When I started writing entries for a “How To” book on traveling around the world, I created a placeholder for a chapter called Local Culture. I didn’t write any notes or capture any thoughts. For three years the entry was a blank page. Now that I’m beginning to write the entry, I have no idea why I created a placeholder for a chapter on local culture.
Is the local culture entry about how spitting in China isn’t as bad as everyone says it is and don’t allow the bad behavior of a few to become your representation of the broader population? Cultural stereotypes may be based on past actual behaviors, however, the exaggeration and repetition of those stereotypes is lazy at best and harmful at worst. Look at how wrong and inconsistent the stereotype of your home city is and then understand that the few instances when you see the local culture exhibiting the bad stereotype, that is the exception rather than the rule.
Is the local culture entry about taboos? What to wear in a mosque? Not drinking too much alcohol? Your travel etiquette should follow the customs of the local culture. There is a fine but bright line between respect and acceptance, and it is not in any traveler’s interest or prerogative to express displeasure with a local culture. Take cockfighting. It’s a barbaric event and your personal feelings should remain…personal. If you find a local custom offensive, don’t participate. It’s unlikely you’ve made complete sense of the U.S., so don’t try making sense of another country after a week or two.
Is the local culture entry about the local cuisine? Or is it about how Mexican food tastes in Hungary and how the local culture’s dining scene expands beyond the local cuisine? On a one-week vacation I eat the local cuisine for every meal, whether that means visiting an obnoxiously touristy restaurant, a national chain restaurant, or a farmer’s market. On a one-year vacation, I had no regrets deviating from the local cuisine. You know who doesn’t eat the local cuisine every night? Locals. Experiencing local culture means trying non-local cuisine.
Is the local culture entry about following local laws? In a literal sense, yes. Don’t take drugs. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything illegal.
Is the local culture entry about a sad commentary on how local cultures are becoming more Westernized? Is that good? Bad? That’s too deep of an entry for a “How To” travel book.
As much as travelers want to experience the local culture, it’s incredibly difficult to have a true local experience or understand a local culture. You will never be able to understand a history of customs and culture in a few weeks’ time. Hence the whole local culture travel angle is a fool’s errand. I think that’s what I had in mind when I created a placeholder for an entry on local culture.
Is the local culture entry about how spitting in China isn’t as bad as everyone says it is and don’t allow the bad behavior of a few to become your representation of the broader population? Cultural stereotypes may be based on past actual behaviors, however, the exaggeration and repetition of those stereotypes is lazy at best and harmful at worst. Look at how wrong and inconsistent the stereotype of your home city is and then understand that the few instances when you see the local culture exhibiting the bad stereotype, that is the exception rather than the rule.
Is the local culture entry about taboos? What to wear in a mosque? Not drinking too much alcohol? Your travel etiquette should follow the customs of the local culture. There is a fine but bright line between respect and acceptance, and it is not in any traveler’s interest or prerogative to express displeasure with a local culture. Take cockfighting. It’s a barbaric event and your personal feelings should remain…personal. If you find a local custom offensive, don’t participate. It’s unlikely you’ve made complete sense of the U.S., so don’t try making sense of another country after a week or two.
Is the local culture entry about the local cuisine? Or is it about how Mexican food tastes in Hungary and how the local culture’s dining scene expands beyond the local cuisine? On a one-week vacation I eat the local cuisine for every meal, whether that means visiting an obnoxiously touristy restaurant, a national chain restaurant, or a farmer’s market. On a one-year vacation, I had no regrets deviating from the local cuisine. You know who doesn’t eat the local cuisine every night? Locals. Experiencing local culture means trying non-local cuisine.
Is the local culture entry about following local laws? In a literal sense, yes. Don’t take drugs. Don’t do anything stupid. Don’t do anything illegal.
Is the local culture entry about a sad commentary on how local cultures are becoming more Westernized? Is that good? Bad? That’s too deep of an entry for a “How To” travel book.
As much as travelers want to experience the local culture, it’s incredibly difficult to have a true local experience or understand a local culture. You will never be able to understand a history of customs and culture in a few weeks’ time. Hence the whole local culture travel angle is a fool’s errand. I think that’s what I had in mind when I created a placeholder for an entry on local culture.