The Precariousness of Getting There: Travel's Hardships and Blessings

Nicole Maisha, January 2013 - On a recent flight from Washington DC to Dakar, Senegal we had a strange experience.  Before we took off, the pilot got on the PA system and told us there would be quite a bit of turbulence for the first part of the trip.  A couple of passengers nearby were also telling several of us that it would be a very bumpy ride initially because of a storm system brewing over the Atlantic.  But alas, after takeoff and more than two hours into the flight there was nothing beyond the normal bumps here and there.  Then suddenly one of the flight attendants walked hurriedly down the aisle and told his colleague to put away the duty free cart because we were getting ready to "hit some really bad turbulence". You can imagine the fear we experienced upon hearing his words.  Our anxiety was more a reaction to his tense demeanor than anything else.  I turned to my husband and asked him to make du'a (Islamic term for supplication) for our safety and protection. We never actually hit any bad turbulence.  In fact, we didn't hit more than a few waves and bumps that were scarcely felt.  It seems that the pilot was able to avert the storms and winds by slightly changing course.  And that change even got us to our destination about 30 minutes early!

Cape Verdean Ferry

I often write about the spiritual, visceral and emotional experiences of traveling. I'm usually referring to the part where you've actually arrived at and are enjoying your destination.  But when you really think about it, the getting there is just as enlightening.  Plane travel has distanced us from the precariousness of international journeys; however, even when you're in- country you get a sense of how risky and scary any voyage can be.  For example, I was just traveling in Senegal - from the capital Dakar down to Kedougou, the southeastern edge of the country close to the border with Guinea.  It's approximately 500 km and if road infrastructure was good it would be about a 7- hour drive. But the roads in the country's interior are narrow, windy and riddled with potholes in some parts.  To top it off, the buses used to transport passengers are old, rickety and often in poor mechanical shape.  Seats can be old, windows not working and passengers squeezed into tight seats and rows.  What adds to the dangerousness are the mounds of luggage, goods and boxes that are piled high on the roof and the seeming recklessness of the drivers who are often sleep-deprived before setting off on the 12- to 13-hour overnight drive.  You are literally on a wing and a prayer during those trips.  

I've heard many stories, both in the news and from personal accounts, of people injured or even killed in bus accidents.  My friend’s cousin had to get stitches on her face and arms after her bus from Conakry, Guinea tipped over in the middle of the night. Even my husband gets antsy.  On our most recent bus trip to Kedougou he gave the driver a piece of his mind.  When he felt we were going too fast, he yelled out, “hey, you have our life in your hands.  Be careful!”  Then, there was the time I took an hour-long ferry ride between islands in Cape Verde. The Atlantic Ocean was rough, the boat was unstable, people were getting sea-sick, and I was traveling alone.  I seriously thought the boat might capsize.  Obviously, it didn't   Halfway through, I made subtle contact with an older man on the boat who had clearly made the trip numerous times.  We were able to communicate with the few Creole words I knew and he tapped my back and comforted me as he saw my motion-sickness and the shear fear on my face. 

If you are brave - or some would say naive- enough to take these kind of trips (or just one of tens of thousands of people who have no choice), then you will likely be tapping into your personal faith and spiritual foundation for protection. These examples are pretty extreme, I know! But even with the statistical safety of modern aviation, nothing is guaranteed.  You're likely not completely comforted by numbers when you weather the severe turbulence of an ocean storm that reaches you 33,000 feet in the air.  When you travel, you are vulnerable, you put yourself at risk and many times you pray that you make it to the other side unscathed.  It is a hardship and a blessing.  

Pretty nice tour bus in the desert of Bahrain

The bus that goes from Dakar to Kedougou

The acknowledgement of this travel duality – the danger and the benefit -figures prominently in Islamic tradition. Seeking blessings and protection during travel is very important for Muslims.  Muslims frequently refer to the reported sayings and examples of the Prophet Mohamed (called Hadiths) for guidance.  One Hadith says, “Three supplications will not be rejected (by Allah (SWT)), the supplication of the parent for his child, the supplication of the one who is fasting, and the supplication of the traveler”. It is believed that during travel supplication is heard by Allah (SWT) if the trip is for a good reason, but if the trip is for a bad intention this will not apply to it.  Upon returning from a journey it is reported that the Prophet Mohamed would say, “We are returning, repenting, worshiping and praising our Rabb (Lord)”. 

Finally, this verse from the Holy Qur’an touches the heart of what it means to travel. “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made into you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other).  Surely the noblest amongst you in the sight of God is the most god-fearing of you. God is All-knowing and All-Aware" (Quran 49:13).  As a Muslim, an adventurer and a world traveler, I gladly and humbly accept those hardships and blessings each and every time I have the opportunity!

Do you have a particular travel ritual that helps you feel protected?

On the hills of Fogo, CV

“I Wish Things Were Like This At Home…”

By:  Brittany S

While I was sitting there looking at her that’s when it hit me; things are different because of me.  How could I have been so naïve to that fact?

I just moved to a new city three weeks ago and I have a new “best friend”.  Now of course we aren’t true best friends—the type that go in each other’s fridges, know each other’s parents’ phone numbers, been each other’s wingman then shoulder to cry on after the breakup.  We’re not even the besties that use the bathroom and talk to each other while the other is in the shower (Too far?).

"You and me must ne-vah part...ma-tee-da-da."

But, if anyone knows what is going on with me and/or where I am, she does.

But how is this possible in such a short time?  Two words:  FOREIGNER FRIENDLY.  These words mean more to me than just that that locals welcome/embrace foreigners or that there is an English translation available.  It means when foreigner meets foreigner, we (generally) become really friendly!  Initially knowing our only commonalities to be English speaker and non-Korean, we are more willing to do a lot of things within the first 24-48 hours of “knowing” each other:

·         Exchange phone numbers

·         Add each other on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc)

·         Tell each other where we work and live (and sometimes even give each other the key codes to get into each other’s apartment buildings/rooms) as well as how/why we are in Korea and where we are from

·         Go to each other’s apartments

·         Go to dinners, bowling parties, etc and not know a single person in attendance

·         Hug or have some other form of familial physical contact

·         Ask for and/or offer career advice

·         Give or loan goods and services

I don't even know them.  I invited them to sing w/us & they were HILARIOUS.  I don't think I would be so "friendly" in the middle of the night if we were stateside.

All of this is possible without even knowing each other’s last name!  It may seem as though these newly-formed relationships are superficial (and in some cases, they are), but we sincerely develop somewhat intimate relationships with each other in an astoundingly short time.  It’s human nature to seek out those who are similar to us.  Whether our similarities be along the lines of race, gender, sexuality, class, beliefs, etc, we feel most comfortable among our own.  Do you remember where you sat in the high school cafeteria?  The need to belong and be accepted is great among the human race and we thrive off of some kind of interaction with others.

Yea, I think it is a little like "Mean Girls"...even where you SIT determines sooo much about you smh.

In a country where English is not the native tongue, I’ve come to realize how important verbal communication is and isn’t at the same time.  It amazes me how my eyes would light up when I saw another foreigner walking the streets, as something as basic as being able to talk to them excited me.  If we ever had the chance to formally meet, we would have started to see a place in each other’s lives.  And yet, there are moments where all we share is a laugh and that's enough of a language to know what the other person wants to say.  But why can’t things be like this at home (in America)?

How many people in this picture do you think speak English?  I'll give you a hint, only the ones that look like me do.  We communicate with more than just vocabulary.

While I was sitting there looking at her that’s when it hit me; things are different because of me.

At the risk of making us sound like participants in a salivating dog experiment, we are conditioned to think and behave in a certain way from birth.  The socialization in America is phenomenal.  I’m sure we can all think of people who vote Republican because their father does and that’s just “the way things are.”  Or the girl who won’t tell anyone she likes Winnie the Pooh because her friends said liking cartoon characters is for babies.  There is a suppressed personality inside of all of us; putting yourself in unfamiliar surroundings allows for it to come out.

