5 Ways to Immerse Yourself in Local Culture

Time for another Blog Carnival!

Carol at Girl Gone Travel is the host this time around, so please also check out the other carnival posts! 

I used to teach English as a Second Language and these tips pretty much overlap with what I recommended for my students because the best way to learn anything is to just jump right in and immerse yourself!

Rule #1 - Get Over Yourself

Me in a fez in Marrakesh, Morocco looking ridiculous

Yup, you're going to have to drop your ego off and be prepared to look silly now and then. You're learning/trying new things so you won't fit in right away. However, if you have a really open attitude and not worry about how you look or sound, people recognize and reward effort. You stand a much higher chance of being accepted if you are not uptight or sensitive about everything. Don't try to be perfect - the fact is, no one else is really caring or watching. It's true!



 
Rule #2 - Watch TV from that culture

I always told my students to listen to the radio and watch TV (that's how I won the favorite teacher award! Joke) because not only is it in the target language which helps for learning, but because it provides valuable insight to how those people think. You can learn a lot about the values and humor of a people from their media. Yes, some is over the top and stereotypical, but it still gives you some clue (and it's easy and fun!). Not only that, but you can most likely get a head start by watching from home (on the Internet maybe) before you go, and keep the memories alive after you return.

Rule #3 - Find a lover

That sounds cliche, doesn't it? But it works! Sure, a local friend is good, but nothing makes learning about another culture more fun than a romance! You also automatically get a whole new group of friends to hang out with as well!

These aren't hard to figure out!

 Rule #4 - Go OUT

Don't be shy, be a social butterfly! Go out and ride local transportation, get lost, get out of the tourist zones (consider safety) and try a little of all the local foods you can find. I love going to grocery stores and looking at the products. The less I understand about what it is, the more likely I am to buy it. I'm not even sure what I've eaten and I'm still alive! You don't have to like everything, but you should at least try everything!


Rule #5 - CouchSurf  

Nothing immerses you more in a local culture than actually living with a local family. I highly recommend CouchSurfing for that (tips here and here). On more than one occasion, CouchSurfing has made my travel experience WAY better than anything I could have accomplished on my own. Locals help you avoid the tourist traps and get immersed in the authentic side of daily life.
Even if you're not comfortable staying on a stranger's couch, you can join just to attend public activities/meetings and you'll meet tons of people that way. Often tourists will get together and check out sites as a group, so if you get tired of being a solo woman traveler, you can always join up with a CouchSurfing group for a day.
(One caveat: don't just join Couchsurfing to score a freebie. See if you agree with the whole philosophy and then decide if it's for you or not. Us Couchsurfers really care about our community!)

5 Travel Tricks & Tips for Travelistas on the Go

Time for another instalment of the Traveling Brown Girls Blog Carnival!

For more info, click here!

I've written a lot of "How to" posts in the past, but this one is going to concentrate on 5 tips for the jet-setting lady, someone who is always on the go! In my opinion, it's all about being organized and planning. Once you're all organized, it's easy to be spontaneous when you get invited to a last minute business convention or you take advantage of a last minute seat sale. Just roll with it, go with the flow and enjoy the journey :)

1) Always keep your toiletry bag well-stocked with must-have items

After a trip, even just a short weekend jaunt, I go through my toiletry bag and see what was useful, what was useless, what I was missing and what needs filling up. My toiletry bag is the easiest thing to pack because of this. I never have to worry about forgetting my toothpaste. You can spend as much time as you want picking out your clothes, but you shouldn't be worrying about where your deodorant is or if you have enough.

2) My father's advice - "carry a quarter and make sure there's always gas in the tank"

Ok, those days of only needing a quarter to make a call home from a payphone are far behind us, but my dad still had good advice! We can update it to "always keep your cell phone charged and paid up" and always have enough gas in your car to drive an hour. That was emergency advice, but it's also helps keep you spontaneous. You'll have a head start getting out the door if you don't have to stop to deal with those little time suckers. 

3) Make sure your passport is renewed way ahead of time

My recent passport issues prompted this tip. There can sometimes be processing delays and had I had something booked, I would never have been allowed to leave the country. Just plan ahead and it's preferable to not wait until your passport is about to expire. If you can do it about 6 months before, it helps. 

