Every other couple in Key West were wearing matching his and hers shirts like these; we resisted
There are many posts online that offer us suggestions on how to look and act ‘local’. Even guidebooks sometimes fall into this trap. I’ve seen western folk people dressed up in local Thai and Indian clothes looking like lost hippies, heard others telling us to change our plans to do something that ‘the locals don’t tell anyone about’ and read about activities that are ‘truly authentic’.
So why this compulsion to be something we’re not? Do we enhance our travel experience by ditching our own clothing and putting on the garb of those around us? Do we gain a more profound insight into our hosts’ lives by mimicking their eating habits and coughing or belching at the right time and in the right manner? Or do we just make ourselves seem ridiculous at best and condescending at worst?
I will never be mistaken for a Cambodian or Ghanian, however long I live in those countries. Even having lived in the US for one year I was still considered a tourist every time I opened my mouth and unleashed my ‘quaint’ British accent. And I have no problem with that. I am aware that when I travel I represent, in a small way, my country. Particularly in places that have limited exposure to foreigners, how I am perceived by some will be projected onto their perception of the entire people of the UK. (I still look back with great embarrassment to the time some 20 years ago when I got very drunk at a cousin’s home in a small Polish town. If that was an early encounter with a Brit for any of the folk I met that day, I apologise to the entire UK for the reputational damage done).
If you look at it the other way, let’s say you had a visitor from a small Pacific island staying with you for a week. Would you want them to watch your every move, mimic your actions and gestures and effectively pretend to be a native of your country? Or would you prefer them to relax, make themselves at home and act in the way that makes them more comfortable? Japanese society has perhaps the most strictly observed rituals; yet few if any will be offended by a foreigner who doesn’t quite get it right, and by all accounts most will go out of their way to make you, the guest, feel at home.
Sure, I want to know what things are considered offensive in a country and avoid upsetting my hosts. And as someone who is fascinated by human behaviour in any case I will always observe others’ actions, routines, interactions and appearances. But I do draw the line at trying to behave in a way that is not natural to me. Behaving with respect is a necessity wherever we travel. But this is best done by being ourselves while aware of how others perceive us and by absorbing other cultures through polite curiosity and an attempt to understand, and not by blindly copying the ways of others.
Too right! As a Yank, I’ve been all too aware of the bad reputation many from the US have, but I don’t see a need to let go of our own cultures entirely – that would be odd. Better to do as you recommend; be ourselves, but be respectful and open to the ways of the culture we are visiting. Great post!
Thanks Anj. Yes, every nationality has its good bits and people invariably want to know a little bit about who we are, part of that being our own cultures. Keep being yourself 🙂
Lost hippies… aptly described….too funny:))
Hi. Love your blog. I’ve dipped in from time to time and always found really interesting stuff. I write a lot about the growing trend for ‘local’ travel. It can, of course, be interpreted in different ways, but I’d never suggest going local means having to dress up and pretend you’re something you’re not. It’s not about leaving your own culture behind. It’s more just about meeting the people who live in a place and spending time with them. It’s about breaking down barriers and not putting tourists in a special box where they only hang out together in certain, specific places where people who live there never go. Well, that’s my interpretation. As for the certain breed of traveller that does try to drop their own culture and pretend to be more local than the locals, well… yes, I see your point on them.
Thanks Vicky. Your view of going local is a far more positive one than the behaviour that I was having a dig at. And I absolutely agree that some of the most memorable travel experiences have been those interactions with people where they have had little exposure to other cultures, and as a result want to learn as much as they can about your world, while you are equally curious about theirs.
Thanks also for steering me to your site. You have some great stories. I was particularly horrified to read about the fake Maoris! I’ve added your site to my list.
I understand what you’re saying here Andy. There’s little more embarrassing and cringe-worthy than the over enthusiastic visitor who tries to go too local. I think Vicky’s interpretation of what it means to seek a local experience is more inline with my school of thought, but unfortunately there are always extremists who let the side down.
I always think that the burden of acceptance is as much on the host as it is on the guest. Understanding different cultural behaviours, and human behaviours is a two way street. Both parties are required to compromise and be respectful in my view, we all have things to share.
While I too see where you’re coming from, Andy, I sit in the same camp with Vicky and Stephen. I don’t think that ‘going local’ today means what it used to. In fact, independently of what you’ve written here (meaning I wrote what I did before I had seen your post), I’ve argued for something very different in a blog that just went live here (a Lonely Planet Yahoo! travel blog): http://au.travel.yahoo.com/b/insideourlonelyplanet/224/get-lost-go-local/. I don’t mean to direct traffic away from your excellent musings here, but I think this presents a valid counterpoint to your point, something perhaps worth debating in wider circles.
Thanks Ethan for your valued comments and also for sharing the link to your post, which I would recommend others to visit. I think we’re not far apart in our views here, and there’s nothing I would disagree with in your post. Spending time with the people we meet on our travels, learning a little about their lives, joining them in eating and drinking and sharing stories of the past; all of these have formed the highlights of many trips for me. I guess the ire in my post was directed at those who do cross the boundary of mutual curiosity and respect, and start to dress and act local, especially so in front of other travellers. I saw this in my recent trip to SE Asia, and it was not pretty. I do appreciate the positive movement towards genuine local travel, particularly CBT, and fully support this as a way to benefit not only the communities but also the tourist, who will gain a far richer and unsanitised experience.
We share an aversion to travelers who try to ‘dress and act local’. Often there’s something almost comical about it. I think there’s a little of it in all of us, though. I’ve bought clothes in a foreign land that, in context, seem like a natural purchase but, back at home, are hysterically out of place. I’ve learned to adjust to a new land — handshakes and gestures, figures of speech, general comportment — but also to un-adjust when in a new setting. In other words, adaptability is important but the travel bubble can temporarily alter one’s reality. So, yes, there are limits. I am still who I am no matter where I go, unlikely to convince myself, or, for that matter, anyone else, of the contrary. And when I see people who have crossed the line, I too wonder what they’re trying to accomplish.
Core to what I see today as ‘going local’ — a very different concept from that of the past — is not trying to be local, but finding a way to open yourself to what a new land can bring you. It’s not about mimicry, it’s about receptivity, complicity, sensitivity and empathy. It’s about learning new values as lived by others, understanding how and why certain spices are used, certain materials are preferred, certain lifestyles evolved. And it’s about experiencing them in a context that is respectful of and beneficial to both visitors and hosts. I think it’s a powerfully qualitative difference, so much meaningful than simply donning local goods. In fact, it’s probably best done while wearing your very own clothes and explaining why you prefer them.
Again not wishing to direct away from here, but this is something that I touched on in yet another blog post (found at http://www.thebrooklynnomad.com/going-local-yesterday-again-today/ ) at the same time as the link in my previous comment.
Thanks for allowing me to share.
Well summed up Ethan; thanks for sharing your insights here. I like your description of going local as learning the values as lived by others in a context that is respectful to all.