Be Prepared! Learn A Little Language!

When I was in college I had the opportunity of traveling with an ensemble one summer.  We had the privilege of going to Venezuela for part of that summer.  There was a lot of preparation involved for that trip.  We even had to learn some Spanish (including songs and our testimony).  It's always good to be prepared.

Most our time was spent in the city of Puerto Ordaz.  It's a nice little town.  We were able to sing in several private and public schools in the area and some churches too.  Each program we took turns sharing our testimony to the kids.  This was done in Spanish or with a translator.  When it came to my turn, we were at a church and there were a lot of kids.  They were rowdy and noisy, but when I started to talk, you could here a pin drop in that room.  Not only was I speaking Spanish, but my accent was little to none.  The kids were so impressed they seemed to hang on my every word.

I share this illustration because it is always good to learn at least some of the language of the country you are visiting.  You don't know how much that is appreciated by the nationals.  It shows that you care about them as people and have a desire to relate to them and their culture.  You would be surprised how much a difference it makes, even if you just try to speak their language.

This is only one aspect of preparing to visit a country, but it is a useful one too.  Knowing some common phrases can get you around if you are lost, allow you to buy products from stores and markets, order your food at a restaurant, etc.   It is easy to find material to help you learn languages now-a-days.  There are books, computer software and online help. 

So, when getting ready to go somewhere overseas, don't forget to pack your translator!  Be prepared.

 Helping you get the upper hand to change your life forever,

Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: http://www.workingathome.co/19415?go

Memories in Morocco

One of the alleys in town.  Took this myself.

I remember one of my favorite trips.  It was when I was staying in Spain for a couple weeks.  We decided to go to Morocco for a couple days and check out the sites.  I know that doesn't sound like a good idea, but this was back in 1998 and we did do our homework and were careful.

I took the ferry from Algeciras, Spain across the Straight of Gibraltar to Tangier.  From there we took a two hour taxi drive (and that was an experience) inland to a nice little town called Chefchaouen tucked in the mountains.  It literally means between two mountains.  It was a beautiful little town.

We stayed in a little hotel in town and had a guide named "Toto," yes that is what he called himself.  He spoke English and was quite the entertainer.  It was great.  He took us to the non-tourist places.  We had great authentic food.  It was my first experience with coucous.  Love the stuff now.  They also had some type of melon that was out of this world.

The town was a quiet one with generous and kind people.  The walls were painted white and blue.  The first five feet up was blue.  That was to keep the mosquitoes and other like bugs away.  The rest of the way was white.  This was to keep the buildings cool.  It worked too.

We saw beautiful gardens, went to a carpet weaver's store and ate in a local family's home for supper one day.  The last day we were there we stopped at a little "cafe" and I had some wonderful hot mint tea.  It was piping hot too.  That's the way they drink it.  It was in the middle of the summer, but they said the hot drink makes you cooler.  Supposedly you sweat after drinking it and that makes you feel cooler.

It was one of the most fun 3 days.  It was very relaxing and nice to be in a place so nice and tranquil.  This is a memory I will never forget.  It was an experience I'll cherish forever.  What a rich culture to experience.

Helping you get the upper hand to change your life forever,

Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: http://www.workingathome.co/19415?go

Preparing For Your Trip: Cultural Differences

It has been a whirlwind of a week so far, and today is the first day I have been able to publish a post.  I apologize to those who were looking forward to Monday's subject post.  Unfortunately I have to stick with the schedule in order to stay on schedule.

Today I wanted to share a few things I have learned in my years of travel and experiencing other cultures.  When traveling to another country, it is good to do a little studying before you go.  You don't want to offend someone or do something that would be interpreted as offensive or intentionally intimidating.

There are lots of cultural differences between countries, and a good resource to start your search for info. of course, is the internet.  If you are more old school or enjoy books, a good place to go is the local library or bookstore (such as Barnes & Noble or Books-A-Million). 

Start by looking at maps of the country and cities you will be going to.  Get familiar with the locations, the surrounding terrain, attractions, popular locations, etc. so you can get a good layout of the land.  This will help you to plot out your trip better and not make you feel lost when you get there.

Another good thing to look up is what the climate is usually like (you need to know what kind of clothes to wear) for that particular time of year, the local currency and exchange rates.  Find out what prices are like so you can budget your money better.

Gather information about the people, what they are like, what their customs are.  This is important to understand so you don't offend them.  In some cultures you don't use your left hand for anything except to go to the bathroom.  In some cultures it is rude to put your foot up and face the sole of your foot toward someone.  And in others it is common for people of the same sex to hold hands just to show friendship and nothing else.  These are things that are good to know so you don't embarrass yourself or those native to the country.

Read up on the local foods.  Are there any dishes you would like to try?  Maybe you will read about a kind of fruit you have never tasted and want to try.  You can learn tips like don't drink the tap water, only bottled.   That's the way it is in Morocco and Israel and many third world countries too.  In fact some countries it is recommended you not even drink water, but only soda from the bottle or can.

So don't forget to prepare for your trip adequately.  There are a lot of cultural differences to be learned to make your experience much more enjoyable.

Helping you get the upper hand to change your life forever,

Peter Bunn
 Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: http://www.workingathome.co/19415?go

Foreign Cultures and Travel

Like I had mentioned in my last post, I moved to Bolivia, South America when I was 8 months old and spent 15 years there.  This gave me a broader perspective on the world and its cultures and was my introduction to foreign cultures and travel.

 My first passport was when I was very young.  Whatever the youngest age is.  I think it's one year old.  With all the traveling we did, I have filled at least four or five passports.  After graduating from high school, I didn't stop traveling.  From then, through college and up to now I have filled my passports with traveling to over 12 countries worldwide and in just about every continent.

This has exposed me to a diverse amount of cultures and their languages, traditions, food and community.  This travel and exposure has given me much experience and a very broad view of the world and the people it contains.  I have traveled thousands of miles and seen many things.  Come join me in a journey across the world!

I have many stories of my travels and can't wait to share them with you.  These posts will also include travel tips and ideas for traveling to different countries.  

Helping you get the upper hand to change your life forever,

Peter Bunn
Rising Leader

Want a more stress free life and be able to be home with your family? Learn how to empower yourself with this experience: http://www.workingathome.co/19415?go