If you haven't travelled you don't know jack...

Combat squirrel said:
Well, I do agree that some people who have traveled can come across as holier than thou but they are very very rare, infact some of the nicest most down to earth and grounded sorts I know are those that have traveled extensively.

OCUK EXPERIMENT TIME

Iv literally just arrived in HK and im sitting in a hostal right now on the net planning my day and what to do, iv traveled a little before, greece, a few places around europe etc, but not this far and never for such a long time! (16 days here)...........want me to keep you guys updated?

Will it change me as a person ? lol, will I feel its helped? Ill make a few notes if like, I could link my blog ?

I can tell you right now right this second, live update as I type (you get the idea :p ) Im happy to be here, still somewhat confused at what time it is, and slightly nervous about heading out in the streets of hong kong, its all abit overwhelming in a good way, also exciting, thats all im feeling at the moment, im having the intention of finding my bearings and find shops near the hostal that will be useful, I guess these sorts of things help you grow as a person ? dealing with situations your not familiar with ?

Its going to be interesting.............ill keep a few posts if like of how my 1st day went later on ?
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Of course it will change you as a person (as long as you're open to it). It is however, completely up to you if that change is positive or not though.

Enjoy yourself. :)
 
Scubascorpion said:
Thailand taught me that no matter how little you "owned" you could still be happy within yourself and pleasant to others.
The Thai were in my book the most helpful, open and honest people I've ever met.
Most live in tin shacks and have literally NOTHING but they are "happy with their lot"

I can now see most westernised cultures as money grabbing obnoxious ******** who trample over you to get to the nearest free pound, to the point where it makes me sick that I was brought up in such an environment.

The only other thing travelling has taught me is how miserable the UK weather and its inhabitants are.

Hmm and maybe how small a bit of rock we really live on.. the only bit of rock we live on and we can't manage to use it in a sustainable fashion
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panthro said:
I disagree. Thailand is a case in particular as I’ve lived here for over a year now, worked with Thais on a daily basis and have many Thai friends. I have a pretty good understanding and a feel for Thai culture and I can happily say that the majority of people that travel in Thailand on the short term know SFA about Thai culture. I have to listen to travellers routinely spout off garbage about what they think they know when in fact they have no idea.

You can still know jack after having travelled.
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Scubascorpion is wearing the rose-tinted spectacles most tourists struggle to take off after their brief stint in Thailand and neatly demonstrates that the mere fact of travelling to another certainly does not an enlightened person make.

First, most Thai people do not live in tin shacks. Few have literally nothing, but poor or not, they are as materialistic, if not more so, than people in the West. The vast majority of Thais want to have more money, just like we do.

There is a relentless drive for greater material wealth. Thais are also a lot more superficial, which is why you'll see poor people wearing gold jewellery and carrying an expensive mobile phone. In fact, it's a fundamental difference between Thai and Western culture (that westerners find hard to accept) that love is expressed with money. When two people get married, it's customary for the husband to show off how much money he has by presenting a basket of gold and cash to the bride's parents at the ceremony, so everyone can see. (The parents don't always keep the money, but that's a story for another day)

Then there's deep-seated financial corruption that pervades the political, security and legal systems, not to mention the general inclination of people to overcharge foreigners which reaches absurd and sometimes violence heights in certain tourist areas but can and does happen anywhere. Generally tourists don't understand when their new "helpful, honest and open" friend scoffs mockingly in Thai at their "stinginess" or desire to buy a cheaper item or any other rude of disparaging comments made in the native tongue.
I might as well throw in the neurotic obsession with having whiter skin and accompanying distaste for anyone with dark skin and the current nationwide craze for Japan and Korea that borders on childishness. It all hardly points towards Thais being "happy with their lot."

________________________

The point of the above diatribe is that, like the UK, Thailand is a country with problems. It is not some idyllic haven full of Buddhists who are so materially content and at peace with the world that the sun shines out of their backsides and generates free energy for the country. I wanted to show that the fact that someone has travelled to another country does not mean they have any real understanding of that country, or the world at large. In fact, as Scubascorpion's UK-bashing-Thailand-is-paradise post shows, they can actually come back with a greater misunderstanding of things.