4) Have a travel fund

All this exciting jet-setting requires money, so put aside a bit every month in a savings account. The fact is, when all the stars align and you get that great combination of time off work and travel deal, you want to be able to take advantage without putting yourself in the poor house for it. If you always have a little set aside, you'll always be able to take advantage guilt-free when your girlfriends invite you on a last minute get-away. 

5) Trust your instincts

I have been to a few places people consider "dangerous" but I've never actually felt in danger. Trusting your gut or instincts helps keep you out of danger and helps you get out of sketchy situations before it gets worse. Remember, you are strong and capable. Don't let fear stop you. Listen to your basic instincts and then be cautious, but not afraid. You'll go far and see a lot if you stop worrying about being a woman and redefine yourself as a "traveler."  

Be sure to check out all the other great tips from the blog carnival here.

If you're interested in my other travel tips, follow the links below:

• How To Convince People You Can Travel Alone
• How To Prevent Jet Lag
• The Importance of Telling People Where You Are
• How To Pack Light and Stay Healthy
• Tips For The Naughty Bits

5 Travel Pet Peeves

I'm writing this post as part of the Traveling Brown Girls Blog Carnival.

For more info, check out OneBrownGirl's Blog! Enjoy!

The topic for this month's blog carnival is Travel Pet Peeves. I don't usually like writing about negative things; I try to be an optimist, so I had to dig deep! Here are mine:

1) People who forget they are a guest in the place they are visiting

Even if I'm just visiting a different city in North America, I try to remember I'm a guest and am on my best behavior. Yes, being a guest often comes with special privileges/treatment, but it also means you need to remember your p's and q's. It's one thing to make yourself at home and it's another to make a mess and put your feet up on the coffee table. I don't like it when people are rude and act like they own the place. Remember as a visitor, you are representing a whole group of tourists, not just yourself. Don't turn all of us into "unwanted guests."

2) Inconsistent airline security rules

This one probably bugs me the most. I re-read all the rules before I fly - especially since they like to change the rules every 5 minutes. I comply. I put all my liquids in the special zipped bag they provide. I don't try to hide anything. However, it seems that the rules depend on the mood of the security agent at any given moment. I have flown with the same bottles of the same liquids and 99% of the time, go through without any questions. Once in a while, one gets snotty or I don't know what  and wants to stop me for it. I've never had anything taken away because I can explain that I've flown with this particular item millions of times before and I happen to travel a fair bit, but it still annoys me to be questioned for what seems like a totally insignificant item.

3) People who complain things are not like at home

One purpose of travel, if you ask me, is to get out of your comfort zone and experience different things. Things should not be exactly the same as at home because, well, why not just stay home then? I can't stand to hear people complain about silly details and how this or that isn't like at home. You are allowed to not like a place, but every place should be judged on its own merit, not how much it meets the comforts of home.

4) Late check out issues

This really is a "First World Problem" but I like a late check out as much as anyone now and then. However, when checking out really late, I always inform them DAYS before and I also pay the extra hourly rate they require. I have no problem paying extra for what I need, this isn't my issue. My issue is the lack of communication to hotel staff and how my door gets knocked on at least 10 times by cleaning staff even after I've repeatedly told them I paid for late check out and no, I won't be leaving before X o'clock. I know they have to get a certain amount of rooms done in a certain amount of time, but my paying extra should compensate everyone for that inconvenience. Really, someone needs to find a way to put a note in the system (or maybe on my door!) and stop bugging me!

5) Stomach problems

Is it just me or are people more likely to get food poisoning while traveling? It could just be from eating out so much. Although with me, I don't get food poisoning as much as I get the opposite problem: constipation. I put this down to drinking less water while running around, not always being able to find a bathroom and the major change in diet. I have a wheat allergy, but travel often prevents me from avoiding wheat since it's in so many things and so hard to avoid. It's hard to maintain any sort of strict diet while traveling and yeah, I suffer for it! I might get stopped up, but I don't let it stop me! Ha!
Sorry I had to go there!

If you're not part of this month's blog carnival, feel free to share yours in the comments (with a link to a post if you like) and make sure to participate in October for the next one!