promoting your travel-ability. Your smile will
inevitably be returned
4) Leave a T-shirt or postcard of your home
town, province or country
5) Give a toy to a child. I give out finger
puppets. A friend gives out Zorro masks—
another, bubbles. Don't give toys with small
pieces that can, if swallowed, cause a child to
choke. Don’t give out coins or candy as it
encourages begging and contributes to dental
problems. Treat a kid, like a kid and it's ok to be
a kid yourself, no matter what your age or
status in life.
6) Exchange a song. When in Mongolia,
sometimes you are only allowed to enter a Yurt
until after you have sung a song. Row, Row,
Row Your Boat, sung in rounds, is a popular
selection, as is Frère Jacques, the Inky-Dinky
Spider, Do Wah Diddy and even O Canada!
7) Be polite—wait your turn—be patient-have
realistic expectations—leave a good impression
of your culture, of your country and of you.
8) Find out how you can benefit the local
culture—adopt a foster child when you return
home…plant a tree…contribute to an
educational foundation.
9) Leave
heritage
musicians.
attraction
a donation when visiting cultural
sites: temples, artist studios,
Help the locals to maintain the
that you have just enjoyed.
10) Bargain in good faith. The 50 cents you
save may give you pride because you “beat
down” the salesperson, but you may have also
robbed that person of extra food or prevented
his or her children from purchasing school
books or a mandatory school uniform..
The local taxi service: Outside of Kuching, Borneo