Living Authentically: A Quick Guide on Uncovering Foreign Culture

              A third of the way through this trip and I find myself writing on the note pad of my phone while waiting in a post office line in Belgrade, Serbia. Its about ten people deep and I'm still not entirely sure I'm in the right line. This has become somewhat of a ritual for me, as just about every other new country on this trip I've stopped at the local post office to send out a postcard or two. 

              Strangely enough the post office is one of the many ways I get a local feel for a new country. Every country has a different system for sending mail; sometimes you need an envelope just to mail a postcard (Switzerland), and sometimes instead of a stamp they give you a sticker that looks like you just graduated kindergarten (France). Even the workers at the post office are a good tell on the culture. They may be over worked in a somewhat bleak job, but are they still able to remain pleasant and tentative?

Up the Escalator at Istanbul Metro

              Obviously, transportation will differ from country to country as well, and this is usually one of the things you can't avoid experiencing. Belgrade is one of the only European capitals that doesn’t have a metro line, and Zurich is similar with trams being the main means of transporting around the city. The people are the vessels and the transportation is the veins in which they move. 

              Will the system be peaceful and sustainable like the bike lanes in Copenhagen and Amsterdam, or will there be complete chaos like the unregulated car lanes in Istanbul? Before work or school the first thing we all experience is a means of transportation, and this is an important factor for determining you're initial mood for the day.

               Another important way to get an authentic view of the country is to seek out traditional dishes. These days KFC,  Subway, McDonalds and Burger King flood the local markets in countries outside the US, and although they may be filling, they are also expensive and extremely unhealthy. The only time I ever ate a meal at an America  fast food chain was when I arrived very late one night in Munich and had zero cash on me. My only option was burger king in the rail station because this was one of the only food establishments accepting credit cards in Germany. Why would you travel thousands of miles away just to have the same experience you can have back home? I try to avoid this at all costs.  

              Traditional dishes allow you to experience the smells, taste and consumption the locals experience on a day to day basis. Food is the energy foundation for all we do, and each type effects us all differently. Reflecting on this is usually a good measure of wether or not you can make it in a particular country. 

Austrian Schnitzel

              Are you the type of person that gets sick of a kebap on the first night in a place like Turkey or Germany? Or can you allow this affordable, yet high calorie food to become a staple in your diet? Do you fit into a hurried eat and run city lifestyle like Paris, or do you like to sit hours at a time with small dishes between main courses like in Istanbul? I've found there are a lot of countries with better fruit quality and quantity then others. It's also common to see big price jumps on healthier foods wherever your at in the world. This is an important factor for me personally, and one that I use to determine my overall satisfaction with the food culture.

              Specifically, my top three authentic meals on this trip thus far have been a schnitzel pork platter in Vienna, dressed with mushroom, bacon, cheese and fried potatoes, a simple pita in Belgrade, Serbia containing grilled chicken, hummus, lettuce, cabbage, tzatziki and pico, and a home made dish in Sophie Bulgaria consisting of fresh salad and tomatoes, a cream of rice topped with mixed vegetables main dish and a traditional Bulgarian desert of farm fresh yogurt topped with home made strawberry jam. A few of these meals were even more satisfying because I had just completed 8+ hours of traveling beforehand. 

              Food, transportation, the post office and of course historic landmarks are all effective ways of understanding a culture, but if you really want to feel the culture, it's important to interact with locals. My best advice is to think about your interests or hobbies and how they translate in the country you're visiting. Then go seek them out.

              A prime example is the five days I spent in Munich. My first full day, knowing absolutely nothing about the city, I began taking the metro to random stations and walking briefly around those areas before getting back on the metro (Munich is a very diverse city from district to district). At one point I saw the stop "Universitat" on the map and realized this would be a good place to mingle with some like minded students.

Munich River Surfing Culture

              I ended up at a local coffee shop and although I didn't make any solid connections that day I ended up getting tipped off by the barista about a matinee show the next day with a local indie rock band. I went, and fate brought together myself and a group of literature students, some completing their bachelors, others their Masters. We spoke before the show about places we’ve been and bands we've seen, and afterwards went out for drinks and shared stories about ourselves and our favorite authors. This was easily the most stimulating and meaningful conversation I had so far in Germany. It also helped that Germany is one of the best English speaking countries in Europe.

              Not only did I make friends with some locals my age, but I also met the band manager that night who told me about a house show two nights later. I was thinking about leaving the next day, but when you have a wide open travel schedule, you have the flexibility to really decide on the fly. Of course I stayed the extra day, and that band played another awesome set.

              The local Germans, and even Germans I’ve met in other countries have been some of my favorite people thus far on my trip from Paris > Munich > Zurich > Vienna > Budapest > Belgrade > Sofia > Istanbul I've also met a few awesome Brazilians, Australians, and Canadiens, but the Germans seem to out travel them all. If you have yet to meet a German on your travels you may want to rethink your strategy.

              During my time in Austria I got super lucky as the free, once a year show put on by the Austrian Philharmonic fell on my first full day in Vienna. I didn't even know this until I talked with a German girl waiting outside our bus on the way to Vienna. When I got to Austria, I completed another day time arrival ritual and made my way to the local park in the city. There I got advice from a couple who told me about the free shows going on all weekend at the main canal. The truth is, I wouldn't have learned any of this if I wasn't open to conversation with locals.

              The Austrian orchestra was incredible, and I could barely even hear them, mainly because we were situated on the hill just behind the main stage next to some Greek style pillars. The hill was completely filled and before the show started I met an Austrian around my age who invited me to sit with his friends. I joined their group and I ended up crashing at his place for the night. He was a regular couch surfing host and was currently housing his good friends from Syria and England.

 

Firework display at the conclusion of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra

              Just before I left the U.S. I began volunteering with Syrian refugees, and just a couple days before I made a friend from England, so that night we had much to talk about. Before going to bed I remember asking my Austrian friend if he had any blankets. He turned to me, pointed to the end of the couch and said with a dumbfounded tone, "Just under those pillows. You know, life can be so simple." We both had a laugh and wished each other a good night before parting ways the next morning.

              Aside from engaging with locals and their community outside tourist havens, I don't think there's any better way to truly experience a country. Of course not everyone has the time or energy to immerse themselves completely, but if you do it's actually best to work or go to school for a few months to really see the transformations a city goes through. You can always begin by peeling away the layers which ever way you see fit, post office stamps or oranges, it's all relevant.