I had the best experience with backpack travellers for a good three years but realised that there will always be a feeling of betrayal. I have to be honest, not all nationalities I get along with and expected the villains of my personal adventure to come from them. Well, one was and I had nothing against him because it was expected. I hated his kind since I was a sperm. What hurts is those coming from those you always thought Had always been nice. One shook my bed in the middle of the night for eating crisps because he was more concerned about work next day than exploring the good things about people beyond the fences of your forest cottage (ok fine, that might have been my fault lol). The other was a couple who were more concerned about their opinions than exploring other people’s point of view. She was a Vegan but so was I (lasted a few weeks, lol) and still believe in Animal Rights. I just don’t want to rub it in to other people who don’t. I was the head chef of a student accomodation for indigenous Australians who were proud of their hunting culture. She got fired together with her boyfriend for not properly feeding the business clients but not before pissing me off. Every night, she would demand for a separate staff meal that was Vegan. I always thought that I would rather kill a human being than an animal but it was the first time I wanted to stab an animal lover who would save Animals at the expense of a human being … Me! They never lasted with other travellers from the last time I saw them. They finally bought a van and travelled on their own. Tsss! Where is the fun in that?
Anyways, I am mystified how some travellers find it difficult to get fair treatment even from societies we may consider inferior. Perhaps it’s the way they carry themselves? Are they not being nice? I had always been warned to stay away from the regional areas of Australia for they say that people there are intolerant of foreigners. I have been to three regional areas branded as “racist” but I have never experienced the foretold. In fact, I carried on the travel trail from these areas with love affairs left behind (sorry, this online journal includes flirts, lol). But maybe, I haven’t seen nothing yet. Anyways, the point is maybe I was carrying the right attitude compared to other travellers who were cocky? They say that they are just being honest but it is easy to be so when you are ignorant.
When I first arrived in Australia, I couldn’t be bothered to drop my use of “sir ” and “ma’am” and my Filipino (American) English. I insisted on flashlight, trash can, faucet, elevator, omitting the letter “u” in the word colour and pronouncing the “r”. I changed when I bumped into another Filipino cashier who was arguing with a local how to pronounce things. She insisted that she was using American English. Well sister, you are not in the Philippines anymore and what is the point of leaving the country if you were so at home in there that you wanted to bring it with you wherever you go?
My advice is that when you travel, leave everything behind but bear necessities, meaning Leave your comfort zone and bring nothing but a desire for fresh perspectives and universal language of acceptance and smile. Travel is all about experience, not comfort. It is not about what the place doesn’t have that your home does but experiencing how other people live. And best of all, try to talk to people. Who knows, a lightning might just strike.
LURKS FLIRTS AND BLUEBERRY PANCAKES 