miguelgcuadra

MY FRIENDS AND PEOPLE I HANG AROUND WITH , HAVE SIMMILAR LIKES AND DISLIKES..SO I HAVE NO PROBLEM. IF SOMEONE SEEMS SO IGNORANT TO MAKE COMMENTS LIKE THAT, I JUST IGNORE THAT PERSON AND STAY AWAY FROM HIM/HER.
I WORK = I SAVE= I TRAVEL, AT HOME HAVE THE BASIC THAT I NEED, NO LUXURY CAR, CLEAN, DECENT PLACE TO LIVE.

dan_woodlief

If it makes you feel any better, let me say that I envy you tremendously for getting to go to India. As an avid travel photographer, it is way up there on my list of musts. As for those other people - just ignore it the best you can - or just say "I have an interest in learning about other cultures, and I believe India has one of the most fascinating." Even better, say something like "Didn't you know India has some of the world's nicest beaches, casinos everywhere, and amazing shopping; plus, everyone rides around on elephants."

swalter518

May be simple but my favorite response to people criticizing my travel choices is "well it's a good thing you're not coming with then". We constantly have people questionning how we can afford to travel to the places we do(mostly Europe) or why we chose to go to certain places (France) and I've found that that response, as simplistic as it is, usually gets the point across.

swalter518

P.S. There is an article in Travel and Leisure on an India resort area this month.

jsmith

I'm appalled but not surprised at how incensed some posters are that coworkers and acquaintantices don't share their passion for foreign travel, particularly to non Europe locations. Why should you care? Do you feel have to justify your decisions?

I like to travel but I'll probably be ostracized by admitting that I rarely read an extensive trip report. I just can't get enthusiastic and I suspect many others wouldn't be any more enthusiastic about a trip report from me. Imagine how a non-traveller feels.

A little story for cigalechanta re Italians.

I was brought up in RI in a neighborhood with many Italian, French, Irish and English neighbors. I can only remember having my hair cut at the same immigrant Italian barber. After I married my wife in 1958 in Scotland I stopped in the shop for a haircut and introduced her to the barber as my wife of one month. After congratulating us he asked, " Where are you from?" She replied, "From Scotland." His comment, " you speak English very well for just being here a short time."

SeaUrchin

In my situation I have to tell people in my office that I am taking time off, I can't just disappear for weeks at a time. I answer people here when they ask where I am going and that is when the comments start. I am not looking for validation from them, that would be a sad case indeed!!

Judyrem

I am not defending your coworker's bad manners. Yet, I have to point out quite honestly, that there are some places just don't suit my comfort level. There are many countries I do not wish to go, that does not make me ignorant nor stupid....just not interested. Bad manners aside, they should be happy for you and are probably jealous IMO.

cigalechanta

jsmith, your barber was like my grandmother who told all her friends one of her sons was marrying an Enlish girl(read=non-Italian!) And when she went to buy spic n'span, she pronounced it, "speak'n pants." I don't belittle, criticize anyone where they go. If money were no issue, I'd be everywhere.
But The village people all over the world are like that. I can't tell you how many times, people living in the countryside don't know where another village is and rarely leave their area.
As long as they are happy, who cars.

Chatters

why should I care what rude people think? Other than the ocassional amusement on their behalf, their opinions are utterly irrelevant, more so because the type of people who would say something like that, are most likely absolutely boring, predictable, and uninteresting.

Let's talk travel!!

cigalechanta

Cares!!

sognatrice2

Dori,
I was so interested to read of your experience with the young man from Colombia, mainly because I just got home from an after work party. My supervisor (American) is married to a Colombian,
My "best friend at the office" is Colombian and married to an American, and my "cell" mate is also Colombian. We (I work for a huge publishing company) just held a "hispanic appreciation" conference 3 days ago,in which the heads of the company discussed the Latin Amercan market as the fastest growing one in the US.

