Travel isn’t Colorblind…So Get Out and Get Yours!

I was recently enjoying a relaxed Saturday morning complete with a full breakfast of Southwest scrambled eggs, bacon and spiced chai. I had my laptop right beside me revved up and ready to peruse the internet for websites and articles of interest. I was praying that the internet gods would shine a light on me and allow me to log onto Facebook and other China blocked websites with relative ease. Fortunately, I was granted partial, not full access and before things totally cut out, one of my favorite Black travel bloggers had a link to an article by another Black travel blogger about the lack of black faces in the mainstream travel media.

I was curious, so I found the article and read it through comments and all. The article was discussing the recent White House Travel Blogger Summit (I never knew such a thing existed until that moment); an event that invited the top 100 people of the travel media in the U.S. The goal of the summit was to encourage American youth to become global citizens through volunteering, studying or working abroad.

According to this travel blogger, there were no black speakers invited to this event since all the photos the blogger saw were of white people (According to a commenter on that blog, this was false since the commenter  was in attendance at the event and it turned out there were a few Black speakers present). 

To be honest, I wasn’t blown away by anything the travel blogger had to say, in fact, it sounded like the same ol’ song I’ve been hearing on repeat for the past few years-The lack of black faces in the mainstream and it isn’t fair right. I guess I’ve become numb to such kind talk and instead of being

angry/upset/annoyed etc. I just feel meh…

I guess the reason for my apathetic feelings is because  I don’t expect the rest of the world to play fair /equal/accepting; not even the highest place in America. With a half Black president in the White House, some would come to the conclusion that the event would be more diverse, with a large number of Black speakers in attendance.  Obviously, folks haven’t been watching this administration that closely or they wouldn’t be acting this surprised (that’s something for a whole other blog post).

And while the point of this summit was to get the American youth interested in being a “global citizen,” I’ve come to the conclusion that they were probably trying to appeal to a certain demographic which happens to be…

White/Middle to Upper class/ College bound/enrolled/ or graduated…

Now, before anyone gets carried away, I’m not accusing the leaders of this summit of being racist. What I’m pointing out is the simple fact that a global traveler in America, especially the notion of being a “global citizen” is often times assumed to belong to the face of a White (Liberal) American. Now, historically, this was true, but in the recent decade, I’ve seen a number of Black travelers/ study abroad students/ and travel bloggers in growing numbers. However, other people may not know or realize this or if they do, they may not care to acknowledge it. I will also say something that’s been my experience while traveling:

Some may not be too happy about it...

 As someone who has traveled for a few years now, I’ve learned that travel (especially one that involves trans-Atlantic or farther), when it comes to other Americans, is something reserved for White people. While something as simple (or complicated depending on how you look at it) as travel shouldn’t be exclusionary, or have a racial undertone, I’ve found in my experience the opposite to be true.

 I’ve encountered the funny looks, comments and even downright rudeness for entering travel spaces which were apparently reserved for enlightened, liberal, colorblind white folks (yes, I’ve always laughed at the irony). While the majority of Americans I’ve met have been cordial or even excited to see another American, I’ve noticed a fair number of people (especially in Asia) weren’t too keen to see me in “their spaces.”

Luckily for me, I never let those people deter me from my travel path. If I encountered someone of that kind, I would cordially excuse myself/busy myself and keep it moving. No amount of ignorance was going to keep me from enjoying my well-earned vacation or working abroad experience.

So what am I trying to say?

Black people…please realize that life isn’t fair. Instead of moaning about things/people/ institutions being too exclusive, start forging your own path. Stop waiting on the media or the government to give Black people a voice, because... “that ain’t gonna happen cap’n!”

 Lastly, if you see another Black person in the travel world who’s product/service/writing has inspired you or helped you, pay it forward and support that person (I will emphasize if you agree with them, not just blind support based on race).

I guess what I’m trying to say that if you’re black and you’re interested in travel, currently traveling, thinking about a career in travel media or, are firmly in travel media, my advice would be to seek out other like-minded people on that path.  If you want to study or work abroad, find alumni from your high school, college or university who have been/are currently abroad. If you want to get into travel media, start making moves and network with other people in this arena if your goal is to expand your brand or, be successful in this business. 

Send your support to other Black people who are doing the travel/study/work abroad thing. Comment or reblog their posts; purchase their podcast or merchandise; simply spread the word about these other Black platforms to give them well needed (and hopefully) deserved exposure.  

So dear readers, realize that you have the power and stop begging for scraps. It’s a new day, a new world and a new time out here and the determined/innovative/hard-working are going to get the spoils.

Well, that all for now, tune in next time to hear about my upcoming travel plans for 2015!

Crusin’ on Crutches… How to Get Around Shanghai with Semi Mobility (Part II)

(This is a two part post. Click here to read part one.)

I know it’s been awhile, but I’m back! Unfortunately, I’ve had internet issues (mostly due to the recent APEC conference and simply living in China) so, I was unable to post anything on this blog for a while. Besides the internet, I had a pretty busy month of school stuff which has recently slowed down (only to pick back up again in a few weeks due to Christmas).

