Packing for the Big Trip 
Thousands are travelling overseas to explore new countries every day. There is a run-up of excitement making sure everything you might need is packed and all the various practical arrangements are made for the journey.
How many however, specifically seek to understand something of the language and culture of the countries being visited? Geographical contours will change as will climate, flora and forna. However, many intrepid explorers are seemingly unaware of the immense changes they will encounter in cultural differences. Discovering something of the potential richness of such variations and being to some degree aware of the underlying principles of anthropology can be an immense enrichment to the vacation.
Is there room for quality orientation sessions?
These could be creatively and thoughtfully planned by folk from the host cultures as well as people who have spent time overseas in their professions etc. Such events could be great fun as well as being very informative. Yes, the Internet can yield much information and visual impact but it cannot replace the personal experience of the cuisines and customs within a particular country.
It seems such a sad loss that folk travel thousands of miles and then continue to live mainly within their own cultural bubble. The adventure of tasting new dishes, fruits etc as well as experiencing/ observing other ways of living and interacting with their fellow neighbours is a wonderful one.
If you have ideas and suggestions how such orientation could be organised then let us know. Maybe you have experienced such a course and can share about it with us.
I'm sure there are many permutations on this theme...
Remember to check out the Short-on-ideas blog page
