Fearless First Time Overseas

5 Tips On How to Feel Comfortable, Confident and Carefree Overseas
By Karla Scott, MBA


§ Are you intimidated by the notion of traveling overseas on business?
§ Do you dream of taking a crash course on how to be effective in your new destination?
§ Are you worried you may make mistakes in this unfamiliar culture?

Relax! You are not alone! Here are steps you can take that can help make you feel competent and confident in your first overseas venture.

1. Do your homework
If you choose to do business in another culture, you must accept its protocol, norms, and ways of doing business. Be insatiably curious. Go to your local bookstore and use the internet to research the other culture’s history, geography, key symbols, tourist attractions, national dishes, popular sports, non verbal communication rules, leaders and celebrity culture. Study the local map including the mass transit or metro map and the area surrounding your hotel. You will feel more comfortable exploring and communicating when you have gone the extra mile to learn something about your new culture. The best part is that by taking an interest in the other culture, your actions will convey genuine respect. Your efforts will be appreciated by most (if not all) whom you meet. It will set you apart from many Americans who don’t bother to learn something about the other culture. Remember, people all over the world know U.S. popular culture, government, history and many even speak English. Isn’t it reasonable for us to make the effort to meet them at least half way?

For a crash course in local customs and etiquette, I recommend the easy-to-read Culture Shock series. They are compact guides (250 pages) that provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of culture in more than 35 countries, with practical tips on how to be effective there. They are well-researched, authentic, and entertaining. You can order Culture Shock online from all leading book sellers.

2. Learn a few commonly used words and phrases
Rest assured you do not need to enroll in a 3-month immersion class. Most of the world accommodates English speaking guests. In fact, it is the second most spoken language, behind Mandarin, in the world. Your experience can be greatly enhanced by showing basic respect. You can accomplish this by learning some common courtesy expressions such as hello; goodbye; thank you; and please and one of my favorites: “Where are the toilets?” “How much is that ________?” also comes in very handy when bargaining.

You will be amazed by how instantly connected you feel when upon arrival, someone says hello in their language and you can respond in the same language or when they say thank you, you can reply appropriately.

I strongly urge you to refrain from bursting into a conversation leading with English words. Instead (or what is more respectful is to) always first ask “Do you speak English?”

You can listen to a basic language tape daily before you go that provides language basics including numbers, useful questions, shopping terms, hotel/taxi/ and airport expressions, and dining phrases.

3. Prepare for time zone change realities and make travel as easy as possible
Go a day early, if possible, to help your body and mind adjust to time zone differences. Going a day early can also help you to get your bearing on the new destination. Your first day there, don’t go to sleep until 10PM no matter what. That way, you can wake up with the locals and it will help you function effectively, more quickly. While you sleep, always turn the clock around so you won’t see the time that could distract your sleep pattern. It’s best not to know the time while you are attempting to sleep.

Here are a few helpful hints:
□ Sleep on the flight if at all possible.
□ Wear eye shades to notify flight attendants you prefer not to be bothered.
□ Wear a noise reduction headset to tune out noises and engine roars.
□ During the flight, eat light, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, and minimize alcohol consumption.
□ Bring a bean-filled travel pillow (they really do help!).
□ For longer flights, prepare to walk around periodically in order to allow your blood to circulate properly. It is not uncommon for people over 50 to suffer from fatal blood clots during long overseas trips, because the victims failed around during the flight.
□ Pack a couple of bagels in your carry on in order to fill in “food gaps”.
□ Pack a toiletry kit so you may freshen up on board prior to landing.
□ Pack one wash cloth for each hotel (wash cloths are not common everywhere).

If possible, strive to negotiate to sit in the business class section where it is quieter. The seats are roomier and they recline substantially. However, if you must fly coach, book early enough to select a comfortable window or aisle seat. You do not want to be trapped in a middle seat in coach for 8-15 hours! Be sure your carry-on bags are wheeled because you will walk long distances inside international airports. Also, they are often long flight delays in some parts of the world. Don't carry on anything you are now willing to cart around for unlimited periods of time.

Finally, wear a round-the-neck pouch that contains your passport, travel itinerary, ID, business credit card, small bills (US and other currency) and a pen. This way you won’t need to go digging thru bags at numerous security checkpoints. Once, I observed a woman miss her connecting flight because she could not produce her travel documents in a timely manner. You will be forever grateful if you wear one of these pouches on a lanyard available at most luggage stores for $20 or less.