When you get off the plane, you are filled with a spectrum of emotions and questions.  As time goes on, you start to balance out, but your personality and character exponentially develops.  Just in my brief stint abroad, I have seen/done/learned so much. (Click here to see a little more of my travel story!)  Some things are forever changed in me.

·         I love to travel.  Someone once said the adult sticker book is a passport.  I wholeheartedly agree.  Every time I get a new stamp I feel the same exhilaration as getting a new Lisa Frank sticker book (remember those?).

·         KARAOKE. ANYTIME. ANYPLACE. WITH ANYONE. YES. YES. YES!!!

Can you believe we are at a BOWLING ALLEY?! Yea, we got hard in the paint for some karaoke!

·         I am unique.  That is a stronger, more positive word than “different.”  I embrace it.  If people don’t understand my fashion choices for instance, it is because the pants I wear are Thai pants and my jewelry is from Jamaica and Malaysia.  I can’t expect them to be accepting, or even understanding of me.  They haven’t been unplugged as I have.  It’s ok.  They don’t know any better. ;-)

·         Food is delicious almost EVERYWHERE.  You just have to be willing to try it (and at times, get over the presentation or ingredients of it)!

This food looked a little like vomit haha but as you can see, we devoured it.

·         Most importantly, I’ve learned that it is ok to be yourself.  It is almost required.  Oscar Wilde once said “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”  No matter whom you choose to be, make sure that is who you really are.  Even when we say someone dances to the beat of their own drummer, that still means it is them and the drummer!  Don’t hide who you are in fear of isolation.  If we are our true selves, we will attract the correct circle around us.

I pretty much met them all the same night.  We ended up having dinner & spending HOURS thinking we are Whitney/Mariah/Toni/Janet haha.  Now we hang out regularly & I've even had a sleepover with one of them!

Traveling has allowed me to come to my own resolutions about these and many other things at warp speed.  I think this is perhaps why things are so different here than back home, especially in terms of relationships.  All the highs and lows we would experience with people back home is fast-forwarded here.  In our familial surroundings, we listen to family, friends, media, politics, religion, etc.  When you move to a place where no one knows your face, name, or even language, an enormous socialization burden is lifted.  A lot of societal voices are silenced.  When our own voice is the most clear, so is our sense of direction and purpose; so are we.

Thanks Abbie! (My new hair stylist haha you like?)

As bizarre as it may sound, I came to all these conclusions one day when I was out with my new bestie and chuckling at how we already have inside jokes and each other’s back stories.  My guard is completely down with her and many others I encounter here.  I pray I never feel the need to throw up a wall again when I move on from this place.  So here’s to Abbie, who unknowingly helped me to realize that it isn’t necessarily Korea specifically that changed my behavior, but my own maturity when I allowed my voice to be the only one to speak for me.  Silence is more than golden; it's eye-opening.

**If you can’t afford to travel internationally, I highly recommend domestic travel to place totally unfamiliar to you.  The silence is there for everyone, you just have to find it.

When East Meets West: Hosting an International Visitor

By: Brittany S

As an American citizen from the Midwest living in Korea, I have found some things about Korean (and Eastern culture in general) culture to be very similar to my own.  However, there is a lot that is very distinct of our respective regions and at times, they clash.

For anyone who has done any research on Koreans’ perspectives on foreigners in Korea, you know that Koreans are generally accepting of us being here, but they have their preferences (the closer you are to the Eurocentric standard of beauty—particularly blond hair, blue eyes, the better), as well as their restrictions (they really dislike when foreigners date their women).  Because of this open, but close-minded mentality, oftentimes, Koreans struggle to understand the African American population.  People of all ages (from my elementary school students to the random old lady on the bus stop) always TELL me that I am African, particularly S. African (as that is the only African country that can hold an English teaching position here).  Also, given that a Eurocentric standard of beauty of being thin as a rail, pale as a ghost, and having long, straight, silky hair doesn’t exactly match an Afrocentric one of “my Black is beautiful” and being curvy is actually being a GOOD thing and curly hair that grows towards the sky, there have been plenty of times that I’ve caught people taking pics of me or rubbing my skin as if I’m some freak of nature. All of this simply because they just don’t understand how I came to be.

