learn more.