Cultural Blunders: Episode 234 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Even if we try really hard, it’s impossible not to make a cultural blunder now and again. Thanks to the advent of the internet, learning about a culture and its norms before we travel somewhere has never been easier, but that doesn’t make us immune to the odd cultural faux pas. The important part is (after apologising, of course) to learn from it.

I’m sure my most cultural-blunder-laden travel has been in Japan, because there are all manner of different cultural norms there and I remember being quite nervous at the start of my two years there about when I should or shouldn’t take off my shoes; so often, my Japanese friends would let me be the first to enter a restaurant or shop (to be polite), and yet I wished always they’d go first so I could copy what they did!

There are cultural blunders waiting for us everywhere, and Episode 234 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast includes quite a few – which are both entertaining, and instructive. Enjoy!

Show notes: Episode 234 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Cultural Blunders

Much of the fun of travelling is about bumping up against other cultures and habits – and these days as thoughtful travellers, we usually try to be prepared for this and learn what we can before we arrive. But cultural faux pas or “gross moments” happen to the best of us and there are some great examples to be found in Episode 234 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast.

First up, I chat with Bev Malzard who tells me a series of fabulous tales about her own unfortunate cultural moments during the course of many years of travels. Some hilarious, some serious – all things that Bev would do differently the second time around!

I then speak with Pam Mandel about a common cultural blunder – dressing inappropriately. Some years back Pam ended up unintentionally in Pakistan – unprepared and ill-informed – and made a cultural blunder she didn’t intend to.

Links:

• Bev’s blog TravelGal on the Move
• Pam Mandel’s website Nerd’s Eye View
• Pam’s book The Same River Twice 
• Join our Facebook group for Thoughtful Travellers

You might also like:

The Thoughtful Travel Podcast: Episode 18 – Cultural Fusion and Confusion Culture Shock Abroad – Episode 41 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast Cultural Differences Around the World – Episode 79 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast Bargaining and Tipping on Your Travels – Episode 91 of The Thoughtful Travel Podcast