UNPACKED: Tourism, Privilege and Mindful Traveling (Part 1)

It was a sweltering evening in Ubud, Bali – even though the sun had been down for several hours, the heat lingered in the air. My legs stuck to the wooden bench I was sitting on at the bar; my drink dripped condensation into a wobbly circle on the countertop.

The bar was only a short ways down the road from the volunteer accommodations that I was staying in. I was spending four weeks in Bali, teaching kindergarten as part of a volunteer program. My fellow volunteers and I had just completed our first full week, and so we’d decided to come out to the bar to enjoy a few drinks. I was still getting to know my new friends – after all, we’d only been together for a week – and as I quickly realized, new places don’t always bring out the best in people. As we sat around, drinks in hand, laughing and talking, one of the girls reached over and picked up a conical rice hat that had been hanging on the wall, placed it on her head and made a stereotypical prayer gesture in front of herself. She began to speak in an affected accent, laughing and mocking, and I lowered my gaze to the table while the others laughed. I didn’t find it particularly funny; in fact, I thought it quite offensive and insensitive, but when I volunteered this opinion, the others excused it as drunken behavior and assured me that it was fine, it was just a joke. Nevertheless, it sat with me for the rest of the trip.

Bali was my second stop on a six-week journey; I had previously spent two weeks in Australia. I spent these weeks exploring, volunteering, meeting people from all around the world – and grappling with the idea of privilege in the context of traveling. When I returned home, I encountered an article on  Bitch Media by Bani Amor entitled, “Check Yourself Before You Wreck Someplace Else: A Guide to Responsible Summer Travel” (1). The article provides several tips on how to travel in a more conscious and ethical way, taking into account the history of the travel destination and the fact that, as Amor says, “[travel] grants some of us the privilege of leisure, but it does so at the expense of other, more vulnerable communities, cultures and environments”. In short, travel is a privilege, and the article helps to provide ways to address that privilege and travel in a more conscientious manner.

After reading the article, I realized that it summed up a lot of emotions I’d felt during my time abroad. Although my experience was wonderful and eye-opening, there were moments of intense frustration. I was frustrated for two reasons: the first being that I did not know the best way in which to address my own privilege; the second was that often times, the attitudes of many of the travelers and tourists I encountered displayed a general ignorance and insensitivity to the local culture and community.

Inspired by Bani Amor’s article, I decided to put forth my own observations about privilege. I want to deeply discuss a number of topics relating to tourism, traveling, and privilege, which will be explored in a three-part series. Hopefully, this will provide me the opportunity to open up a discourse about these topics, allowing for open dialogue, thought, and discussion.

1. Language: Why do we expect people to know English?

While abroad, language can often provide us with challenges. As a native English-speaker, I encountered no problems in Australia. However, traveling in Bali for four weeks and not knowing even a word of Bahasa proved to be much more difficult. I welcomed the experience as a chance to navigate language barriers. During my time, I realized that this was not a shared attitude; in fact, I encountered a different attitude that I found very ignorant. Many of my fellow travelers were often impatient or critical of the local people, whose English was perhaps not the most fluent.

So why do we expect people to know English? Personally, I believe it stems from globalization, a long tradition of Western colonialism, and of course, privilege. It is a privilege to expect – to assume – that your host community will be able to accommodate to your mode of communication. This privilege manifests in the way that many travelers make no effort to communicate in their host country’s language – neglecting to learn even basic greetings or phrases – and yet are still impatient and frustrated when they encounter troubles with communication. The expectation that English should be spoken universally comes from a place of entitlement. When we travel, we need to understand that the host community owes us nothing by means of communication. It is not their responsibility to carry the burden of understanding your language and your needs, but rather a two-way street. How often do we expect English-speakers to know anything but English?

When traveling, it is important to be aware of your privilege as an English-speaker. It can be difficult to confront this privilege. I myself remember traveling to Lithuania with my dad to meet some distant relatives, and I felt  annoyed that no one would speak to me in English. I realized later what an odd expectation it was to think that everyone should make attempts to communicate with me, perhaps at the expense of  their own comfort, and that maybe I should have been the one wholeheartedly embracing the challenges of a language barrier.

It is important to understand the implications of accepting English as a universal mode of communication. We need to acknowledge our role in that tradition. Be patient. As Amor says, “Learn as much of the local language as you’re able, and don’t openly mock signs misspelled in English. You’re being gross.”

2. Culture: Understanding History and Context

Let’s talk about context. When visiting a foreign country, it is absolutely crucial to understand the relationship between your home country and the country you are visiting, and understand that this relationship will often times award you privilege. Read up on the history. Really do your research. As Amor writes, “Do some research on the historical relationship between your place of origin and your place of visitation. As an American of color, I don’t take the power of my blue passport and the heavy imperialistic history it weighs over others, a history which enables me to be a tourist today, very lightly.” Do your own research, and also let the local community educate you. They certainly have no obligation to educate you, but if they want to share their cultural practices and customs with you, respond with interest.

During my travels, I learned a lot about history, culture and community. In Australia, I climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge and heard fascinating facts and stories about the construction of the bridge, the original convicts that settled in Australia – although, interestingly, the tour did not go in depth about the indigenous Australians living in the area before the arrival of the convicts. Luckily enough, the art museum down the road from my hotel had an exhibition entirely focused on Aboriginal art, where I was made aware of the plight of the Aboriginal community and the challenges they face to this very day (and really, it’s amazing how much of the language is identical to that of those who are demanding justice in my own home country – but we can talk about that later). I took time to digest this information, eagerly listening to whoever wanted to share with me as to be able to develop a sense of the different viewpoints and narratives at play.

In Bali, I was fortunate that the volunteer program through which I was traveling dedicated the entire first week to cultural education and understanding. We learned how to make traditional Balinese flower offerings, learning the significance of each type of flower and grass that goes into the sacrifice, as well as the reason for making these offerings multiple times a day. We had classes learning basic Bahasa, cooking lessons, and a visit to a holy water temple in which we were able to participate in a ceremony to be blessed.

For many of my fellow travelers, these activities were a waste of time, boring, even unnecessary. They didn’t feel as though it was productive to learn to count in Bahasa or learn about the religious significance behind the different types of offerings. However, the moment you disengage from the historical and cultural significance of your presence in another country is the moment that you again contribute to the colonialist aspects of travel. Amor says, “But when we deny [travel’s] political implications, we reestablish it as a tool of coloniality and become complicit in its oppressive chain”.

So let’s get back to context. Being aware does not mean you need to engage in all the things I did. It does mean you need to read up. You need to understand your position in these settings. Are you traveling to a part of the world previously colonized by your home country, or perhaps a place where your country has had conflict? Often, these things are incredibly complex. Keep those things in mind. Also, remember that no matter the relationship between your home country and host country, you will probably still be in a place of great privilege. Most importantly, don’t be that person who, after splashing holy water on her friend’s face during an important Balinese ritual, loudly exclaimed, “Wow, it looks like someone’s coming on your face.” Yeah, that happened. And it was gross for a lot of reasons.

Your disinterest is privilege. You will never be forced into this discourse; in fact, in many ways you must actively engage it.

---

 

In Part 2 of Unpacked we will look at Wealth and Space! See you then ~ Shaghdad