Possessions aren’t so hard to live without. Most people think they need a vast assortment of crap in order to be happy. But, when you give a man a backpack and a laptop and send him out into the world, he’ll usually find he misses his things least of all. We don’t get homesick pining for our Plasma HDTV, but rather for the people we used to watch that TV with.
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Going out into the world means unplugging from your normal social life. It means leaving the tribe. Man is a social creature, and we fear nothing more than isolation. In the olden days, traveller’s were forced to ‘go native’ and adapt to the local culture in order to socialize and remain sane. Now, thanks to the Internet, it’s possible to travel around the globe without disconnecting from friends and family.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to chat with the folks back home, but there IS a dangerous temptation to overdue it. I’ve lost count of the kids I’ve seen in hostels, spending whole days staring at their laptops in isolated corners rather than socializing or exploring. The Internet makes it easier than ever to blot out the real world.
To gain the full value of the travelling experience, you must go out and be social. Here are a few tips for travellers looking for ways to connect with the local culture.
#1: A Crowded Bus Is Your Friend
See crowded buses and other forms of public transportation as a blessing, not a curse. Being crammed like sardines into a tiny seat may be uncomfortable, but it’s also an excuse to talk. Strike up a conversation with your neighbor. Some folks may be reticent at first. Don’t take offense, they’re probably just worried you’re a crazy street person or an axe murderer.
Television crime dramas and mystery novels have us trained to suspect our neighbors of all manner of horrific intentions. Part of becoming a world citizen is getting over the pervasive paranoia that divides us from our fellow man. Sure, some people are dangerous psychopaths, but they make up a small minority (and can usually be bludgeoned into unconsciousness with a laptop case or spare ball-peen hammer … I mean … if you have to).
If you make a habit of introducing yourself to all manner of people, a few of them are bound to rebuff your attempts at conversation. Don’t push the matter, but don’t let it sour you on future tries. I’ve met some fascinating people standing at bus stops or taking shelter under an overhang in the driving rain. If you can’t think of a good opening line the phrase, “I’m bored. What’s going on in this town?” works more often than you’d think.
Shenzen Night Scene, China © Robert Scoble
#2: Tours Force Travelers to Socialize (and Most Tours Are Dirt Cheap)
If the place you’re visiting happens to be a tourist hotspot with some real history behind it, you’ll be able to do one or two tours a day for weeks on end without running out of options. Cities like Dublin, Madrid, France and Rome have no shortage of sights to see and organized groups to see them with. Tour groups force you to interact with people from all around the world.
The best thing they do is take the worry of planning out of your hands. When I’m out exploring on my own, I’m limited by how far away from my base I think I can safely navigate. With a tour, you’ve got locals guiding you from place to place. That makes it safe for you to drink, socialize, and wander more than you might do otherwise.
#3: Make Some Friends Before You Visit
Thanks to the Internet, you can get to know people who live worlds away before you ever fly there. Before setting out on any overseas trip, do a Google search for forums of interesting local groups. Whether it’s re-enactment groups or artists communities or filthy pagan hippies, chances are you can find interesting locals talking on the Internet. Join up, tell them when you’ll be travelling and ask for advice.
If you don’t speak the local lingo, try searching for expatriate communities in the area. There are loads of great expat blog and forums, all of which are full of people you can contact and (maybe) even meet up with.
Check out:
- Ex-Pat Blog.com. Great site filled with friendly, informative people.
- Easy Expat.com. Filled with good info, requires a registration.
- Expat Women. Good general info site for women looking to live overseas. Great links to local expat groups.
- Inter-Expat. Links a lot of expatriate bloggers together.
Getting into contact with ex-pats gives you an experienced outsiders look at whatever country you’re visiting. Foreigners living in foreign countries tend to know the safe places to visit, how NOT to get ripped off, and easy, safe ways to connect with local color.
Bar Friends in Chicago, Illinois © glennharper
#4: Don’t Underestimate The Value Of The Mundane
One of the best ways to get perspective on the world is to visit a foreign LAN center. Gaming is something people do all over the world. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Mexico, Canada, Denmark or China, you’ll find LAN centers filled with kids playing a lot of the same titles.
You’ll learn more about real life in Sydney listening to people bitch about their jobs in a bar than you will touring the Opera House.
If you’re visiting a country with widespread Internet access, you’ll probably find at least one gaming center. Go in, find a game you’re familiar with, and soak in a little bit of local color while you play. If gaming isn’t your thing, you can find much the same experience by chatting up folks at a local comic shop, going to the movies, or even doing your laundry at a laundromat. Watching foreigners go about their daily lives gives us insight into our own.
Visiting monuments and taking tours of parks and world heritage sites is all well and good, but it doesn’t always inundate you with the local culture. There’s something to be said for the simple joy of people watching. You’ll learn more about real life in Sydney listening to people bitch about their jobs in a bar than you will touring the Opera House. There’s a certain candid truth in the slurred words of a drunk that even the best tour guides can’t quite fake.