Cultural Ambassadors

Editorial by Sheri Leigh

It’s incumbent on all travelers in these troubled times to put their best face forward when visiting distant lands. By truly investing in understanding the local people and cultures, today’s cultural travelers can receive rewards beyond measure.

While we all look, talk and worship differently, we have much more in common than not. We love our families and our homeland. We need food, water and air to survive. Shakespeare’s words eloquently describe all mankind regardless of nationality or religion:

“(are we not)…fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons,
subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed
and cooled by the same winter and summer…” Merchant of Venice Act 3, scene 1 

It’s with this thought in mind, the universality of mankind, that we need to reach out to one another and attempt to understand and embrace the places we visit, rather view them critically against the backdrop of our own culture. 

Today more than ever, travelers owe the people whose lands they visit more than just a passing courtesy. As representatives of powerful nations, it is our duty to insure that those people we meet in our travels view us not as “Ugly Americans,” or “Ugly Europeans” or exploiters of their resources, but as people genuinely interested in their lives and cultures.  

The following guidelines, reprinted from Ethical Traveler, are a great example of how all travelers can ingratiate themselves with the locals and offers ways to best help the people of the areas we visit. Our thanks to Jeff Greenwald for allowing us to reprint them here. 

Thirteen Tips for the Accidental Ambassador

1) BE AWARE OF WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING, and patronize locally owned inns, restaurants and shops. Try to keep your dollars (or baht, or pesos) within the local economy, so the people you are visiting can benefit most directly from your visit.

2) NEVER GIVE GIFTS TO CHILDREN, only to their parents or teachers. When giving gifts to local communities – from schoolbooks to balloons, from pens to pharmaceuticals – first find out what's really needed, and who can best distribute these items.

3) Before visiting any foreign land, TAKE THE TIME TO LEARN BASIC COURTESY PHRASES: greetings, "please" & "thank you," and as many numbers as you can handle (those endless hours in airport waiting lounges are a good time for this). It's astonishing how far a little language goes toward creating a feeling of goodwill

4) REMEMBER THE ECONOMIC REALITIES OF YOUR NEW CURRENCY. A few rupees one way or another is not going to ruin you. Don't get all bent out of shape over the fact that a visitor who earns 100 times a local's salary might be expected to pay a few cents more for a ferry ride, a museum entrance or an egg.  

5) BARGAIN FAIRLY and with respect for the seller. Again, remember the economic realities of where you are. The final transaction should leave both buyer and seller satisfied and pleased. Haggling for a taxi or carpet is part of many cultures; but it's not a bargain if either person feels exploited, diminished, or ripped-off.  

6) LEARN AND RESPECT THE TRADITIONS AND TABOOS OF YOUR HOST COUNTRY. Each culture has its own mores, and they're often taken very seriously. Never, for example, pat a Thai child on the head, enter a traditional Brahmin's kitchen, or open an umbrella in a Nepali home!  

7) CURB YOUR ANGER AND CULTIVATE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR. Anger is a real issue for westerners – even the Dalai Lama remarks on this. It's perversely satisfying, but it never earns the respect of locals or defuses a bad situation. A light touch – and a sense of cosmic perspective – are infinitely more useful. As Wavy Gravy says, "When you lose your sense of humor, it's just not funny anymore."  

8) It makes an enormous difference if you ARRIVE WITH A SENSE OF THE SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES faced by the people you are visiting. Our site will direct you to good profiles of most travel destinations; we also recommend you read the political and historic sections of your guidebook (Lonely Planet, Moon Publications, and Rough Guides are especially good for this), as well as a country's English-language newspapers.  

9) LEARN TO LISTEN. People in other nations often feel underestimated or dismissed by American society. Such convictions lead to anger and resentment. As an American traveler, be aware that many people believe that having the ear of an American is tantamount to having the ear of America. They're right – when you come home, you'll spread the word about such encounters.  

10) LEARN TO SPEAK. People from developed nations often express their opinions as if they are the absolute truth. We suggest tempering conversations with phrases like "I believe" or "My view is" rather than, "Everybody knows . . ."  

11) The single most useful phrase any traveler can learn: "CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME?" Rarely, in any country or situation, will another human being refuse a direct request for help. Being of service, and inviting others to reciprocate, is what the phrase global community is all about.

12) LEAVE YOUR MASS MEDIA-BASED PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE WORLD AT HOME. The inhabitants of planet Earth will continually amaze you with their generosity, hospitality and wisdom. Be open to their friendship, and aware of our common humanity, delights and hardships.  

13) NEVER FORGET KURT VONNEGUT JR'S BEST LINE: "Strange travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God." In other words: go with the flow, and give free rein to your sense of adventure!  

Oakland-based Jeff Greenwald is the author of five travel books, including Shopping for Buddhas, The Size of the World, and a recent anthology called Scratching the Surface. He is a contributing editor for Yoga Journal, Tricycle, and Travel+Life magazines, and serves as Executive Director of Ethical Traveler, a global alliance of travelers dedicated to human rights and environmental protection.

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