Some tips while working in different culture (or country)
Actually I was eager to write about this since long time ago, sharing my personal tips to face different environment and culture of other location / country. Firstly, these tips are based on my experiences solely. Other people may have other opinion on their own experiences. Frankly, my traveling experiences are not enough for the time being, however, still need to be dug it out more. For instance, most of Indonesian area, I have visited, but Papua is still out of my experience. I was about to go there, when consider to work as rock mechanics engineer while working in Golder Associates consulting or when I was willing to accept offering from Freeport as geotechnical engineer. For international area, I may have to consider Europe, America and other countries, rather than Asia, Australia and Middle East for example. Let’s see whether I could cover all area on my globe some day.
Generally, traveling to some new locations are interested, to be honest. We will get new experience from other different culture and custom. However, we may see this should be kept it as natural as before. Some case, if we see beautiful flower, do not touch it, just see it…leave it as natural as before. Do not ever think you are a God, could change established things suddenly. Remember we come just solely for working and traveling. Not less and not more.
As I mentioned before, tips below is listed with consider to my solely experiences. It may be suited to your own personality. Here is the tips :
- First thing and the important thing are preparing eligible travel documentation such as passport, visa resident ID, etc. Make it some copies and to be put in separate pocket, just in case we lost it.
- Other personal preparation such as : credit card, money, personal medicine, phone card, regional map, mobile charger, universal socket, int’l roaming mobile phone plus its spare (if it is necessary), satellite phone (if you are going to uncovered GSM), etc.
- Search any information regarding your traveling place (whether security banded exists), interested places, local culture, weather condition, accommodation, transportation, etc. We may gather this from googling, friend’s info, wikipedia, Encarta, etc.
- Search any greeting or other most common talks in local language, we may consider to local website, Encarta – this is the best I usually use because pronunciation included.
- If you are willing to take some picture of local people closely, please ask to them firstly. If they are asking for money, just leave it. This is most of my interested thing since human being’s face is unique. It tells some past stories. Some of places / people / activity are not allowed to be captured, so we may ask firstly.
- Diverse with local people and try to understand their habit/custom, suggested to know new some local words, simple ones, so it would show how appreciated you are. Try to get local food or drink to show your appreciation to their custom.
- Do not engage with woman personally – but this is solely happening on some area. Avoid to be with woman who are single in late night, unless it is really necessary. Some areas consider it as “tabu”. However, it will be interested experience also hehehe but again, you should understand local custom unless you will be going to jail or be punished in local rules.
- Try as best as possible to smile…smile is most general body language in human being’s story (but depends on what kind of situation is hehehe). But at some area and certain custom, bringing a smile to girl would give different perception hehehee it could be good or bad movement from yours side hahaha.
- If you have own religion, bringing your own religion stuffs will make you much safe (however that is solely my believing). It always works when I work in middle jungle or offshore.
- Try to get positive thought coming from local people, basically nervous
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