Diversity

Ah, the differences we find in our lives. Diversity in people, customs, places, animals, food, philosophies, languages, countries, and how we live.

In a conversation with a good friend, we discussed his trip to Africa. When he travels he does his best not to be "an ugly American" and to blend in with the local traditions. He was eating yogurt in a public place and a group of people came up yelling at him in Swahili. He only understood a little of what they were saying, but he knew they were very upset. A mob of angry people came swarming up. It was the most scared he'd ever been in his life and he didn't know what the problem was. Someone explained to him in English it was the first day of Ramadan, a day of fasting. He threw away his yogurt.

About ten years ago, we went sailing on a tall ship in the eastern Caribbean. One of our ports of call was Martinique. We took a tour to the spice markets. An array of products and spices was artistically displayed. One spice stand in particular caught my eye as being worthy of a photo. I got out my camera, took aim and the previously nice lady behind the counter yelled at me at the top of her lungs, "YOU NO TAKE PICTURE!  YOU BUY; THEN YOU TAKE PICTURE." I was so embarrassed! But I learned, make sure you ask strangers if it's okay to take their photo.

How about you, my blogging buddies? What experiences have you had in traveling or everyday life that taught you about diversity? Please share in the comments section.