4. Upon arrival, sink into the rhythm and flavor of the culture
After you check in, you can choose to either explore the area around your hotel, or to take a taxi to a busy section of town. Here are suggestions on what to do there:
Sit at a café at a busy intersection and people watch to see the written and unwritten rules (you have already read about), in action.
Go to a market or grocery store—you can learn a lot about people by watching how they connect with their food.
Visit a park; sit and watch the show.
Dine where locals dine; match their behavior.
If you are daring, take public transportation. Be sure you’ve studied the maps in advance and have exact change or a ticket before you board. Find out from your hotel’s concierge the best mode of returning to your hotel. [Beware of trying this in countries where signage is in a script different from Roman such as Chinese/Japanese characters, Arabic, Persian, Ethiopian, Russian (Cyrillic), India (Brahmi), or Greek.] I have taken public transportation alone in many parts of the world because I learn to recognize the destination words. In Tokyo, I was thankful to be accompanied by a Japanese person during my subway ride: I don’t read Japanese characters! I would probably still be trapped in the Tokyo subway system had I ventured to do this on my own.
Watch popular television shows in your hotel room while you are getting dressed. This gives you a feel for local values, humor, aesthetics, nonverbal communication rules, and popular marketing campaigns.
Avoid renting a car when traveling abroad alone. The rules of the road are significantly different, and you probably will not be able to read road signs. By American standards, traffic overseas is at best, chaotic.

Always carry a few essential tools while traveling around:
□ something with the name of your hotel written in local script (take hotel pen, matches, or pad) to show taxi driver how to return you to your hotel.
□ a roll of toilet paper—just in case! Often, you will not find toilet paper (especially the soft version we know and love)
□ camera
□ guidebook containing useful words and phrases
□ notepad for journaling

5. Let your host play host don’t rush into business.
If you are being hosted, let your hosts set the tone and pace. Allow them to welcome you and guide you around. If possible, accept all invitations. Show appreciation and respect for their culture by allowing them to take pride in showing you their world. Keep an open mind. Leave judgmental thinking at home and practice the platinum rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.

_______________________________________

Make the unfamiliar familiar by learning about the culture in advance of your trip.
The best part is that by taking an interest in the other culture, your actions will convey genuine respect. Your efforts will be appreciated by most (if not all) whom you meet. It will set you apart from many Americans who don’t bother to learn something about the other culture. Remember, people all over the world know U.S. popular culture, government, history and many even speak English. Isn’t it reasonable for us to make the effort to meet them at least half way?


Helpful Resources

For a crash course in local customs and etiquette, I recommend the easy-to-read Culture Shock series. They are compact guides (250 pages) that provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of culture in more than 35 countries, with practical tips on how to be effective there. They are well-researched, authentic, and entertaining. You can order Culture Shock online from all leading book sellers.

Other helpful sources are:

CIA World Factbook Sheets. The US government provides profiles of countries and territories around the world. Information on geography, people, government, transportation, economy, communications, and more. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Culture Grams Cultural reports for more than 200 countries each include 25 categories such as land and climate, history, personal appearance, greetings, gestures, family, diet, arts, holidays, economy, education, religion, health, a country map, and events and trends.

Each individual Culture Gram four-page report (there are 201) is available individually for download for $4 per report.
http://www.culturegrams.com/products/individual.htm

Consular Information Sheet The US State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html#F

Executive Planet™ provides valuable tips on business etiquette, customs and protocol for doing business in more than 50 countries. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Main_Page

Lonely Planet Destination Guides. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

A Guide to Culture in the Classroom Questionnaireby Muriel Saville-Troike National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, 1978.
You might find this set of questions created by Saville-Troike, helpful in exploring your new culture’s personality. It can be found at: http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/classics/culture/questions.htm

Know thy host culture is the first step to increases your chances for experiencing a successful and harmonious encounter in your new business venture.

China’s Taikonauts in Space

China launched its first manned mission, Shenzhou 5, in 2003, becoming only the third country after Russia and the United States to launch a man into space. That was followed by a two-man mission in 2005.

