Cultural Expectations concerning travel +++ Expectations Vs. Reality +++ Slow Travel +++ Absolutely Intercultural 277 +++

Hello and welcome to show 277 of our podcast “Absolutely Intercultural”. In the middle of our travel season in Germany we are going to talk about “Cultural Expectations concerning travel”. In this show, we will hear about different types of travellers or maybe even different cultures of travelling. Whichever type of traveller you are, holidays often take you out of your routines and comfort zone to test your flexibility. The guests we have for today’s episode will share cultural insights that they had not expected. 

absolutely crowded

In our first category, “absolutely crowded” we listen to a conversation between Carlos and Shelbi about their expectations of London. Where do our cultural expectations about places we visit actually come from? From family and friends’ experiences? From Films we have watched? Perhaps even from our Language Learning Books? 

absolutely memorable

In our second category, “absolutely memorable”, we will listen to Shelbi who talks about her real experience in London and how her expectations were changed by reality even from the very start when she checked into her hostel.

absolutely unexpected

In our last story, “absolutely unexpected” we hear from Carlos  about his experiences in London. He shares how discovering something unplanned and unexpected during the trip made him enjoy his time even more. Carlos realized that with all our planning it is good to also leave some time unplanned just in case an unexpected opportunity presents itself.

What about you? Have you ever traveled somewhere where you felt there was a cultural expectation that you have to tick off at least seven “Must-Do’s”? Or do you sometimes prefer to travel without having expectations or a strict plan? Feel free to share your story with us.

Write a comment or mail us, we could do a follow-up interview with you in one of our next shows. On our web page, absolutely-intercultural.com, you can get more information about this show and previous episodes, and you can leave comments. And if you enjoyed the show, please like us on Facebook too.   

By the way, did you know we are also on iTunes or Apple Podcasts? You can subscribe to us there for free and give us a rating and a comment. 

Our next show will be coming to you on 2nd September.

Until then – travel more slowly and –

Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell! 

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann

Chief Editor: Natalia Obikhod

Assistant Editors:  Carlos Fuch, Lars Felder, Shelbi Ankiewicz 

 

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absolutely intercultural 139 +++ Kurds and Arabs +++ Iraq +++ NYOI +++ Spiritual Journeys +++ Migration +++

In this show we will talk about: religious intercultural exchange and especially the famous Catholic event  “World Youth Day”, a New Zealander who traveled the world and found the most unusual souvenir in Peru (his wife), and I will take you behind the scenes of the inspiring project – the “The National Youth Orchestra of Iraq” which we already heard about in our last shows.

absolutely unexpected part I
We heard from the Scottish conductor Paul MacAlindin himself, from tutors who are supporting the orchestra by teaching different musical instruments and even from students at RheinAhrCampus who helped promote the project through social media such as Facebook and YouTube. This time, in our first category  we will hear more about the intercultural differences, the language barriers and the everyday challenges of the “National Youth Orchestra of Iraq”. I talk with Karl-Walter Keppler, the chairperson of the sponsorship association which is organising financial support for the Iraqi musicians so that they can travel to Europe to perform in the Beethovenfest in Germany. Karl-Walter has first-hand intercultural experiences as he, himself, travelled to Iraq last year.  But what are the motivations behind his involvement in the project?

absolutely spiritual
In our second category  I talk to a student from RheinAhrCampus, Denise Wagner, who is perhaps a little different from other students. Most students nowadays are not very religious. Or if they are, we don’t really notice. However, Denise is an exception. She is an active Catholic and likes to do pilgrimages and so she has traveled to many spiritual places – for example the Greek Island Pathmos. Her next destination will be the “World Youth Day” which is going to take place in Spain later this year. But is she doing this on her own? And what exactly happens when she arrives at these places? Is this about fasting with bread and water in a monastery or about dancing around campfires and playing the guitar?

absolutely unexpected part II
In this category I want to come back to the interview with Karl-Walter Keppler. In this part he gives us insights into the specific work on the project. So what is his foundation doing for the orchestra? Without this support the Iraqui musicians would not be able to pay for their travel to Europe. Karl-Walter is going to tell us about the status quo of the project! Where are they at the moment, what they need and what is going to happen in the future?

absolutely migrated
In our last category  Mathew Dunne will share some of his life experiences with you. He is originally from New Zealand, but travelled the world until he met his wife in Peru on a holiday. He loves to leave his comfort zone and travel to unique destinations, but he may have different motivations… On these journeys, Mat has experienced a lot more than most of us. Mat is not just traveling as a holiday maker – he has lived in most of the countries he visited for a longer period of time and even worked there. He will tell us about his motivations and his specific experiences he gathered while working as plumber in London.

Our next show will be coming to you from Anne Fox in Denmark on 22 July

Until then –
Bleiben Sie absolut interkulturell!

The host of this show is: Dr. Laurent Borgmann
Editor: Markus Scherer