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The joy of traveling abroad with children

August 12, 2000 By Leave a Comment

The Joy of Traveling Abroad with Children
By Mel Copen August 12, 2000
© Mel Copen, August, 2000

It would be wonderful if every young person had the opportunity to travel abroad: to be exposed to new ideas, new people, new environments; and to see the world through the eyes of others. Traveling to other countries is truly a mind-opening experience, forcing one to question some of the things that have been accepted without question.

Today the educational benefits of travel might seem to be lessened by the information deluge provided by television and the internet. But just as we seem to learn best by “doing,” even a short real-life experience can carry many times the impact of the more passive, electronic exposure. Today’s youngsters seem to be more sophisticated than previous generations. However, all one has to do to dispel that image is to ask a few elementary questions about the world. Beneath the “veneer” of sophistication there is often little real understanding of the world outside immediate surroundings. It is sad to note how little of the data with which they are being inundated really registers.

Not everyone has the opportunity to travel. And even with travel, tourists and business people often experience only readily visible surface elements – some exotic foods, monuments, etc. Language provides a formidable barrier, particularly for American children. And often, for US citizens, the surroundings are replete with US hotels and restaurants chains that look the same the world over. Following tourist paths does little to enhance knowledge of the way local people think. Few children traveling abroad have a chance, for example, to visit homes, acquire local playmates, eat food outside of restaurants and be challenged by things that are really different.

Our world is “globalizing” at an incredible pace. At one time, knowledge of other countries and the way their people think was largely the preserve of a handful of government officials, top business executives and academics. That’s no longer the case. Everyone, at almost every level, is either involved with or affected by what is taking place on other parts of the earth and an understanding of other cultures is becoming essential for an effective and satisfying life. The place to start building this understanding is with the young.

Study-abroad programs, home stays and the like, provide one avenue for youngsters to get beyond just being tourists. Community and religious service organizations that use volunteers to help others abroad provide even greater opportunities. Taking advantage of these to give your children the opportunity to participate may be one of the best ways to prepare them for the future, by helping them understand the forces that shape the world and giving them new insights into their own living environments. Not everyone can afford the time or expense of international travel. In these cases, becoming a host family for foreign students can accomplish some of the desired objectives.

My wife and I have spent a great deal of time in other countries, living in some, and visiting many others for work and pleasure. As a result, we have become familiar with certain parts of the world, have built a network of cherished friendships and have also acquired some language skills. We decided to use these assets to do something with (“to” might be a better word) our grandchildren – to begin the process of exposing them to new environments.

We had many objectives. One was just sharing with them something that is important to us. Another was attempting to expand their horizons. We hoped to alter their list of priorities so that it would include a desire to learn another language and to enjoy other cultures. And finally, we just wanted some quality time with them. With this in mind, we packed up a rambunctious 14 and a 10-year old and took off for 10 days in Costa Rica – a country where we had lived and which is near and dear to our hearts.

The results exceeded every expectation and convinced us that this should be just the first in a continual series of such activities, including all our grandchildren over time. It was a fantastic learning experience, parts of which are worth sharing.

We started talking about the trip almost a year in advance. Although the boys reacted positively, we were unable to build any enthusiasm about studying Spanish. We provided basic language materials. No luck! Studying Spanish was a major distraction from Pokemon, computer games, television, tennis, soccer, etc. We tried to get them to read about Costa Rica. Nada! As a last ditch effort, we gave them a “short take-home quiz” just before we left. The questions covered a bit of geography (where was Costa Rica, what surrounded it and how did it compare in size to the State of Georgia) and how to say three essential phrases in Spanish (“Thank you”, “How are you?” and “Where is the bathroom?”). That worked! Thus, armed with “the essentials,” they boarded the plane. We established only one rule. Anything they wanted they would have to ask for in Spanish. We would supply the words. Now, what did we learn?

1. It is better to travel with two than with one (three would have been exhausting). Their interaction filled the “down times” and we separated them (front and back seats of the rental car, for example) when they got overly rambunctious or on longer trips.
2. Mix it up. The older one was fascinated by the naturalist’s explanations of plants and animals in the rain forest whereas the younger just wanted to run ahead and see what was next. But both were exhilarated by the incredible experience of soaring hundreds of feet in the air attached to a pulley that rode along cables strung through the rainforest canopy. The constantly changing pace kept both satisfied.
3. Get away from the familiar. In San Jose, their eating desires focused on familiar US fast food chains, which we generally avoided. However, in restaurants they ordered only foods with which they were familiar. An occasional surprise – what bore the same name did not always bear the same taste. The older one started to experiment but the younger refused even to try new things until we got into the countryside. If one gets hungry, many things start to taste better than they may sound. With new discoveries that all unfamiliar foods were not poisonous, and the reassurance that the older’s experimentation had not resulted in a violent death from strange food-related maladies, a new spirit of experimentation emerged, even on the part of the youngest.
4. “Dónde está el baño?” provided the major breakthrough. It worked! They could actually use it to find the bathrooms. This stimulated both boys to use the language. The net result – on the way home a request for a Spanish tutor so that they can start studying the language before they are able to take the subject in school. HOORAY!
5. Don’t outline the full trip plan in advance. It is best to have surprises. The younger has a short attention span, and constantly wanted to know what we were doing next even before we started the current activity.
6. Finally, don’t underestimate their intellectual curiosity and their ability to interact with others – i.e. provide opportunities. We were impressed with the level of interaction that they had with our adult friends, the questions they asked and their ability to make new young friends as we moved around, even with the language barrier.

