In the office with... Rebecca Scrase

In the office with... Rebecca Scrase
She's the chick who writes this newsletter, does the PR and drinks too much at parties.  Although Rebecca Scrase, or 'Becs' as she is known, has preferred to 'big up' other members of the crew and office until now (we'd say it was because she was shy, but that would be a complete lie) she has decided that now is the time, in this first edition of 2012, to grab the limelight and say 'hi'!

What’s your job title and what are your main roles and responsibilities
I'm the PR Manager for Dragoman and Imaginative Traveller but don't get too hung up on titles, having been called 'Rachel' instead of 'Rebecca' for most of my life. For some reason, people seem to consider those names as interchangeable, although I once got 'Roberta' which I thought was a step too far. I write the Dragoman newsletters and am responsible for PR and media liaison.

What did you do before this?
I have two major passions in life (but will admit to four if you count wine and cheese): writing and travel. After completing an MA in Chinese, Indian and South East Asian history,  I went travelling for a couple of years, living in Taiwan en route before settling in Melbourne where, after a brief stint at a consumer PR agency and contributing to Australian broadsheets like the Sydney Morning Herald as a travel writer,  became a PR and Publications Co-ordinator for an Australian based adventure travel company. Since then, I've been a  PR and writer on and off for the past 13 years.  'On' includes working for the Co-op as a PR, 'off' includes raising my two gorgeous sons whilst freelancing. I absolutely ADORE my job!

Favourite destination and why?
The Karakorum Highway between Pakistan and Western China.  I travelled there independently in 2001 and will never forget the amazing hospitality I was shown whilst there (children running down mountainsides, apparently out of no-where, to invite you for tea in their home), the sheer magnificence of the scenery, travelling a road shared by traders (and sheep!) on their way to Kashgar Sunday Market and the sight of goats wearing make-shift shalwar kameez's (to protect their modesty).

What’s your favourite Dragoman trip and why?
It has to be the epic Istanbul to Beijing trip - the entire Silk Route. Whilst in Pakistan, travelling with my now husband, we were originally meaning to travel through Central Asia but crossed the Sino-Pakistan border on September 10th 2001. By the time we got to Kashgar, borders were closing and the whole world seemed to have changed in 24 hours.

Best thing about working for Dragoman?
Got to be the people!

If you weren’t doing this job, what would you be doing?
I think I'm the only person I know who is doing the job they always wanted to do - and consider myself incredibly fortunate to be able to say that. I am contemplating writing a book, a comedy about the mid life crisis, so send in your insights and let me steal your best jokes!

If you were going on a trip, what book would you bring and why?
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseini - my all time favourite book. I remember meeting some Afghan refugees in Islamabad, their father had been shot by the Taliban (for not having a beard), their mother disabled and they were eking out a paltry existence in a one-room flat. This book shone a light on the female existence in Afghanistan, as well as being beautifully written in its own right.

What luxury item would you include in your rucksack if you were heading off on a trip?
Glossy mags. I'm an unashamed addict.

What’s the funniest / weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you travelling?
It was in Indonesia. The story involves what had been until then 5 days of constipation, a volcano rim at sunrise (with around 100 other people to view it) and an almost complete lack of vegetation. I'll let you fill in the blanks.

Who would be your dream travelling companion, alive or dead?
My mum, to show her some of the places I'm so passionate about and why. She also has an almost constant supply of tissues, particularly handy on Indonesian volcanic rims.

First meal you have when coming home?
Baked potato, beans and cheese - every time!

Advice to people wanting to go on a trip
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." It's a quote from Mark Twain, but has become my life's motto.

Let us know if there's a Dragoman staff member, crew or office, you'd like to know more about by clicking here