Who says magnets belong on the fridge? This collection could look overwhelming if it greeted you every time you went hunting for a snack. Giving magnets their own place to shine transforms them into a work of art!
For the ethical traveler, cultural appropriation can, and should be, a weighing concern. The discussion around it has also been unfolding on social media for years, with a heightening frenzy. We’ve reached a point where most people know and understand that you shouldn’t be wearing a Native American headdress to a music festival, and that a traditional-garment-as-Halloween-costume is never okay. But when it comes to the items we buy while traveling, things tend to get hazier.
Souvenirs, by nature, are meant to represent a sliver of a place not our own. Some argue that this exchange is, in fact, what travel is all about—and how culture and traditions are created in the first place. But navigating the lines of cultural appropriation, and appreciation, can be particularly challenging when you’re standing in a market halfway around the world, with only a days-old familiarity of the local culture. And unfortunately, even with the best intentions, missteps happen, leaving many with one burning question: What is the onus on travelers to ensure their purchases aren’t problematic?
“From a cultural perspective, even from the earliest of contact between Hawaiians and the outside world, there was a desire for gifting and exchanging,” says Noelle Kahanu, a specialist in public humanities and Native Hawaiian programs at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, who also has a background in historic preservation and cultural issues on the mainland. “Hawaiians wanted to project their [mana], or things that mattered, that embodied what Hawaii was, and that desire to manifest [those things] elsewhere is one that has been with us for centuries.”
Knowing that context means asking ourselves how we want to perpetuate that tradition. “The question then is, for what purpose [is the exchange happening]?” says Kahanu. Are souvenirs being purchased, or gifts being sought, she asks, as memory keepers? Is the purchase intended to support the local arts community? Or, is it more about finding something to fill a vague need—an anything-trinket for someone who expects a gift upon your return; or, something “vaguely tropical” just because it might look great in the new guest bathroom. “To what extent are you trying to tap into that desire to travel, but the actual cultural reference points are gobbledygook?” says Kahanu.
Kahanu urges travelers, in Hawaii and elsewhere, to step back and take a look at the intentions of the trip itself—why you’re traveling, where you’re going, and the footprint you want to leave behind. Doing so will ultimately lead to richer, more intentional experiences, and help you discover souvenirs you have a true relationship with.
When it comes to the actual shopping process, however, there are a few things to keep in mind. For Nasozi Kakembo, the owner and founder of fair-trade home decor company xN Studio, the process she uses to select and sell items on her site echoes the way she thinks mindful travelers should approach purchasing items from other cultures—whether in a shop half-way around the world, or online. “When I’m making the description [for a product] on the website, I really prioritize the traditional meaning and the original context of the item, in addition to selling it for its aesthetic virtues, and values,” says Kakembo. “The story is just as valuable to me as the item itself, and I really want to encourage and impose that information on anybody who comes to any of my channels.”
For Kakembo, getting that story right, in a way that helps her feel comfortable selling items made in Uganda, for example, to American customers, requires understanding an item’s cultural context in the place that it is from, in addition to being specific and using the proper names for the item or people who create and use it. Ultimately, she is trying to counter what too often happens to such items. “Pieces from the African continent have been misappropriated just in terms of further removing them and stripping them of their identity,” says Kakembo. “I’ve seen West African textiles in Uganda, I’ve seen Juju hats, which are from Cameroon, in markets in Cape Town, and I wouldn’t expect the average traveler to have any idea. But I hope that, to the extent that a traveler can, they engage that vendor, ask them where the item comes from.”
Amy Yeung, the Diné founder of New Mexico-based Orenda Tribe, which upcycles clothing from around the world and sells Native-made items, agrees: “If you’re going to be curious, if you want to invite something beautiful into your life, find out some history on it,” says Yeung. “People are used to doing searches before making purchases, so do some research, type in some description of what it is [before you buy].”
When you do have context on an item, pass that on if you gift it to someone else, and be specific about what you know, says Kakembo. “If there’s an item that you’re buying from a member of the Baganda tribe in Uganda, then don’t say, Oh, this is from Africa.” She suggests including these notes on a gift card, so they can be referenced as the item continues to move through the world. “Telling the story is a very critical antidote to appropriation.”
Kahanu, Kakembo, and Yeung all note the paramount importance of the price you pay—and who you pay it to. Is the item you’re looking at made by someone from the culture it represents; and is the seller from the community? Kahanu hopes that more destinations, including Hawaii, will adopt formalized methods of denoting when a work is Native-made, which has been done in Alaska with the Silver Hand symbol, and in New Zealand, with the Toi Iho mark for items made by Maori artisans.
