Meeting Locals: 2003
Good travel requires connecting with people. Get creative: bring a Frisbee, look up a bridge club, assume a fake last name and get out a phone book. Connecting with locals puts a shine into your travel memories. How do you make sure you connect with the locals in your travels?
Table sharing
My wife and I were pleasantly surprised a couple weeks ago at a Paris restaurant.
We had asked our hotel desk manager for a good local place to eat one night.
He directed us to a very good but busy place. The two of us were seated
at a table with 4 chairs. Several minutes later, another couple was seated
with us. While unexpected, it turned out to be a godsend. The couple helped
us decipher the menu and were very friendly. We had a great time sharing
a table with them.
Andy
Highlands Ranch, CO USA Thu 11/27/2003
Meeting Locals on Trains
I meet and talk to local people while riding second class on trains. If
it is a long train ride, I almost feel "like family" by the end of the trip.
shana
USA Sat 11/22/2003
Befriending the locals
My life changed when I met Lidia in Florence in 1995. I was frequenting
her Leather Store Gioia Chiara on Via della Scala (just a few doors down
from Hotel Croce di Malta). She is now one of my closest friends, and her
family have been wonderful to me. My advice is make a friend in Europe and
then cultivate the friendship.
Alan Greenhalgh
Manalapan, NJ USA Fri 11/07/2003
Meet locals through homestays
A great way to get to know locals is to stay with them. Join the Hospitality
Club (www.hospitalityclub.org) or any other hospitality exchange network
(most of them are free) and stay with locals for free on your trips. Greetings
from Germany!
Veit Kuehne
Dresden, Saxony Germany Sun 10/19/2003
Meeting locals
Take a class. I am signed up for a one day class on canal-boat-skippering.
Another idea is to call a European school and ask if they would like to
have a native speaker visit an English class.
John Brangwin
Bellevue, WA USA Sat 10/18/2003
Pizza in suburban Zagreb
On 5 August I was in Zagreb, Croatia. I happened to get lost on a bus that
went into a part of Zagreb which I had never been to. Walking back to the
bus stop in the opposite direction, I did see a pizza restaurant which had
air conditioning (very useful as the outside temperatures were about 100
degrees). The chef and the waiter both spoke English, and they were rather
curious about how I found the pizza place as it was in a remote part of
Zagreb that few American tourists, if any, ever set foot upon. I ordered
a Capricciosa (ham, cheese, basil and mushroom) pizza, along with a half
liter of Ožujsko beer. My lunch cost me only under $6, where it could have
cost me over $10 in downtown. They taught me to say "check please" which
was "Molim račun?" I thanked them with "puno hlava". Sadly I don't
know the exact name of this restaurant, but I know it is somewhat northeast
of the Gradski Stadion Maksimir. By the way the reason for the shops to
be closed on 5 August was that it happened to be "Homeland Thanksgiving
Day". Fancy picking a holiday to come to Croatia!
Josh Hanz
Foster City, CA USA Sat 09/06/2003
Check Out a Festival
I just returned from Finland, and was lucky enough to be in Turku during
the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Races. I don't particularly like boats, but I
do like people watching. Walking around and looking at the ships was a cheap,
relaxing way to mingle with the Finns. Also, the crews were from all over
Northern Europe as well as Mexico. Next year the Tall Ship Races will be
in Denmark, and there are similar events elsewhere every year. (Flensburg's
Rum Regatta, Kieler Woche, etc.)
Karen Herreid
USA Tue 08/12/2003
Choo-Choo Chats
On the train to San Sebastian, I met several Spaniards that I ended up talking
to for hours. The teenagers were interested in Skateboarding/Surfing in
the U.S. and the adults were curious about travelling cross-country in the
U.S. by train. They were interested in everyday life of being "american" and I was curious about spanish/european life. We traded stories/jokes/slang
words and soon enough I was having one of my most memorable travel moments.
Vida Ahyong
Seattle, WA USA Mon 07/07/2003
Be a Church Regular
One of the best ways I found to meet local people during my stay in Italy
was to attend church services on Sunday morning at the Methodist Church.
As people got to know me, they began to invite me into their homes for dinner.
Also I received invitations to weddings and funerals. I loved being drawn
into their family gatherings and participating in their celebrations. Those
experiences gave me a better understanding of and appreciation for Italian
cultural life.
Cynthia
San Francisco, CA USA Fri 07/04/2003
Keep a Conversation Journal
When I was in Ireland, my friends and I started a notebook of interesting
quotes and dialogues from conversations we had with locals. We filled the
pages fast...the Irish are so friendly! By the second day in Limerick we
realized we'd had more conversations with total strangers than we'd have
had in a month in the States. As one friend pointed out, all it takes is
eye contact, a smile, and a nod hello--and voila, another entry in the notebook!
USA Thu 07/03/2003
Squiggle Game
A pad of paper and two pens is all it takes to break the ice. One person
draws a quick little scribble- no more complex than looping cursive letter-
and the other person uses their imagination, and a different color pen (just
for evidence of the original line), to turn the squiggle into whatever they
like. The object is not to stump your opponent but to find out what is in
their imagination. I played this game with my mom beyond simply passing
the time at stations or on long train rides- it would always create some
curiosity and it did not take long for anyone watching to understand the
rules. Sometimes folks were content to watch, and sometimes you could tell
they were itching to join in the game and were easily encouraged to play
a few rounds. The silly profiles and fantastic beasts were always good for
a laugh. And remember- it's about imagination- not fine art.
Sarah
IN USA Sun 06/15/2003
Say Hello
I was stationed in Sicily in the late 80's early 90's and traveled a lot
during my stay there. While sightseeing the only people who were not friendly
to me were other Americans. When outside the US if someone says hello to
you, especially if they speak english, please say hi to them in return.
It might ust be an american service member thrilled to hear their own language.
I'm planning a trip for Ireland in Sept and doubt I will see anything negative
about americans.
Paul
San Diego, CA USA Mon 01/13/2003