We are back. We don’t know what will stick. But if you have the time we whole-heartedly recommend taking your children or grandchildren into new environments. You’ll have fun, they’ll have fun, (if it’s grandchildren, their parents will appreciate it), but most of all, you will be preparing them to enjoy and be more successful in the future.
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Filed Under: Uncommon Sense Tagged With: , ,

Election day – a cause for celebration

March 10, 2000 By Leave a Comment

Election Day – A Cause for Celebration
By Mel Copen March 10, 2000

A week ago, Tuesday, along with 14,000-plus other Forsyth County residents, I spent a few minutes exercising one of the great privileges of living in a democracy – the right to vote. According to last Thursday’s [underline] Forsyth County News [end underline], 36% of the county’s eligible voters went to the polls to help select the candidates who will run for the highest office of this land and to determine the fate of a number of proposed local bond issues.

Forsyth County did better than the state average. [underline] The Atlanta Journal/Constitution [end underline] reported statewide turnout as 27.3%, up from the last primary (in 1996) when only 19% participated. One might argue that current low numbers are good, at least by comparison.

Upon reflection, two thoughts came to mind. The first was that 36% had cast ballots -meaning that 64% had not. Why don’t people come out to vote?

Some people regard voting as a chore. Others assign a low priority to the process – “what difference will my one vote make?” it is an activity that is just too low on the priority list to get much attention. And a considerable proportion of the electorate find themselves bored with the choices, and conclude that it is just not worth the effort (even when the fate of the bond issues may affect both their living conditions and their tax rates). Obviously, a primary election does not carry the impact of the big one in November, but US voter turnout even for presidential elections is anemic at best.

In reality, the ability to chose to participate or not is another of the great privileges of democracy. However, there is a catch-22. Lack of participation will, if carried to an extreme, undermine the system that allows for such choice.

The second thought came as I pondered the above and my mind wandered back to time when I was living in Costa Rica and was an impartial witness to the Costa Rican version of the process used to select candidates and elect a president. Until the 1980’s, military dictatorships characterized much of Latin America. One bright exception to the rule, for over 100 years, was the tiny Central American country of Costa Rica. With a population of approximately 3 million, it has set an example that much of the rest of the world can emulate. The contrast with other nations was striking. A bit of history may add to the perspective.

Columbus landed on Costa Rican shores in 1502. Later Spanish [ital.] conquistadors [close ital.] moved on as they found few natives and only fertile land rather than gold or silver. War and disease decimated the small native population. Consequently, the country was built by settlers who farmed the land themselves, and Costa Rica developed outside of the mainstream of the Spanish colonial empire. In the early 1800’s, after Spain granted independence to it’s Central American colonies, the country began to adopt democratic processes. Although there were many ups and downs (including a failed attempt by an American, William Walker, to invade the country with a private army in the 1850’s), by 1889, Costa Rica began holding democratic elections and, with a few exceptions, has done so ever since. But there is one exception, which, if not unique in this world, is certainly a rarity and typifies the Costa Rican tradition for democracy.

In 1948, former populist Pres. Calderon lost a closely contested election and decided to keep his party in power. Against the support of the army and substantial internal and external left-wing support. a volunteer militia was formed by a coffee grower, Jose Figueres. After a very short but bloody civil war, Calderon fled the country and Figueres assumed power. He remained in office long enough to abolish the army (also unique in Latin American history), write a new constitution which, among other things, limited presidential terms, and turn the government back to the rightfully elected president. Subsequently, Figueres, who is revered for his actions, was elected President two times. (It is interesting to note that two recent presidents of Costa Rica bear the names “Calderon” and “Figueres.” They are sons of the two 1948 combatants, the former born in Nicaragua while his father was there in exile).

The independent and democratic spirit that was nurtured in Costa Rica is almost a national passion. Nowhere can it be seen more fervently than in the election process. The various political parties have their own symbols and flags. During the campaign period, the streets and roads are a blaze of color (and noise) with flags fluttering from cars and poles, people shouting, music playing, and “electioneering” going on at every corner. The entire country takes on a festive air. But election day is something else.

On election day, the entire country shuts down and everyone goes to the polls. At the main polling places, each party has booths, where there is food, music and other entertainment. The polls are places of laughter and socialization. (The distribution of food and the proximity to the polling places would be illegal in this country.) The entire nation turns into one enormous fiesta, where the country can be seen rejoicing in its democratic process and traditions. It is a wonderful, warm, happy occasion. I couldn’t help but contrast this with the austere, in-and-out, “all business” process of voting in most polling places in the US. [ital.]The result – the percentage of voter turnout in Costa Rica is always in the high 90s. [end ital.]

This year the Democratic Party of Arizona experimented with the use of Internet voting to select its presidential candidate. As I write this, the results are not yet in (the voting period is 4 days long), but the tally, 1 ½ days into the process was 50% greater than the entire vote in the 1996 primary. Perhaps convenience is the answer here, although the process becomes even more depersonalized – an even sharper contrast with the Costa Rican scene.

One of the wonderful things about the United States is that, at least in a relative sense, we have a sense of security and well-being, especially when the economy is strong. It is easy to forget how dependent the democratic process is on the behavior of the electorate and its fragility – just look at the struggles of most of the other nations of this world. We cannot take it for granted and assume that someone else will make the decisions for us. One vote out of millions doesn’t seem like much. But one drop of rain, combined with others, eventually creates oceans. And if that one drop doesn’t fall? Well, just take a look at Lake Lanier these days.
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Filed Under: Uncommon Sense Tagged With: , ,