Hopefully your friend from Barcelona will visit one day and realize how fast and how much the world is changing! I am so glad you gave him a good impression of Americans.
BTW, Illinois is one of the four states with the largest and fastest growing hispanic population (centered in and around Chicago.)

I envy you your time in India, I am sure it will be an amazing trip! I've discovered that wonderful travel tales are best shared with other travelers, and it's wise not to bother listening to any other conversations you might overhear at work. That is, if your real world is out on the road....

cigalechanta

Dori, another thing, I know a woman who does not travel but would rather change the look of her condo every year, new curtains, rugs, paintjob. I have never accepted an invitation to her home because one must take off their shoes. I'd gladly do that in the far east.
My place is what it is, and I prefer to spend our money on travel But it's alright if our friends live different lives for those slots UNLESS, they criticize your way.

Seamus

I find that my best response in such situations generally occurs following an extra large super deluxe burrito. Of course, there is generally no advance warning of when such comments might be proffered, so ingesting said comestible then (after a reasonable processing period) making an unannounced visit to the source of the offensive comment works, too.

aussieR

Dori,

When I booked my trip to India, my oldest friend of many years looked shocked and said "Are you actually going" I delighted in being able to say, "Yes I am" another thing I have had said to me when I have booked other trips I have taken is "You are kidding, aren't you" I do think there is a touch of envy when friends hear you are taking a trip, I have felt this way at times. India is a must see, a real culture shock, and although it is not encouraged to give to the people forced to beg on the street to survive, your pockets should be bursting with money to give. I have covered the North and Nepal but would love to go back and visit Mumbai and Kerala. I too respect the right for people to choose where they want to go.

aussieR

Jackie_in_Italy

I think you are lucky to get to go to India! Your boss and co-workers are just weird. I would love to go to India (and Africa, actually!).

I agree about all of this travel snob stuff, and the stuff about packaged tours, etc. being fine. A lot of people have different outlooks on the idea of tourist vs. traveler, but the truth is not everyone travels for the same reasons. Some people go on vacation, to relax, and that's definitely a different kind of traveling than the busy backpacker who stops in four countries in one week.

The lucky thing is that travel can be BOTH things. It's made for everyone, and somewhere along the line, that backpacker is going to meet those relaxed tourists, and they might even sit down for a drink and discuss the importance of Venice during the 13th century. Travel reaches everyone in some way, and it might reach completely different people in much the same way, actually. It has that power.

So go to India and enjoy it in your way, not worrying about what other people think.

And send us a postcard, too. (but don't send your boss one!).

Chatters

A true measure of charater is how people react to other people's good fortune. There are two Admin Assistants in my office. Whenever I requests vacation time, they always ask -"OK, where are you going now?-. The one always clams up and stops talking to me for a week, the other get so excited and happy and wants to talk about my upcoming travel plans all the time. Go figure. I also knew this person who will figure out where I was going next and then plan the same trip, but for the month before mine. I mentioned my anniversary trip to Scandinavia, and...you guessed it; she is heading out that way the month before. It's hilarious.

Mucky

I guess the world would be a boring place if we all liked the same stuff.
It takes all sorts I suppose, and besides, what ever would we do without MK_2.

;-)

Muck

rockhopper7

Dori, You sound like a good person. Keep working harder to ignore the idiots and have a great trip to India.

I don't understand the relevance of this comment (different poster):

"I know a woman who does not travel but would rather change the look of her condo every year, new curtains, rugs, paintjob. I have never accepted an invitation to her home because one must take off their shoes. I'd gladly do that in the far east."

I thought travel was supposed to make you more open minded, not petty.

ssachida

Gosh Chatters, now I'm jealous. You actually have someone to check things out for you before hand!! Sort of like tasting the emperor's food first to make sure it's not poisoned.

cigalechanta

rockhopper that was NOT being petty, only your interpretation. It meant, she could care less about travel only her home was important. And she doesn't like to listen to anyone's travel stories.