As Panthro says, you can still know jack after having travelled.
 
big_white_dog84 said:
Travelled? Do you mean spending a few nights in Youth hostels in Thailand, Japan and Australia? Possibly 'trekking' in Peru, which probably means an organised tour of those ancient ruins before returning to your Youth hostel?

yes, this really helps broaden people's horizons!
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This is spot on.

Being well travelled these days means nothing.... Means you could get a crap summer job earn a few Grand and buy a plane ticket or have a rich mummy and daddy letting you live a perpetual holiday lifestyle for a year.

I hate talking to the people that seem to only relate anything in normal daily life to experiences they had travelling...
"Oh when i was in Phuket i boiled an egg too"
"Did you know in Laos they eat breakfast in the morning too ?"

Winds me up.

Coincidently from my worldy travels ive learned Britain isn't so bad after all, and i rather live in a colder climate than a hot one.
 
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I disagree with this statement.

I myself would completely refuse to travel to a place where I could get persecuted for doing something that is legal in the UK, such as where a British girl working in Saudi Arabia was jailed for 6 months for working in the same room as an unrelated man, and also where women are arrested for driving, and where a female tourist to Dubai who reported rape, was instead arrested for illegal sex with her fiance.

(cant find the first one)
http://www.blaghag.com/2010/01/tourist-in-dubai-reports-rape-to-police.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/05/saudi.arabia.woman.driver/index.html

I am a minority myself, and have a very good understanding of other religions and countries, but as a word of advice to anyone living in a free democratic country, never be moronic enough to go on a holiday or to work in any sharia country.

Also, I couldnt ever travel to Ireland or Italy where blasphemy is illegal, because I happen to blaspheme and take the mick out of religion whenever I get the chance to.
 
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Nix said:
Of course it will change you as a person (as long as you're open to it). It is however, completely up to you if that change is positive or not though.

Enjoy yourself. :)
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I can say this much so far, IMMENSE ! :D iv had a good wander around, sooo many shops and everyones so nice, just a great atmosphere, in the causeway bay area at the moment, been to victoria park (so nice) and been a few camera shops, pricing is strange, some camera lenses are same price, others are half price, trying not to be tempted :P Been just walking around with a smile on face, such a refreshing change ! lol
 
Skull said:
*Snip*
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That's the sort of insight that most people don't know get when on hoilday, yet it could be much easier to pick up a book written on the subject and have a much better idea about the real thai culture than going round the world... :)

Who knew employment was so bad in Tunisia that graduates from good universities have to work jobs traipsing across the desert connecting cables for a tiny wage. I didn't until I spent a period working with them...

bhavv said:
I disagree with this statement.

I myself would completely refuse to travel to a place where I could get persecuted for doing something that is legal in the UK, such as where a British girl working in Saudi Arabia was jailed for 6 months for working in the same room as an unrelated man, and also where women are arrested for driving, and where a female tourist to Dubai who reported rape, was instead arrested for illegal sex with her fiance.

(cant find the first one)
http://www.blaghag.com/2010/01/tourist-in-dubai-reports-rape-to-police.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/03/05/saudi.arabia.woman.driver/index.html

I am a minority myself, and have a very good understanding of other religions and countries, but as a word of advice to anyone living in a free democratic country, never be moronic enough to go on a holiday or to work in any sharia country.

Also, I couldnt ever travel to Ireland or Italy where blasphemy is illegal, because I happen to blaspheme and take the mick out of religion whenever I get the chance to.
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So essentially don't leave the UK? There are laws in the US and France/europe that from the sounds of it you wouldn't be able to cope with... The whole idea of going to other countries is to repsect other clutures and rules. Essentially although it seems very odd when you are ast in the UK that arrests like that occur, they essentially broke the law, just because they are tourists doesn't mean they are above the law...
 
There is nothing that can be learned from travel that can't be learned by living within any UK city. Some people have, some people have a little and some people have very little. The landscape and climate in which this happens is interesting but meaningless, given that we live on one of the nicest corners of the planet. All travel does is open your eyes to it.
 
I agree.
I think many people that dont travel and have no desire too tend to be inward looking.

You need to get out there!
 
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