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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 15, 2024

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My brother and I have traveled to a number of 3rd worldly places and also just regular European cities etc... This guy is just traveling, people are nice to you if you're out traveling and have money to spend and time to kill. I've invited travelers on adventures to stay at my cabin instead of having to tent out when they are passing through our vacation spot, I'm excited to meet a different culture and make a new friend. I'm not worshiping a French Canadian a who is biking the east coast. They are also being recorded the whole time, which is always weird and I don't really see how any of these bloggers can have genuine interactions while recording all of it for profit.

It isn't radically different to have a night out in Lisbon or in shitty Mexican shantytown far outside of Tulum. People like travelers for the most part. Especially if they are buying beer and massages, why wouldn't they? I don't see anything more than people being kind to a traveling dude and curious and open. They aren't worshiping a godlike Aryan dude, they are just being kind and having a good time with a traveler. If you haven't traveled a lot or hosted, this is a super common dynamic. You make a meal, introduce your friends have some drinks and hey it is great. Breaking bread with strange folk passing through is a tradition as old as time.

Second this, and also plenty of places are still very nice to travelers even when they don't have much money, either because it's fun, or because their culture demands it. Perhaps both. I've wandered around the Republic of Georgia as an average looking young foreign woman, and they were universally both extremely hospitable (impromptu BnB in their house for cheap, free wine, show me around town, introduce me to their local English speaker), and fairly protective. People would think it very shameful if a foreigner got in any kind of scary situation in their town. Kind of the same ethos as Abraham and family, or the Odyssey -- you deserve the wrath of the gods if you aren't hospitable to wanderers.

Do you speak Georgian? If not, how was the language barrier?

I don't, it's very hard to learn, and I am not much good at languages. I learned enough to do things like go shopping, hire a cab, or give an extremely basic toast.

It wasn't too bad -- most communities have at least a couple of English speakers, and will go find them. Most older people know some Russian, and younger people know some English. We were part of a government volunteer program specifically to provide English speakers for people to practice with. The latter goal had mixed success in my case, since I'm more introverted than ideal for the role. I went to a lot of occasions where I just didn't know what anyone was saying most of the time, but didn't really mind it.

Yeah I think some posters are reading way too much into what is just general traveler hospitality culture. I mean we have it here in the states, especially in smaller towns or rural spots that don't get much foreign traffic. If a Congolese dude shows up with money to burn and some good stories in Norway Maine, they are going to get a very hospitable welcome.