In terms of my recovery, things were going well for a while, but I’ve become discouraged recently. I feel as if I’m not progressing and I miss doing dancing and other physical activities. I tried hopping on one leg today and I honestly got two centimeters off the ground :( On top of that, I spoke with one of the physical therapists yesterday who told me to expect another two to three months of recovery! I guess I was a bit disillusioned (and I’ll be honest, even lied to) about this procedure. What I thought was going to be a nice and simple procedure, is turning out to be quite difficult.

Instead of feeling sorry for myself, I’ve decided that I really need to commit myself to doing my recovery exercises more and making a true effort in being a bit more healthy. Hopefully I can make my goal of getting out of mainland China for the Chinese Spring Festival come February.

So, I won’t waste any more time, here is Part II…

      5. China is not really made for people with disabilities

This probably should be number one on the list, but it’s no secret…China isn’t really a comfortable place if you have any kind of physical disability (and I would even add a mental one). Despite the glitz and glamour of Shanghai, China is still a developing nation that is still trying to get other parts of the country up and running to 21^st century standards. While the center of the city may have more elevators, ramps, and even handicap accessible restrooms, outside of that, you may have to conquer loads of stairs, uneven sidewalk (pavement) and crazy pedestrian laws that put the pedestrian at the bottom of the transportation hierarchy (just under manual bicycles). I never really saw any local people in wheelchairs or on crutches and now I understand why…sometimes, it can be too damn difficult to get around!

  6. Be Prepared to Spend More

With all of those taxis and delivered meals, your wallet may take a hit. I advise that you have a budget each week and try to stay within that figure as close as possible. It would be best to cook a few large meals a week and then refrigerate/freeze the leftovers. That way, you can have some homemade ready meals to last you for a few days. Now, you don’t have to be Jamie Oliver in the kitchen, but understand that boiling water, spices and ready-made sauces (with few ingredients as possible) will be your best friend.

7. You Could Save Money

If your only expenses each week are taxis and a take-out meal every so often, you could end saving some money in the long run. In the beginning, I was a bit upset about all of the money I was spending on my work commute.  I went from 6-8RMB a day taking the bus to 30-34RMB a day by taxi. While this is a considerable jump, I wasn’t really spending any money on anything else besides my groceries. I didn’t go shopping at the mall or markets, I didn’t go for any meals or drinks, and I wasn’t spending frivolously since I barely left my home.  So, sometimes it does pay (literally) to be a homebody.

While were talking about staying home…

      8. Make your home as comforting and entertaining as possible

Pre-operation, a lot of my entertainment came from outside sources (restaurants, bars, shopping malls), but due to my limited mobility, those aforementioned entertainment sources had to sit on the backburner for a while.  You may experience this as well, so I suggest that you turn your home into your own entertainment area (if you haven’t done so already). This way, you won’t go completely crazy with boredom or even develop depression type sadness.

In order to keep myself entertained, I stocked up on lots of reading material (books, magazines, Chinese language manuals); streamed some shows through Chinese internet sites; stayed in touch with friends and family (through emails, skype and social media) and I even got crafty and started a vision board (which I need to finish this weekend)! I also did a number of beauty treatments to my face and hands so at least I wouldn’t look so bad when I finally went out to meet the public.

Speaking of the public, this leads to my next point:

  9. Don’t turn down offers of help

Anyone who’s ever been to China could tell you that China is not the most hospitable place.  The people here are not really as friendly or helpful as they would be in say America or Canada (apart from the language barrier). One thing that impressed me during my time on crutches was the fact that random people offered ways to help when possible. Whether it was telling me “ma dian (slow down)” or “xiao xin (be careful),” giving up their seats for me on the bus, or actually touching me to assist me, I felt very thankful for the help. 

While I did encounter some rude people who made comments or who tried to cut ahead of me for a taxi (on a few occasions), the majority expressed words of sympathy and they offered their help whenever possible. Heck, even my young ones loved to carry my books or bag without hesitation, and they would try to make the class comfortable when I arrived.

At first I felt awkward about this, but then, I simply embraced it and accepted it whenever possible. I suggest that you don’t shun others when they try to help you, accept their help with a smile and a thank you. After all, you may never experience this kind of V.I.P. treatment in China again!

And now for my final tip…

110. Be positive!

Anyone will tell you that surgery is no fun, but combine that with being alone in a foreign country and one can get downright depressed. I’m not afraid to admit that I experienced a lot of sadness and bad thoughts at the beginning of my recovery. Feelings of loneliness washed over me combined with anxiousness, boredom, helplessness and even anger. I was angry at myself for being in this position and even became jealous of seeing friends and even strangers going about their life and having fun. All I wanted to do was get off the couch and be outside; yet, I was stuck indoors with my foot propped up looking at clothing websites for the umpteenth time.  

What got me through those dark times was going to physical therapy and seeing my progress. Talking to friends and family on the phone who cheered me up with encouragement; and finally, knowing that my full recovery would happen in the near future.

So don’t give up! Do what you need to do to put a smile on your face and get yourself happy.

To be honest, I think I need to do again after expressing my doubts at the start of this post. After all, I know that my situation isn’t permanent and I’ll be back to doing tree pose in no time!

Well, that’s all! Tune in next time to hear more of my adventures abroad!