Traveling around the world provides endless educational opportunities, be them through new facts, fresh perspectives on old facts, new cultures, or new experiences. Below is a list of five things I didn't know before leaving on our trip.
1) I can shower using just 6 scoops of water. At one point in Bali we showered simply by pouring water over our heads from water stored in a bucket. Other times, we had to turn the water off while applying soap/shampoo so as to not run out of water when we needed to rinse it all off. Total time with water running in those instances would be less than two minutes. Depending on what you read, water use in the US can be 5x-10x that of developing countries. Some of that imbalance is due to supply, or poor infrastructure, or both. But it is worth remembering that, while water is a renewable resource, it does not always get renewed evenly, either in the same place or in the same quantity/quality. And, according to the EPA, only 1% of the world’s water supply is available for human use (most water is salt water, frozen, or geographically inaccessible). So, six scoops of water is something to keep in mind the next time you are in the shower, or washing dishes, or doing anything with water. Anybody want to give it a try?
2) All babies sound the same when they cry.
Man, there are a lot of babies in this world!
And you know what? They all sound
the same -- a baby crying in Vietnam sounds exactly like a baby crying in New
York City. They also all make the same
goofy faces, stick just about anything in their mouths, and go from blissful
happiness to sheer despair in a nanosecond.
Kids, incidentally, are also kids.
As we taught English in Bali, it was like a classroom in America: the
girls would sit together and talk quietly (and laugh at the boys) while the
boys would torment each other…and the girls…and the teachers. Nobody willingly paid attention. Sound familiar? For me, this is a reminder of our common
humanity. Before the walls of difference
are built – ethnicity, language, religion, culture, politics – we all start out
our lives as manic depressive babies and impetuous, hyper-active children. Perhaps this can be the basis for the latest
round of talks between the Israelis and Palestinians? John Kerry, no need to thank me when you win
that Nobel Peace Prize.
3) Everyone loves ice cream. No matter
what country, what culture, what socio-economic status, ice cream is a
universal love. In America, it’s ice
cream on cones from an ice cream shop.
Same in New Zealand. In Asia, it
can range from plain ice with fruit to those pre-made ice cream bars (think
Good Humor). In Europe, it’s of course
gelato. Whatever the form, ice cream is
beloved all around the world. And, not
only do most countries have an ice cream man that travels around selling it to
people, but they all use a bell to announce their presence! It’s an amazing testament to how much people
enjoy their ice cream: it’s the only food that is brought directly to
people. Fruits and vegetables? Boring, just go to the market. Meat?
Rice? Milk? You lost me at
‘hello’. But ice cream? Yeah, you better bring that directly to me on at
least a daily basis. And if you don’t
let me know when you’re here, there’s gonna be trouble…
4)
Southeast
Asia loves Michael Bolton. It’s
true. We heard him played in multiple
countries on different days. And it’s
not like they have satellite radio over there, so hearing his songs is only due
to the deliberate actions of the people there.
And, more specifically than just Michael Bolton, the song we heard most
was “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You”.
Seriously, everyone is playing that song. Did the whole region just go through a bad
break-up? If so, just wait until they
get a hold of Adele!
5) Most Readers of This Blog Are the Luckiest
People On Earth. This one I sort of knew (as I'm sure we all do) but here are some numbers: of the 7.1 billion
people that live in the world, about 58% (~4.1 billion) are aged 25 and
over. Of the 320 million people in the US, according to the US
Census Bureau, ~204.5mm are aged 25 and over and 28.9mm (14% of the over 25
set) have a college degree. So, for
those of you reading this blog who are American over 25 and have a college
degree, you are just 0.7% of the world’s “over 25” population. Of course, there are other developed
countries. The World Bank puts 1.3bn
people living in “high income” countries; assuming similar proportions as in
the US, people over 25 that have a college degree and are a citizen of a “high income” country account
for just 2.5% of the world’s population; 5% of the world’s population if you
assume these other countries are twice as good as the US in terms of graduation
rates from university.
In addition, most
of the people reading this come from families that were able to provide for the
basic needs of life. We have lived in
the security of a stable political system committed to preserving fundamental
human rights. We were able to finish
high school, go to college, and, in a lot of cases, obtain a graduate or
professional degree. We were able to
find employment that paid more than a living wage. And, remarkably, we were able to choose
what, when, and where we wanted to do these things. Our lives, of course, have not been free from
barriers or struggle. But we do have it
a lot better off than most. In fact, we’re incredibly, against-the-odds lucky.
To me, that means
two things. First, we are required to
take advantage of this luck and pursue our hopes, passions, and dreams. A lot of people cannot, and the fact that we
can demands that we do not waste the precious opportunity we’ve been
given. Second, we have to help others
along the way. This does not mean we all
need to quit our jobs, join the Peace Corps, and live in a hut for the rest of
our lives. When we were in Cambodia, I
bought an origami-like bird from a little girl for $1. I will never forget the beaming smile, the
sense of accomplishment, and the genuine gratitude on that girl’s face. I’m not so delusional to think I changed this
girl’s life in any way, but it does remind me of the power of the simplest,
most basic act of human kindness. One of
my favorite books, “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts, says it best: “[E]very
human will has the power to transform its fate…no matter how good or bad the
luck, you can change your life completely with a single thought or a single act
of love." Same goes for the lives
of others.
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