They were once afraid to be near me, now they hug me daily.

            So here I am, the only little chocolate chip in the cookie, being the spokesperson of not only my country, but of my ethnic heritage (I’ll let you figure out which voice is louder).  Any opportunity I get I make sure to stress that America has more than “Susans” and “Toms,” but people like Jamal, Keisha, Miguel, Muhammad, Fangbai, EunHwa, Pierre, Natalia, and others make up our “melting pot” as well.**  It’s particularly important to me that they understand that Black people are a HUGE part of American society, and that White people do in fact live in S. Africa.  When I teach, I make sure to encourage my students to love their Asian selves and stop trying to look White.  I also try to open their eyes to other countries beyond Japan & China, or Britain & Australia.  I want them to see value in other people and places, and not just think of them as “other.”  I recently had the pleasure of hosting one of my former students in America.  She was so open and curious about me and (my version of) American life that I just gave her as much of it as I could in our short time together.

            My former student (who is now a sophomore in college and my friend) came to stay with me for the 9 days that I was in America and enjoyed every minute of it.  Although her English speaking is not the greatest, her comprehension and willingness to try are stellar.  It was funny watching 95% of my family BUTCHER her name, even though I said it slowly several times.  They all decided to give her a nickname (her whole name is the length of my first name, yet they gave her a nickname) to avoid any further slaughter.  They embraced her as a part of our family, and made her feel right at home with love-filled hugs.  Here are the things we did:

 

Visited most of my relatives (all grandparents, parents, and most of my aunts and cousins):  here she was fed everything from a hot link and vinegar chips to spinach artichoke dip and lasagna; all of these foods are not common in Korea and definitely go against her Korean diet.  I warned her about weight gain!

With my Granny. No visit is complete without a grandmother's cooking!  They are almost the same height and color!  We aren't so different after all...

Went to “Sweetie Pie’s”: I figured this was the quickest way to get her to a soul food spread.  I had her to try the cabbage (since Koreans eat kimchi=fermented cabbage), she didn’t like it but she devoured everything else.

Hey Mikey! I think she likes it! :-)

Went to the St. Louis City Museum and Dave & Buster’s:  There’s a big kid in all of us and no matter what language you speak, we all like large playgrounds and arcades :-)

My sister got stuck!

 

Went SHOPPING: Oh c’mon, who DOESN’T go shopping in another country?!  Also, Koreans are REALLY into fashion.  She felt proud that she will go home with exclusive “American style” clothing.

I would soooo love to see someone wear these...

 

Visited my university:  she had never seen a university so big (mine has its own zip code) and my home from my school and her’s from her’s are equidistant (2hrs), yet she makes that commute daily for classes and we consider that distance “away from home.”

With my mommy :-)

Went to a Step Show:  Stepping is popular among African Americans and is one of our ancestral ties to the Motherland.  I thought it would be interesting to show her that although we incorporate Africa in our culture, that we are in fact different.  Her eyes lit up.  She recorded videos and everything.

Went  to a Korean restaurant & noraebang (singing room):  It was nice to give her the taste of home she was missing while exposing my family to my new culture.

(L) I missed the family-size portions in Korea :-(  (R) I don't think she was ready for how passionate we get with a mic.

Went to a club/party?:  NOPE. Poor baby was so tired from all our running around that she slept in.

Lucky! I had to DRIVE everywhere!

Taught her how to play “Bones” (dominoes) and do “The Wobble” and others:  I was proud of her!  We need to work on her trash talking haha but she was timidly calling her points.  And here’s a little secret—Koreans love line dancing, too!  Go to a Korean club and see!  So now she knows how to do OUR line dances.

 

Went to Steak n Shake, Jack in the Box, Sonic’s, Wendy’s, & IHOP:  I had to let her know that America has more favorites than McDonald’s, Burger King, Baskin Robbins, and Dunkin Donuts (all found all around Korea).  Each time she ordered a lot of food and finished it all!  In Korea, the most I’ve ever seen her eat was an order of samgyupsal (Korean BBQ that looks like thick bacon)!

