#sirfred

“Two words of advice: travel alone”

Would you rather travel the world alone or with a loved one? Most people would prefer the latter but actually, it isn't so bad when you travel alone. If you watch this video by John Mayer, you'll understand why you can still have fun travelling the world despite being alone. Being a big fanatic of John Mayer, I dug through thousands of videos of him on youtube to really know everything I can about it. I came across this video that was posted on his personal youtube channel that was about his trip to Japan. Just after finish his album “Battle Studies” in 2009, he set out to take a vacation from all the noise and have peace in Japan. For a long time, John Mayer has been obsessed with Japanese culture to the extent of having tattoos on his body dedicated to them. He is also fluent in their language which can be seen in an interview with Ryan Seacrest during the Grammy’s (2007).

In the video, he starts with playing an acoustic rendition of his song, “Half of My Heart”. It is a brilliant version of the song to set the tone of the video. It feels organic in a sense that all he had was a guitar and his voice. He plays his song while looking out the window which shows his artistic inspiration in his playing. The video proceeds to show what Mayer did in japan from visiting authentic local restaurants to trying out the strangest technological advancements. He goes to a photo booth to take polaroid pictures and enjoys the city life by walking down the urban streets. The look on his face when he came across a Japanese street performer playing a saxophone was genuinely priceless. You could easily tell how happy he was despite travelling alone.

What made this video beautiful was how the song reflected the trip and life of the singer. The song talked about the loneliness that he had to cope with. John Mayer is known for dating very high profile celebrities but also for eventually ending those relationships. he says in the song, “But I can’t keep loving you” which is just a representation of his love life. Having been with so many women, people would refer to him as a womaniser. Although he has bee criticised for this, his musical integrity has not been tarnished. He is still known to be one of the most influential guitar players of our generation. The video is a representation of how he still has fun even with all the criticism he gets and with his work.

More than just his love life, the video also shows his love for fashion by meeting with well known Japanese designers such as the founder of Visvim, Hiroki Nakamura. He’s been a very loyal customer to this brand because of their meticulously crafted products by artisans. Mayer too loves to create clothes and has an extensive collection of sneakers racking up to over 300 pairs. He’s gone in and out of different styles from basic and baggy to slim and fit and finally to a western country-side attire. He really does exhibit a cultural timeline.

Since John Mayer is an avid fan of cameras and taking photos, it’s safe to say that he knew what he was doing. I like how he incorporates his love for filming as well. He conceptualised and directed the angles that the camera would take and how he was going to present the story. The timing of the song mixed with the joyous story worked very well. A good way to describe this video is that it’s laid back. You feel relaxed and somehow still empathise with his experiences even though its just through a lens of a camera.

From this video alone, you can see how travelling on your own isn't as bad as it seems. Videos like this help people and encourage them to live their lives to the fullest. I believe that this is a good way to reach out to inexperienced people. Seeing other people travel and experiencing new cultures shows how united our world is. Isn't that the goal that big organisations and governments want? Don't we all want to at peace with each other? One day, we all shall be amalgamated. Through travelling, we can get there. As long as you know what you want to do, try to enjoy, treasure and make the most out of your experiences. You'll never know what it feels like until you actually try it. Be free and open because life will throw many experiences, trials, friendships, relationships, hardships and more. Don't dream about your life but live it. That is what life is—living your life.

I stayed still, let life move in front of me. Man, am I deep! - John Mayer

Hoard, J. (2001). JOHN MAYER BIOGRAPHY. retrieved from http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/john-mayer/biography

Square Life. (July 6, 2010). John Mayer - Half of My Heart (Tokyo Acoustic Version). retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrvioH_R_8U