People Tell the Story

Whenever we travel, we like to get out of the heavy tourist areas, wander, and try to see our destinations as a local would. As we make our way around the world, we want to experience as much as possible about each country, its people, and their way of life. In an attempt to really get into the minds of locals, we created a short questionnaire that we will use to interview 1-3 people in each country. We believe that it is people (not places or things) that truly tell the story of a nation. Below, we hope you’ll find a mix of thoughts, ideas and opinions from various global perspectives:

People Tell the Story: Greece

Posted by on Nov 23, 2013 in Greece, People Tell the Story | 0 comments

People Tell the Story: Greece

It is an understatement to say that Greece has fallen on hard times. The economic crisis has left it’s traces all over the streets, but the Greeks are doing the best they can to struggle their way out of it. The government may seem corrupt and untrustworthy, but it’s people are a very deep-rooted and family-oriented bunch. We saw closed storefronts, run-down buildings, demonstrations and riot police in Athens. Quiet streets, empty-restaurants and unoccupied beaches on the islands. But none of that seemed to deter the locals from being outwardly generous, hospitable and friendly.  We felt an immediate connection to those we met and can only hope their return to the better comes as soon as possible.

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People Tell the Story: Romania

Posted by on Sep 12, 2013 in People Tell the Story, Romania | 0 comments

People Tell the Story: Romania
We were only in Romania for four days so we really didn’t have a ton of interaction with locals. But, what we did experience was an eagerness to be helpful, plenty of smiles and people who either spoke relatively good English or who had the patience to deal with my “Spatalian”. Our first interaction was upon arrival into the Suceava (border town from Ukraine) bus station. The woman at the ticket counter spoke perfect English, helped redirect our plan so that we could arrive to Brasov sooner, and escorted us to the bus driver (who spoke no English) to explain where we were going and to get us on the right bus. This was an indication of the kindness and hospitality that we would experience during our short time in Romania.
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People Tell the Story: Ukraine

Posted by on Sep 4, 2013 in People Tell the Story, Ukraine | 1 comment

People Tell the Story: Ukraine

As Oksana references in the interview below, the people of Ukraine will move mountains for you. Language barrier or not, Ukrainians seemed to be gentle, friendly once you get past their stern faces, and extremely loyal and dedicated to their family, friends and fellow countrymen. Unlike other countries where many farmers have migrated to the bigger cities, Ukrainians still value a strong balance of their traditional way of life. It is not part of the Ukrainian culture to smile at or interact with a stranger on the street.  In fact, Kat and I initially had the impression that the people were a bit standoffish. However, after having a few key interactions with locals during our long travel days and after living with a doting family in the countryside, we were able to get past their cold exteriors and realize that Ukrainian people are some of the friendliest we have encountered on this trip. 

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People Tell the Story: South Africa

Posted by on Aug 17, 2013 in People Tell the Story, South Africa | 1 comment

People Tell the Story: South Africa

When it comes to the history of racial segregation, South Africa’s is still very recent. From 1948 to 1994, legislation known as Apartheid divided citizens into four different racial groups – natives or black Africans, whites, coloured (mixed race), and Asians. Although deep segregation ended almost twenty years ago, there is still a stark sense of separation among its people. But, according to some people that we spoke with, it seems to be a separation that is mutually acceptable. This outlook made for an interesting lesson into the past and present state of South Africa’s people. 

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People Tell the Story: Namibia

Posted by on Aug 5, 2013 in Namibia, People Tell the Story | 1 comment

People Tell the Story: Namibia

The people of Namibia were. . . .wait, what people?  The country’s vast and harsh landscape is inhabited by only around 2.3 million people, making it one of the least densely populated countries on the planet. Yet, although the population is small, the eclecticism and diversity of its people are quite large. With more than eleven ethnic tribes, and a history that includes German colonization (1884-1915) and apartheid influence from its Afrikaner neighbors in South Africa (Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990), the people of Namibia were very interesting to learn about.

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People Tell the Story: Zambia

Posted by on Jul 22, 2013 in People Tell the Story, Zambia | 1 comment

People Tell the Story: Zambia

The people of Zambia seemed to be a mix of confident and shy. Lively and reserved. But all extremely welcoming. When they saw us, some would run and wave from a distance while others sat back, curious as to who we were and what we were doing there. And once they felt comfortable, they were eager to talk, but in a way unlike I’ve experienced along our trip. Although they wanted to ask questions about America like every other African we’ve met, they mainly wanted to just be around us and hang out.  They didn’t ask to come back with us to the states, but rather just wanted be good friends for the time we were there (and in the future).

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