When I asked her what she thought about everything and how she was doing, her eyes always seemed enthusiastic, and although she couldn’t say more than “GOOD!” I knew she was loving her time in my world and that when she returns to Korea, she will be one more voice for Black people, Black Americans, and Americans in general.  All it takes is an open mind and heart and the rest will follow.  If you have the opportunity to enlighten someone about something very important to you, I encourage you to do it.  Each one, reach/teach one.  She’s my “one” in Korea.  But I’ll be here another year.  Who’s coming home with me next?

**This is in no way meant to stereotype people, rather, to speak to the popularity of these particular names among certain races in America.

What Every Woman Should Know Before Traveling

March, 2012—Cha Jones

If you are an American and a woman, then you have most likely been WARNED about woman’s safety. I think all American women have the rape statistics ingrained in our brains. We all know that 1 out of 4 women have been raped or molested, and to be safe and cautious when in new environments. Or do we? 

How many times have you watched the news and saw a person traveling overseas on vacation featured as MISSING? You would think that anyone going to a foreign country would have some precautions, women in particular, would be very mindful of their environment. However, that is not always the case. 

Are you aware that sex trafficking is 90% women, or how about that 50,000 women are trafficked into the United States alone each year?

Government and nongovernmental experts in the field estimate that out of the 700,000 to two million4 women and children who are trafficked globally each year, 45,000 to 50,000 of those women and children are trafficked to the United States. Approximately 30,000 women and children are being trafficked annually from Southeast Asia, 10,000 from Latin America, 4,000 from the Newly Independent States and Eastern Europe, and 1,000 from other regions. (Central Intelligence Agency briefing, Global Trafficking in Women and Children: Assessing the Magnitude, April 1999.) 

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/trafficking.pdf

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/trafficking.pdf

Now, I know that many of you are Solo Travelers, but it is always safer to travel in a group. However, I have traveled in a small group and I felt like it would be much safer if I were alone. When traveling on my own I tend to have my guard up, but it's much easier to be comfortable when you think you have the safety of a group.

I recently went on a trip where the person I was with got invited on a date, and because I was with them, I felt obligated to go if for no other reason than to keep them safe. It was at that time, I realized how unsafe some women are. I have a photographic memory and I pay a great deal of attention to my surrounds, but I realized that some people just don’t. I witnessed firsthand a women falling asleep in a car with a stranger, I was floored. How do you know where they are taking you, and how do you trust someone that much with your life?

When traveling overseas the best part of the experience is being spontaneous and adventurous, but that doesn’t mean being unsafe or ignorant. I am the type of person who lives by my intuition, and nine out of ten times I am always correct, but if I feel anything wrong I never second guess it, I follow my feelings. I happen to love meeting new and interesting people, but I don’t care to meet anyone who will potentially take my life. In most cases you are safer than not, but here are a few things that you could do to keep yourself safe while traveling and meeting and having a wonderful time:

1. Always be aware of your environment, watch the locals and see how they respond
2. Blend into your environment, when you look like everyone else it is harder for people to single you out
3. Have a plan, when you know what  do if something were to happen before it does, then the less you have to think about and prepare  for (If you stay ready you don’t have to get ready)
4. Have some form of communication (cell phone, paper and pen, ect.)
5. Research the area you going to first and be aware of things that could occur, make sure you know the areas that are not really good for women or foreigners to be in alone
6. Leave your plans or trip itinerary with someone that you trust or that you talk to frequently
7. Check trip advisory boards to see about weather issues and possible negative tourist attacks

Do you know the top 10 countries listed for rape are

                                             (to see the complete list: click)

1. France
2. Germany
3. Russia
4. Sweden
5. Argentina
6. Belgium
7. Philippines
8. Spain
9. Chile
10. Lesotho 

Again, I am not trying to pump fear into anyone. I really want more women to travel and see the world from a place of love, but I believe that the more you know the more valuable your experiences are. It is always better to be safe than it is to be sorry. So, I hope that you find this articles helps you think about some things that you may not have thought about.