Posts Tagged ‘International Travel’

Random Acts of Kindness

Friday, March 19th, 2010

Holding the door open, smiling at a stranger, and lending a hand seem like pretty simple things, maybe even common sense.  However it doesn’t happen as often as it should.

“If we all do one random act of kindness daily we just might set the world in the right direction.”
                                                                                                                           – Martin Kranfeld

In our busy and chaotic lives, we forget to slow down and appreciate the little things. We don’t realize it until we are overwhelmed with joy at the simple, kind act of a stranger.  Don’t wait for that moment – start the trend yourself! 

My most recent experience:  As usual, I had bitten off a little more than I could chew when carrying some bags at work.  Trying to be time-effective, I had overloaded myself with several bags possibly equaling my own weight.  As I struggled through the hallways with my load (feeling a little like a pack mule) two strangers stopped on their way back from lunch and offered to help me.  I kindly refused because I was going completely out of their way.  They insisted however, and I was incredibly grateful. I hated to burden them, but in all honestly it probably only took a few minutes out of their routine and helped me tremendously.  A BIG thank you to them and to all those who have done something similar.

It inspired me…what’s your story?

There are so many things that we can do in everyday life that take little to no extra effort, but may mean the world to someone.  If we can do it in our daily lives, why not continue the pattern when traveling?

Traveling acts of kindness:

  • Buy from local businesses and vendors
  • Smile! Appreciate the culture and environment around you
  • Take in your surroundings by walking through town instead of taking a taxi or bus
  • Help nervous fliers by talking to them to distract them from the takeoff and landing
  • Leave the place nicer than when you found it
  • Try to understand the local language, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to attempt speaking it, they appreciate the effort
  • Pick up after yourself and maybe someone else who forgot
  • Carry a small bag of dry dog food and give some to the strays (this may seem silly, but for us dog lovers seeing the malnourished strays is heartbreaking, so I really love this one.)

There are hundreds more…use your imagination!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Mudslides in Peru

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

I am sure that many of you have heard of the mudslides in the Cusco region of Peru, more familiarly known as the Machu Picchu area.  The news reported the large amount of tourists that were stranded.  It was on the news for maybe a couple days, but lives are affected forever. This is a very important issue, as there were thousands of tourists trapped with minimal food and water.  However, what was harder to find, was information regarding the thousands of Peruvians that had lost their homes.  Here are some of the facts of the mudslide:

Machu Picchu is one of the most popular destinations for tourists in Latin America, attracting more than 400,000 visitors a year. The 15th-century Inca fortress is located on a high mountain ridge 40 miles from Cusco. A railway that transports tourists to the site was covered by a mudslide. Normally the wet season in this region ranges from December to February. However, this year they started in early November and in the first few weeks of January they were the heaviest they’ve been in 15 years. The rivers in the Cusco region have swollen and burst their banks flooding adjacent low-lying villages and causing damage to bridges and the railway line between Aguas Calientes (the town closet to Machu Picchu) and Ollantaytambo (in the Sacred Valley). Many areas of the railway, which is the only mode of transportation between the two cities, have been severely damaged and some wiped out all together. Homes, bridges, fields, and roads have been very hard hit, affecting people’s livelihoods dramatically.  The homes of over 2,000 people in poor rural areas — many of them riverside dwellings made of clay and straw — had been destroyed or damaged. Another 12,000 people were affected to a lesser degree, losing possessions or suffering property damage. Most of the damage has happened in the southern valley of the Cusco region. Especially right now with Machu Picchu being closed and tourism near zero, many people are suffering from lack of work as well.

PLAY it Forward was very alarmed to hear of this news, not only because we have a scheduled trip this May, but also because we are concerned for the well-being of people around the world.  Donations are always nice. However, because we prefer hands-on, tangible ways to help, we will be helping in the disaster relief. Continuing to give back in the places we play.

Nikki Williams

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Cultural Sensitivity When Traveling

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

REALITY-CHECK TIME:

Have you ever been frustrated because you couldn’t understand what someone was saying because of their accent?
Have you ever had the thought, “Why don’t they just learn English?”  
Have you ever wondered why someone from another culture believed a certain thing, or acted a certain way, or wore certain clothes?
Does it make you nervous when there are groups of people speaking a different language around you?
What comes to your mind if someone says they are Somalian? Mexican? Nigerian?  Where do those thoughts come from?
 
If you are like me, the answers to these questions might make you a bit uneasy.  This uneasiness is something to be mindful of when you travel abroad. In my opinion, I think that cultural tensions are ok.  The response to these various cultural experiences is what we need to be mindful of.

The fact that all over the world, there is a rainbow of cultures is a remarkable human phenomenon.  We are gifted with panoply of music, cuisine, clothing and language.  Just walk through your local museum and
admire the tapestries and artifacts and the beauty of human imagination.

Culture is a component of identity.  It is a fundamental human need to seek belonging to a group.  So if the group you belong to invented fireworks, or created one of the most ancient and accurate calendars, or formed the basis of western government, there is a certain pride factor at stake.  Part of cultural experience is owning the actions of your group.  Unfortunately, this also means an inability to escape some of the darker sides.  That’s the price of being able to identify with a culture.

With this background, here’s my advice on how to make the most of your cultural experience when you travel abroad with PLAY it Forward Adventures:

1. Communicate:
Does it frustrate you if someone can’t speak your language? Then try to take some lessons before you go.  Try to speak the language.  Don’t be afraid of sounding foolish or saying something wrong.  The humility it takes and willingness to try to communicate will be greatly appreciated by the people who live in the place you are visiting.  At the same time, if the circumstances require it, have a reliable guide who is fluent in the language to assist in a tricky situation.  PLAY it Forward trips all have guides who will be able to facilitate as translators.  At the end of the day, a simple smile can say a lot.

2. Have an open mind and just go for it!
Taste the food, wear the clothes, and listen to their music.  Don’t do everything your way, try it their way. Sure, you might not like all of it, but participating in a culture is the best way to connect. I’ll never forget sitting on a dirt floor, listening to the songs and stories of the village women, scented smoke filling the air.  Then I ground coffee on a stone tablet, the way it had been done for centuries, and in that moment, I had shared in their cultural experience in a way that was deeply personal and profound.

3. Be mindful:
Does a large group of foreigners intimidate you?  Well, that’s true for anyone.  Realize that most people are hesitant with a large group of strangers. Be friendly, and as long as it’s safe, interact on more intimate levels.  Humility and gratitude are universal languages that communicate very well.

 4. Focus on the individual
Stereotypes-Forget yours, but remember theirs.  A universal truth is in the inherent value of an individual and every person is unique and different. If you focus on the individual, and try to get the people you interact with to get to know you a little better, then you can be successful in transcending cultural stereotypes. It is a wonderful surprise when you realize that they’re just like you in spite of everything.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it’s worth it.  It is because there is such strong cultural identity that the feeling of unity you will find will be so powerful.  To break through such thick walls is a very moving moment in a PLAY it Forward Adventure.

Nathan Worrell
PIF Sojourner, Guatemala

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

1 pages