“If it’s somebody non-Native selling a Native item, I think there’s definitely a capitalistic idea behind that,” says Yeung. “And the sale price is [going to be] so much more than what the maker got paid.” Her team has recently opened up a portal on Orenda Tribe’s site where Diné weavers can sell their items without having to go through markets and antiquated trading posts that further remove artist from buyer, and devalue artists’ time.
Ultimately, the most important part of the discourse, they all believe, is the conversation itself. Anyone looking for clear cut rules on what is okay or not to buy or wear, based on who they are and where they are, won’t find them. (Kahanu and Kakembo, for example, say they aren’t sure any items, even the ceremonial, are wholly off-limits to travelers, if the proper awareness and respect is there.)
Within that grey area, dialogue proves far more productive than shaming. “We can’t yell at people when they don’t know,” says Yeung. Instead, she encourages people to discuss the issues that cause a lack of awareness, or misrepresentation. She also asks herself how she, personally, can play a bigger role in educating others on the cultural norms and customs she’s aware of.
In the long run, it’s not just about how you purchase the items, but how you continue to interact with them. “I think it’s better to invest in something that matters, and maybe it hangs on your wall or sits on a shelf, as opposed to being thrown in a box,” says Kahanu. “The desire to have something [from a destination] can be really meaningful if you make the investment to come home with something that’s worthy of being shown and displayed and seen.”
“If you sourced it properly, and you paid a fair price for it,” says Kakembe, “then you can do with it as you please—just continue to respect the item.” For anyone with a genuine interest in the world, it’s hardly too much to ask.
1. Stay at a traditional ryokan (inn) with onsen (hot springs)
There is perhaps no more direct way to experience the heart of traditional Japanese culture than by staying at a ryokan in the Japanese countryside.
When you stay at an authentic ryokan (Japanese-style inn), you get far more than just a place to lay your head.
From the moment you arrive, you experience the wonders of traditional Japanese hospitality. Upon entering, begin by removing your shoes, before being led by a kimono-clad member of the staff to your peacefully minimalistic room, where you will be served tea and shown your yukata (light robes). During most ryokan stays you’ll spend your entire stay in yukata!
Enjoying the natural surroundings is an integral part of a ryokan stay, and most of our favorite ryokans have wonderful onsen (hot springs).
There are few things more magical than soaking in an open-air onsen while the snow falls around you (by far one of our favorite things about visiting Japan in winter!).
Another highlight of a luxurious ryokan stay is the multi-course kaiseki dinner, which typically features a delicious selection of local and seasonal specialties.
2.Immerse yourself in art and architecture on the art island, Naoshima
Japan’s renowned art island, Naoshima, is one of the country’s most unique destinations.
This tiny island in Japan’s Inland Sea is home to a handful of impressive museums and galleries, including Benesse House and the Chichu Art Museum.
Throughout Naoshima island, you’ll find stunning architecture by Tadao Ando; unique galleries and installations; small, charming cafes; and the quaint fishing villages of Honmura and Miyanoura.
If you can, try and stay at the one-of-a-kind Benesse House, a museum that doubles as an art-filled hotel, though the island is also full of small, family-run minshuku (guesthouses), an offbeat property featuring yurts, and more.
Yayoi Kusama’s Iconic Pumpkin Sculpture, Naoshima Island
3. Experience a Japanese matsuri (festival)
If you want to see Japan at its liveliest, a high-energy matsuri (festival) is the place to do it!
Japan has more festivals than almost anywhere else in the world, and Japanese matsuri — in all their color, tradition, and exuberance — are often spectacular.
The festivals themselves vary widely (you can see several of our favorites in our full article on festivals in Japan) and often involve spirited processions of colorfully attired participants vigorously chanting, dancing, and bearing massive, intricately decorated omikoshi (portable shrines) or floats.
As if all of this weren’t enough, Japanese festivals are also an amazing place to eat, and the streets surrounding a matsuri are typically lined with stalls serving up an incredible array of unique, casual, and seasonal Japanese foods.
Awa Odori festival (photo by Vanessa Miller)
And last but not least…
4. Go behind the scenes on a private market tour
Visiting a Japanese market with a local expert is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in Japan’s culinary culture.
Whether you want to visit Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market, Kyoto’s colorful Nishiki Market, a depachika food hall, or even a neighborhood grocery store, a private market tour is the best way to get direct access to the source of Japan’s amazing cuisine.
In addition to learning about the ingredients and how they are utilized, your expert culinary guide will have insights on what to sample, and where to eat afterward!
Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market
We hope this list of our favorite things to do in Japan helps you get the most out of your visit to this incredible country.
