Do you enjoy speaking with locals when you travel? Why, or why not?
I'd characterize ourselves as inquisitive tourists eager to learn everything there is to know about a location. Yes, we love to see and experience things that make a place famous, but we also like learning about the subtleties of that particular destination. And we do well at this since we are both social and curious travelers.
I can't help but want to know the most fundamental information. I believe it is what allows us to recognize both the similarities and contrasts among individuals all across the world.
Samoa with my pal, Somerset Maugham.
My first significant journey was to Samoa, and I learned about it thanks to Somerset Maugham, whom you may be familiar with. He told me to travel there first, stay at Aggie Grays, attend church on Sunday, and then eat umu at midday. He was such an excellent friend and guide.
Samoa was humbling and complicated. They lived on very little and were quite happy. This made me feel as if my material goods were unnecessary. Another thing that impressed me was the magnitude and number of cathedrals on the islands. The majority of people's money and assets are used to support priests and upkeep churches. Interesting.
Making Contact with Local People—Vietnam
My next destination was Vietnam, where I had friends residing in Hanoi. I was asked to supper, where I discovered some incredible stuff. Despite the fact that it was only a small two-bedroom flat, my friend lived there with her husband and kid, her brother and his wife and two children, who shared the lounge room, and her parents in another room. They had three maids. What surprised me was that each maid stayed in each family group's (bedroom) on a mattress on the floor, raising the topic of privacy during intimate moments. So I inquired and was informed that everything proceeded normally; the maid was unconcerned.
What I didn't appreciate was how they ordered the maids about and treated them like second-class people.
They were not wealthy folks, but because the father worked for the government, they were given the "2-bedroom" flat and servants.
Making Contact with Local People in Tokyo
As frequent visitors to Japan, we've begun to develop a strong understanding of the country. On our first trip to Tokyo, we used the services of Tokyo's volunteer tour guides and met our now-good friend Ichiro, who not only showed us around but also taught us a lot about Japanese social and cultural customs.
Making Contact with Locals at Nozawa Onsen, Japan.
We visit Nozawa Onsen in Japan every year to ski and are now greeted as returning friends. This is an amazing sensation. The local women villagers not only nod to be in the onsens, but they also recognize me on the streets while wearing my attire.
On the slopes, we have a favorite café, and as soon as we walk in, our ramen noodles and drinks are waiting for us. We are spoiled because the kind lady also sends me a pair of slippers to put on—she must know I am in agony, but it makes us feel loved and welcome. We're greeted like family at the neighborhood Gyoza café. We've learned so much about their culture and traditions that we believe we know far more than the ordinary visitor could have learned from reading guidebooks alone.
Making Contact with Locals—Sri Lanka
We traveled to Sri Lanka and hired a driver, which looked like a decent idea for safety reasons. This was a three-week organization, and he was able to show us around the island. We grew to know him well. We discovered that he had recently been discharged from the hospital after falling from a roof and hurting his back. We were shocked that he stopped and prayed every time he visited a shrine or church, regardless of denomination.
After a few days, we were relieved that he did, because he was one of the worst drivers we had ever seen. A one-way street was suggested, but he opted to disregard it; railway crossings with gates going down were no issue; simply shoot the motor and drive through. Pavements were his favorites. But we grew fond of him, and he of us.We used to wonder why Dad would speed up every afternoon about 2 p.m., stop at a town, and tell us to go explore.
Curiosity got the best of us, and we followed him. He visited a 'turf accountant.'.
He was betting on horses in England, and whether he won or lost was determined by his driving performance for the remainder of the day. But he cared for us. When we met some Americans in Kansas and decided to spend the night, he hung around like a mother hen. We were in trouble the next day and felt like bad kids whose parents were furious.
But he asked us to meet his family and prepared a lavish feast for us.
What really threw us off was that the table was loaded, and he invited us to sit and enjoy before he and his family went to dine in the kitchen. We felt terrible, but it was the way things were done.
Our journey to the Netherlands was made much more exciting since we met three charming Dutch men at Nozawa Onsen with whom we got along great. When we emailed to see if they wanted to meet for lunch in Amsterdam, we were immediately "told" that we would be staying with them.
Gordon claims I interrogate people, but he's also really good.
We learned so much about the Dutch people and what to do, not do, eat, and drink, as well as comparative talks of everything from driving laws to voting to what we could and couldn't do in Australia compared to the Netherlands (apparently a lot).
Making Contact with Local People in Ghent, Belgium.
In Ghent, we stayed at a B&B and became great friends with the owner, Myriame. She was quite knowledgeable about not just what to see and do but also about everything from 'happy' chickens (free range), the Belgian monarchy (not impressed), and other places in Belgium that do not actually exist, given that Ghent is the center of the world.
Making Contact with Local People in Icheon, Korea.
When I was teaching, I was in charge of organizing Korean groups to Australia, and I became acquainted with one specific teacher over time. So, when we visit South Korea, we want to hook up with her to learn more about not just her birthplace, Icheon, but also about the people's routines and lives. One minor worry is that she is a full-fledged practicing Catholic nun. Ah well, this should be entertaining. She liked me when she discovered me, and vice versa, so it should be enjoyable.
So, wherever feasible, make contact with locals to optimize your vacation. Find out how they wash their laundry, what their working hours are, what a regular day in their life looks like, and how they celebrate Christmas or other holidays. I believe that cross-cultural and sympathetic understanding is what distinguishes a real traveler.