Philosopher Alain de Botton suggests “the pleasure we derive from journey is perhaps more dependent on the mindset with which we travel than on the destination we travel to”.
I quite agree. And I think the conversation I overheard on the train* sums it up very well:
Little Boy (aged about 3): “Mummy, are we going on a journey?”
Mummy: “Yes, a journey”
Little Boy: “We’re going on an adventure!”
*the 8.39 Oxford to Birmingham, for those who like to know these things
They say that laughter is the best medicine. And it seems to be pretty universal. Here’s a Norwegian joke.
A Norwegian lorry driver was on his way to Bergen, transporting penguins to the aquarium there. Unfortunately his lorry broke down on a mountain pass. As he stood by the road, wondering what to do, another lorry pulled up, and the Swedish driver got out and asked if he could help. The Norwegian explained his predicament, and the Swede offered to help, loaded the penguins into his truck, and drove off.
Next day, lorry fixed, the Norwegian reached Bergen. As he stopped at a traffic light, he saw his Swedish saviour from the day before, waiting to cross, with the penguins in a row behind him. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked “You were supposed to be taking them to the aquarium!”. “Oh yes” replied the Swede. “That was yesterday. Today I’m taking them to the movies.”
Footnote
Quite a lot of humour appears to be at the expense of other nationalities. The English tell Irish jokes, for example, the French- Belgian jokes. Indian jokes are often about Sikhs, Polish jokes about Russians, Brazilian jokes about Portuguese… You get the idea. Hmmm. There’s a whole question there about who it’s OK to laugh at, if anyone.
Footnote to the Footnote
Blonde jokes are told by everyone
Seen recently in Bordeaux, this notice made us smile. It also made us think.
One lesson from travelling – we learn a lot, including how much we don’t know. All those unwritten ‘rules’ around the world; what to wear, how to greet people, what time to eat etc etc. Some things you can work out – as the late great Yogi Berra said “you can observe a lot by just watching” – others are more tricky. One of the tricky ones is tipping. Have you ever wondered (we have!) should I tip or shouldn’t I? How much? Who should I tip?
Countries that appear similar in many ways can have different tipping cultures. In the Netherlands tips are expected in restaurants, in Belgium they’re not. The French, British and Americans tip the hairdresser, the Dutch and Swedish don’t. In the US tipping is almost obligatory, and amounts are higher than in Europe too. I guess we’re not the only ones who routinely research “tipping in ….” before we go.
Because there’s that worry, isn’t there, what if we get it wrong? Tipping when we shouldn’t, for example. Well, in Japan your offering might be turned down, tipping is considered rude. And although things might be changing a bit in Australia in the cities, one Australian* maintains “… many of us hate it when people tip. It is not necessary and a culture that we do NOT want in Australia”. If even if tipping is OK, though, how much is the right amount? The “accepted” sum can vary, from loose change, up to 20-25%. Rick Steves (ricksteves.com) advises Americans travelling in Europe “…if your bucks talk at home, muzzle them on your travels” and goes on to say “believe me – tipping 15 or 20 percent in Europe is unnecessary, if not culturally ignorant”. Oh dear.
Rick’s comments hint at another aspect of the tipping dilemma, what does our tipping (or lack of) say about us? what will others think about us based on the way we tip? Or even on the way they expect us to tip? This was really brought home to me when I recently read an insightful and thought provoking post “Tipping While Black – Dismantling Stereotypes in the US and Abroad” (theblogabroad.com). Well worth reading, well worth thinking about, whatever our skin colour. And an addition to the big debates about tipping and “overtipping”, especially by travellers from richer countries in poorer places, debates about many of the big questions of our times: inequality, the world order, best ways to relieve poverty, and so on, and on…
*taken from TripAdvisor, 2016
The setting of Banjaran resort, near Ipoh (a couple of hours drive from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur) is stunning, set in ancient rainforest and surrounded by karst hills.
Guests are woken by birdsong, and can meander through the grounds watching butterflies.
But… there’s always a but, isn’t there… proximity to wildlife has its disadvantages.
And the Banjaran monkeys are discerning. They appreciate the cuisine as much as their human cousins. They’ve worked out how to open the fridges in the rooms. And they gather within snatching distance of the (delectable) breakfast buffet,
The staff confided that the monkeys had been a huge problem, for guests and staff alike. Until someone thought of an ingenious solution. Now, every room, as well as the restaurant, has its very own Guardian.
travelling frogs 