Surrounded by vast rice fields above green hills, the village of Cat Cat is located outside the vicinity of the Vietnamese city of Sapa. This village attracts tourists from all over the world because of its customs and practices characteristic of the ethnic minorities that remained in the area, despite the continuous development of the world.
Once you enter the village on foot, you find a shop to rent beautiful traditional clothes to the people of the village at reasonable prices, and all tourists wear them, especially women.
How beautiful is the scene when everyone hangs around in the village dialogues wearing the polytheistic and colorful clothes side by side with the residents of the area. Where did you make sure to buy traditional clothes for the people of the country?
The scene that the visitor will see is a pile of things left as they have been for decades ,,,. Dirty books in the classroom, abandoned decaying dolls in children’s beds, photographs in their original frames. An empty and dilapidated game city with a giant wheel in the middle. And other terrifying scenes of a ghost town.
The city of Pripat is a Ukrainian city that was completely abandoned by its people, and the reason is due to the accident of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor (the story in the hailat), which caused an environmental disaster, spreading its nuclear radiation to the Ukrainian borders in the eighties of the twentieth century.
When the city was founded in 1970, its population had reached nearly 50,000 by the time it was completely evacuated after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, in which only the ruins remained uninhabited, but it was not without intruders! It is worth noting that the Ukrainian government recently announced that the site will soon become an official tourist attraction …
What do you think do you support opening it to tourists?music.
Hello.. I collected some information and pictures for you about the French city of Lyon, which I visited last year, and I liked it very much, and it is really a city worth visiting. It is one of the most important and largest cities in France and is the second city in France famous for its large commercial complexes and ancient historical buildings. The city of Lyon was built at a site near the mouth of the Rhone River in the sea and became the capital of the ancient countries of Algal and is considered at the present time the oldest Roman archaeological site after Rome itself and is located on the deepest points in the Rhone Valley and the city is considered the capital of silk where he invented the jacquard method of weaving It is currently the capital of the Rhone Alps region and enjoys a unique location in central Europe and is a large city and abounds with factories, commercial institutions and markets, and Lyon owes its distinct personality to the surrounding areas such as tall hills, vast plains and the surrounding rivers. And the city includes many cultural institutions that contribute to enhancing its international reputation and include the Lyon Opera and the Institute of Light and 27 museums. The city also includes the Museum of Fine Arts which occupies the site of the Benedictine Monastery (Saint Pierre Palace) and is a microcosm of the Louvre Museum also found in the city 30 of the finest restaurants also have covered corridors connecting one street to another through squares and buildings It is possible to reach the city through Lyon International Airport or through Geneva Airport, which is 3 to 4 hours away and a wide train network connects to and from the city.
The spirit of the Moroccan villages, with the originality of its people, the beauty of its coasts, and the whiteness of its walls, such as the hearts of its people, and the gates of its doors in the color of the ocean, you find in
“Asilah”, it is a quiet coastal village whose people know each other well and welcome visitors, This Arab beauty mixed with European beauty because a few kilometers away lies Spain, from which the Muslims and the people of Andalusia were displaced after they were expelled from their land, so that the coast of Morocco became their
shelter and safety.
The most beautiful overnight experience for any visitor to is the “Riyadh” experience, which is a traditional historical hotel usually consisting of two floors and in the middle of them a beautiful square or garden with a small fountain in the middle and sometimes a small swimming pool, the roof is usually open with the aim of natural
cooling for Riyadh and the wonderful hotel rooms gather in The ground and first floors, while the relaxation areas and dining rooms occupy the ground floor or on the roof. The surface is usually for dining or relaxing sessions in the wonderful sunlight.
Thos photos was taken from Riyadh, where we lived during our last group trip to Morocco, Marrakech.
The origin of these traditional buildings ‘Riyadh’ dates back to the first Islamic country in Morocco, the state of Idris in the eighth century AD, and most of them have preserved this pattern with some minor modifications and renovations that are necessary from time to time and it is said that this style moved from the Mediterranean heritage from East of the Mediterranean to the Arab Maghreb in general, to become the Kingdom of Morocco is one of the incubators for the heritage of this Mediterranean architecture and transferred to Andalusia in the eighth century AD, so we note the presence of Riyadh in other names in Spain, especially Cordoba, Seville and Granada, as well as in Italy and some European countries And so it became The Moroccan Riad, with its Islamic motifs and its Levantine Basin, and its North African colors inspired by the ancient Berber culture, is a synthesized complex of many Mediterranean cultures, and a symbol of human urban development in general.
September 17, 2020
September 17, 2020
