Tolerance For New Cultures
Tolerance for New Cultures
Since we are traveling through a number of countries, it's important to learn about their way of life before we arrive. In Peru and Colombia, the people speak Spanish. All of the members of our team speak Spanish. For Ruben, Carol, and Warren, Spanish is the language they grew up speaking. For Eric, Dave, and Amy, we've been learning Spanish in school and through traveling in Spanish-speaking countries for a number of years. However, none of us is fluent. Ruben and Carol speak both English and Spanish fluently, and can act as translators if we need them.
However, most Brazilians don't speak Spanish or English. The national language for Brazil is Portuguese. None of the expedition team members speak Portuguese fluently. The good news is that Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, and even have some of the same words. Yet, we're sure to have some difficulty communicating with people once we arrive in Brazil in about two weeks.
By far one of the greatest parts of the Trans-Amazon Expedition is meeting new people and learning about their lives. For the most part, people who we meet are very kind, curious, and helpful. People are eager to invite us into their homes and show us what life is like in their village. In all the years we've traveled, we've found that the best way to make new friends is to be open to new ideas, traditions, and ways of doing things.
Sometimes it's easy to think that the traditions of different cultures are weird or that a food some people eat is gross. But, when you meet someone different than you, don't automatically make a judgment of the people. Different ways of celebrating a holiday, or the clothes you wear, or the food you eat might be just as weird or gross to the person you're meeting. Being tolerant of different things and appreciative for everything offered to you is the best way for making new friends. And as we all know, the more friends you have, the more people are willing to help you out if you need it. I'm sure we'll need all the help we can get to successfully complete the Trans-Amazon Expedition.
We will begin our journey in Iquitos, Peru. Iquitos is the largest city on earth that cannot be reached by road. All goods and people must come by boat or plane. What challenges would this cause?
However, most Brazilians don't speak Spanish or English. The national language for Brazil is Portuguese. None of the expedition team members speak Portuguese fluently. The good news is that Portuguese and Spanish are very similar, and even have some of the same words. Yet, we're sure to have some difficulty communicating with people once we arrive in Brazil in about two weeks.
Riberneros, or people of the river, rely on the river for all their needs. Learning about new cultures help us become more informed and tolerant of difference.
By far one of the greatest parts of the Trans-Amazon Expedition is meeting new people and learning about their lives. For the most part, people who we meet are very kind, curious, and helpful. People are eager to invite us into their homes and show us what life is like in their village. In all the years we've traveled, we've found that the best way to make new friends is to be open to new ideas, traditions, and ways of doing things.
Life on the river is very different than at home. What are some ways we could make sure to make a good impression on people we meet?
Sometimes it's easy to think that the traditions of different cultures are weird or that a food some people eat is gross. But, when you meet someone different than you, don't automatically make a judgment of the people. Different ways of celebrating a holiday, or the clothes you wear, or the food you eat might be just as weird or gross to the person you're meeting. Being tolerant of different things and appreciative for everything offered to you is the best way for making new friends. And as we all know, the more friends you have, the more people are willing to help you out if you need it. I'm sure we'll need all the help we can get to successfully complete the Trans-Amazon Expedition.
What are some of benefits traveling to new countries and witnessing new cultures might be for the expedition team members?