Wrtg 101 - Travel

1309 Words6 Pages
Writing 101: Title University of Maryland University College Insert Title Here Throughout my life I have traveled to many countries on four different continents. My occupation is centered around interactions with other human beings, despite their background, culture, language, values, or beliefs. My success hinges on my ability to relate to other people and earn their trust. This in and of itself can be an overwhelming task when dealing with other Americans. Pile on top the stresses of a hostile environment where your country is viewed as an occupier, morally and religiously at odds with the host nation, and the fact neither of you speak the other’s language. This, to some extent or another, has been a large part of my life for the past eight years in the Marine Corps. Other than making me really, really good at party games like Pictionary where you have to communicate without words, I have picked up some similarities through my experiences between the cultures I have interacted with that are shared despite geographic separation, cultural exclusivity from lack of outside influence or exchange, and prior indoctrination of biases through propaganda or limited experiences. In the following pages, I intend to discuss these similarities to assist the traveler when she or he finds themselves in a similar position. While each interaction with an individual in a foreign country may seem trivial to the average American, that may be the only American that foreigner ever comes across, thus shaping perceptions for generations in the village. An example which we will discuss later is Greg Mortensen, author of “Three Cups of Tea”, who forever changed remote villages in Pakistan. We will primarily compare the Muslim cultures in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Asian cultures of Japan of the Republic of Korea. Some of the items we will discuss will be the theme of

More about Wrtg 101 - Travel

Open Document