Day 18: Guests from the East

[Andrew157]

It is said that travel broadens the mind. This is possibly the case if you travel somewhere and meet local people and get to know local customs. All our guests have been great but most of them are white Caucasian. So Brits, Europeans, Aussies or from the USA. One young couple who sticks in my mind were Muslim from the middle east.

They were from Saudi Arabia and had come to the UK to study at Southampton University. They did not think that freshers week was for them. Think about all that is wrong with fraternities rolled up into one week . They decided to come to the Lake District for a break. Their Sat nav told them it would take 4.5 hours, it took 9 and they were using apple maps so could not find the place. They were upset on arrival.

Anyway once found and rescued I showed them our apartment. They asked about supermarkets and restaurants. I guided them to Sainsbury’s. To eat on a Friday evening in Windermere the only choice is any of the pubs.  As young Saudis they had never been to a pub. I said I could keep them company. They said but you would have to drink. I said I don’t drink when I am driving or have guests or I am working the next day. They said but in Saudi they are told everyone drinks to excess every night in the West. I said look how many drunk people do you see - none

I said as this is the North of England if you don’t know something then ask. They did. They explored the lake steamers and the area after asking people in the street for advice. Everyone was welcoming.

So rather than putting in travel bans and building walls we should be building bridges and meeting people. I hope this young couple enjoyed their time in the UK and returned with more understanding of life in the UK and in the West in general.

Happy Christmas to all in the airBnB community

[Rhonda58]

Bravo for building that bridge!

[Robin4]

@Andrew157.....Now there you go! It is because of downright welcoming hospitable people like you Andrew, they don't want to go back and live in their country...they want to come and live in ours!!! :-))

Cheers.....Rob

Hey, is the Steamboat Preservation Society still going??

[Andrew157]

#Robin yes all those economic refugees coming over and stealing our Princes.

These guys did not want to stay in the UK. They came to study and they visited outside of their University town and London. They were open to other people and they saw with their own eyes that what they were told about the West was not true. Maybe others should go and see for themselves. 

[Andrew157]

Yes the Steamboat museum is reopening in 2018 and has been renamed Windermere Quays as it will cover all the history of transport on the lake including the Short Sutherland Flying boats. 

[J-Renato0]

 Very interesting story!

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”
Mark Twain

[J-Renato0]

In view of what has been said above... Can´t help thinking that  🙂

Certainly is because of downright welcoming hospitable kangaroos and aboriginal inhabitants that many people that went (it is said that a few of them was sent) to Australia don't want to go back and live in their original country 🙂 They want to live in the aboriginal´s country!

[Helga0]

Your world gets broader with guests from different horizons and sometimes it’s very funny or at least surprising to discover the others’ prejudices. Funny, because it makes us realise, that nothing is evident or given. What we are so sure about, can be seen very different elsewhere. 

In that sense, your guest category is surprising for me, @Andrew157. I would not see an Australian, an American and an European as belonging to the same group, and the Muslim as outside that category. I categorize by distance, Arab countries is where my neighbors drive to by car for holidays at home, whilst @Robin4 is from the other side of the world, could as well be on the moon 😉 

I’m more in awe the bigger the distance. In that sense, top of my list was a young Texan researcher, on a stopover between a job close to the North Pole and a first stay as a guest professor in Australia. Another white Caucasian though. 

[Edwin57]

the world is not flat,but round is good to meet other Host with great story thank you for shareing, got a very good felling from your story knowing that we yes we as Host can make a differnt in others people lives,that's what makes us special

[Andrew157]

Maybe,  I was trying to stay away from the Imperial European Invader label or any other classification. I have posted previously about the difference between English and Australian as two countries divided by a language.

 In my day job I have met a traveller who was proud of his Australian Aboriginal Ancestors. I have never met any Native Americans but if they travelled to the Lakes they would be welcome. I have travelled to Ghana in Africa, a wonderful peaceful country with welcoming open people. Pity they have so much difficulty getting visas to come to the UK. We are hosting our first visitors from Hong Kong at the New Year.

I can’t think of any other racial groups but if airBnB start advertising other planets we will welcome little green people too.

[Helga0]

Lol, @Andrew157, if you ever host little green people, please send them on to me. There are better landing spaces in your area, but they would just blend in here 😉

I have a frequent guest with Dakota roots, native American. She is an Artist and for a time was searching for her connection to her mother’s ancestors. One of her paintings is called Spirit Wood and hanging in the guest space. There are many others, but this one attracts the most comments and questions by the guests. Maybe it’s the profound otherness that makes everyone wonder. 

(I tested the theory by hanging a painting of higher artistic value and also an erotic painting close to it, but it’s still the ghost trees that everyone sees)

I had not intended to imply a judgment that you categorise in one way or the other based on stereotypes. It just surprised me, that you summarise those people divided by their common language into one group. As an Austrian born, I always growl, when I am defined as German by the language ;-))