Walk Like a Tourist, Eat Like a Local

I am currently working abroad in Macau, SAR. Been living here for 1.2 years now and gradually changed my lifestyle into a “local” alike.

What is that mean?

From my point of view, tourists are tend to do as much as possible within short period of time they have in one particular place, while locals keep having “I still have tomorrow” statement stick in their head.

After a long time questioning how come my local friends from some countries haven’t been to a famous place nearby (or even think about going there), I have just realized that I’m carrying the same symptoms as most locals after I got many questions from my friends about my home country, Indonesia.

~~~~~

Yeyen (Indonesian) : “Hey I’m going to Niagara Falls next week, any recommendation where to stay?”

Friend (American) : “Uhm I never been there.”

Yeyen : “How come you never been there, it’s just 7 hours drive from here.”

Friend: “That’s why, pretty near huh? I still have much time to go there next time.”

~~~~~

Friend (Japanese) : “Hey I’ve been to Bunaken last time, it was a very great place to dive. I want to go to another diving spot in Indonesia, can you tell me which one better between Raja Ampat or Wakatobi?”

Yeyen : “Sorry I never been to all places you’ve just mention. Lol.”

Friend : “Seriously?? How the heck you never went to such beautiful places in your own home country.”

Yeyen : “Well, *trying to find excuses* Indonesia is very big and somehow more expensive to go there compared to trip abroad. Besides, I still have much time to explore my country later. “

~~~~~

Yeah, there’s always “next time”, probably.

It is kinda ironic to know that somehow foreigners can understand our country better than we do. They explore more things we locals don’t, they are curious to know more details, till every corner we didn’t even notice of its beauty.

Basically this is because we grew up together with our surroundings, and we keep thinking it will always be there forever. We cannot see its unique because we’re seeing it every day. We might never realize what our own place has until we left and start missing them.

I think most of people having similar story like that. But since I’m now somewhere between a tourist and local here, I kinda think I should have “in-between” lifestyle to make both balance.

I tried my best to think that I don’t have much time so I have to try as many things as possible during my stay here. I tried to walk in different pathways to see different things, and surprisingly I found many shops and unique places which I never noticed before as I always use the same way to go work and back home back then. Other times, I went to a very crowded tourist spot just to sit and “watch” people from a “local” sight. (I bet none of locals did this, or am I wrong?)

Sit and stare

Local delicacies can also be a way to prove how much we can adapt to foreign place. I still find many tourists bring along their local foods abroad (for having less than a week trip) or trying hard to find a restaurant which serves their local dishes instead of trying something authentic from the place they currently visit.

I’m fully understand that some people have certain diets, allergies, or completely prohibited to eat some kind of meals, but still there are many choices from local dishes that might suits them well (Locals can also have the same diets, allergies, and provide many ranges of suitable food selection).

I’m trying to encourage people (and myself) to explore more and more, to feel the uniqueness of one’s culture, and to taste the difference of a new place without comparing this and that to our home country. That’s the pleasure of visiting foreign place, right?

Or perhaps we can try to be a “tourist” in our own place. Should be fun. 🙂

QUOTES OF THE DAY:

“When you travel, remember that a foreign country is not designed to make you comfortable. It is designed to make its own people comfortable.” – Clifton Fadiman

“If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener