Thursday, January 3, 2013

Missing Travel in 2012



In The District of El Carmen in Chincha, Perú, December 2011

I don't believe in New Years' resolutions because if I feel I need to make significant changes in my life, I prefer to do it in the moment, and not wait until January. It's been years since I made a New Years' resolution and that resolution was to acquire a better command of the Spanish language. It worked out to the point where I not only developed a better command, I had bilingual jobs, one of which I received bilingual pay. My Spanish played a large role in my being hired by my last company as I worked with many Spanish-speaking immigrants. In the last few years, I've traveled to Spanish-speaking countries as part of my language training, and when visiting those countries, I make it a point to go places where gringos generally don't go.

It just so happened that I missed out on my annual trip to Perú, my home away from home, and other Latin American countries that I usually include with my trip to Perú where I have have strong family-like connections. Usually, when I fly to Perú, I take advantage of long layovers on the way down or on the way back, and include even another country nearby, like Ecuador, Colombia, or Panama.

However, this year I did not get to travel because I lost my job in February 2012, just two months after my last South American trip to Perú and Venezuela. Fortunately, I got picked up by a résumé-writing company, but it doesn't offer 30 days vacation like my last job. Yet, I made it a plan to take a trip before the end of 2013, and this is not a New Years' resolution. Simply an ongoing plan for language and cultural exposure for this is a big part of my life.
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4 comments:

  1. AritulJanuary 3, 2013 at 10:04 AM

    Sorry to hear that you lost your job, but I'm glad that you were able to find another one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. W Bill SmithJanuary 3, 2013 at 2:42 PM

      Thank you, Aritul.

      Delete
    2. AngelitaJanuary 23, 2013 at 9:57 AM

      Dear W. Bill,

      My name is Angelita and I came upon your site accidentally. I am currently writing a paper on culture for a class in bilingual/bicultural education, however, neither my teacher nor my class is interested in anything "Black" or African. I therefore have to sneak this in. (how unfortunate) In any case, I am using biculturalism and biracialism as a means to explore Black cultural conflicts. Do you have any ideas on what I could include?

      I believe that I will be writing to you in the future also, as I am a very attractive Black Panamanian. I never heard of anything positive about Black people in Panama, where we were called "chombos," a derogative term meaning of African or Caribbean descent. I am very eager to explore the Black culture in the Americas, especially in the places you have already been and hopefully would guide me.

      What do you know about Blacks in Panama? I would like to invite any Panamanians out there to also share their insights. Gracias

      Delete
    3. W Bill SmithJanuary 23, 2013 at 10:58 AM

      Hi Angelita,
      As you know, the Latin-American community is more racially diverse than most people realize. I've met Blacks and Asians who are more Latino than Jennifer Lopez. They live and breath Latin-America daily, and do not speak any English. In this country, there are Latinos of varying colors, White, Black, and Brown, therefore, it's easy to insert African, European, and Asian and Indigenous influences without making race an issue as you address bilingual/biculturalism. If I were in your shoes, I'd have fun with this. I would probably include some pictures! LOL.

      Anyway, feel free to e-mail me at billsmith510@gmail.com

      Delete

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