I’ve HAD IT With Cheap Toilet Paper!
I’ve had the privilege of traveling abroad quite a bit and few things fill me with awe and wonder more than experiencing what other countries have to offer! I love visiting places I read about as a child, and experiencing other cultures is an eye-opening experience that often changes (or challenges) your perceptions of concepts like “poor”.
Our new normal will eventually include travel abroad again, and you may be thinking about your next trip. But . . . have you ever wondered about how diversity can play a role in your travel experience? During a trip to Hong Kong a few years ago, I was convinced that ALL of the people who looked at me quizzically on my walk back from the ferry’s bathroom, were focused on the color of my skin as we were the only African Americans on the boat.
As it turns out, I had wiped my sweaty face with the only thing I had available – toilet paper – and pieces of it were stuck to my skin. (I usually prefer the word “perspiring” or “misting” but it is what it is, and this was a full-on sweat!) 🤷🏽♀️ Anyway . . . when I got back to the hubby, I was hot – literally and figuratively – and I complained about the rude people on the boat who had “obviously never seen an African American before”! How dare they??!!
He didn’t say a word. He just took out his phone and snapped this photo, and then we laughed . . . and laughed . . . and laughed for about two days. In fact, I still laugh every time I think about it! 😂 Ironically, though, while I was questioning their diversity consciousness, they could have just as easily been questioning mine based on my (un)righteous indignation about “those people”.
The thing is, I have been in situations where my skin color wasn’t accepted while traveling abroad - and domestically. So, I’m just curious, have you had to contend with others’ assumptions or perceptions of you while traveling? If so, how did you handle it? I’d love to read your comments here!
And . . . for more on the subject, here’s a great article on implicit bias and travel:
