Comments | bearstar76: 2-3 startegies

bearstar76

2-3 startegies

Feb 04, 2008 20:12

I read everything is nice. I appreciate the humility that the author offers up. For example, when she is invited toa wedding and arrives in a place where women are making food, she just goes with the flow ( Read more... )

Comments 3

ciancettac February 5 2008, 21:12:41 UTC

Thanks, Jennifer for being, like, the one of only students to reliably post the homework on time. It would be great if you would create a description of the freakin' hilarious American tourist!

-Chris

description of American tourist bearstar76 February 6 2008, 17:46:46 UTC

Well, the decription I have seen af the "freaking hilarious American tourist" would be a description of myself. I mean, I travel to these small and often war torn countries as a BIG white woman trying to fit in with little indigenous people. I realized that I was trying to "fit in" in Guatemala, and saw just how rediculous an expectation that was. So I let it go. After that, I began to feel as though I did fit in. Not necessarily to the local populace, but into the human race which populates this ever shrinking planet we all share. Sounds a bit cliche? Keep on traveling, you will begin to see what I mean. After that, I feel culture shock still yes, but it doesn't pull the same weight it once did in my earlier travels. (Re-entry shock? That's a whole other story!) Although I have focused on the region of Latin America and the Caribbean, I am confident that letting go and exhibiting a level of humility necessary for emotional survival will help me throughout my travels in Asia.

globestomper February 6 2008, 18:57:07 UTC

I gotta say that I think that expectation is going to be difficult for me. Since I am going to Mongolia, I will be surrounding myself with TOUGH, stout, and SHORT people, all of whom are of a different race than myself. This has never ever happened to me before. Closest experience I had to it was attending a church service where 85% of attendees were African American. Like, whoa.

I must admit I am a little afraid but I guess I better embrace being the big white woman that I am since I doubt traveling will be any sort of an ego boost. And that's a good thing :-)