A Chinese astronaut on Saturday performed the nation's first-ever spacewalk, the latest milestone in an ambitious program that is increasingly rivaling the United States and Russia in its rapid expansion.
Mission commander Zhai Zhigang floated out of the orbiter module's hatch in the spacewalk, shown live on state broadcaster CCTV. Tethered to handles attached to the Shenzhou 7 ship's orbital module's exterior, Zhai remained outside for about 13 minutes before climbing back inside and closing the hatch behind him.

Congratulations to the achievement of the Chinese!

Asian American Cultural Pride

Here is a wonderful article about cultural pride, mother tongue, language acquisition, heritage, looking different, identity, family values, marketable skills, feeling out of place, regret and hope. It’s a bit long, but well worth the read.

The Language Barrier by Mayka Mei
September 17th, 2008 Posted in Featured Writers

This is about hyphenation and growing up Asian-American. A cliche fallback title could have been “Lost in Translation,” but the actual situation isn’t one of translation or mistranslation. It’s not as if I was born in China and had troubles adjusting a Chinese lifestyle to an American setting. I was born in the U.S. and have intellectual struggles upholding the heritage(s) I am assumed to represent.

Michael Winerip recently wrote an article titled “In Any Language, a Full Plate,” in The New York Times. Though articles about raising kids with cultural pride are not novelties in themselves, they probably pop up once a year or so, reading an article about raising Asian American children is rare. Even rarer: That the article appears in a nationally respected news source, one that is not based in the Bay Area - and even covers Asian American families who are not from the Bay (or LA).

In Winerip’s story, he interviews an Asian American couple who live on the East Coast. The story’s core dilemma: Raising their son Christopher to be in touch with his Chinese and Korean roots. The most tangible anecdote of this hybrid struggle is letting Christopher quit Chinese language lessons. At the age of 3.

As the weeks passed, she and her husband felt that the atmosphere was more competitive than they’d expected. “The parents seemed determined to learn Chinese with their kids,” she said.
“It was very intimidating,” said Mr. Chung, a Columbia graduate.
“It really was,” said Ms. Liu, a Wellesley graduate. Nor did Christopher — a very bright little fellow who is able to name every dinosaur known to modern paleontology — seem to have much of a gift for Chinese. “He wasn’t absorbing much,” said his father. “From the 1st to the 12th lesson, there didn’t seem to be much difference.”

Once I read about Christopher’s experience, I immediately sent it to every member of my family. “This story hits home,” I wrote in the subject line. You see, I don’t speak my parents’ native tongue. The language you’re reading is the language I write, talk, swear, and dream in.
My older sister does not speak Mandarin. My twin brother speaks a little. I speak some amount in between my sister and my twin’s proficiency, which is very very little. Whatever lick of the language any of us picked up was fostered well after the key language-learning ages. “Asiatic” languages are especially difficult to pick up after a certain age because they require different parts of the brain that romance-based languages don’t even trigger. (I would cite this but I read the article way before there was del.icio.us. Also, I am not Wikipedia.)

When I was around the kindergarten age, my parents enrolled us in Saturday Chinese School. In south Fremont, that was the place to be. All my other classmates seemed to know each other from learning Mandarin together every weekend (the Chinese ones, anyway). Meanwhile, my parents (who immigrated into the U.S. relatively early) spoke English at home. As my sister, brother, and I sat in class not knowing what directions the lady in the front was communicating to us, I felt a strong urge to cry. I wanted to leave. Everybody else knew each other and I didn’t even know the words that were coming out of the teacher’s mouth. I remember my sister being protective of me, explaining to the teacher that we didn’t speak Chinese at home. My brother also picked up on my discomfort. My only saving grace was the break of recess, where I could talk to my friends in English. But that doesn’t mean I wanted to go back to class afterward.

I suppose I was always destined to be an outspoken person, because after a couple of Saturdays of ultimate alienation, I had a heart-to-heart with my mom. (I was prone to alternating spells of being precocious and being a princess.) She recalls it every once a season or so:
You came up to me, with a very serious look on your face, and you said, “Mommy, we need to talk.”
I said, “Okay, Mayka. What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t want to go to Chinese School anymore.”
And you were so serious about it, you nearly broke my heart. So from then on, you didn’t go to Chinese School.

But what she and I later felt about this decision was regret.

A six-year old’s sad, puppy dog eyes can break your heart, but I really wish my mother put her foot down and made me “learn the language.” As it is, Mandarin is as foreign a thing to me as the use ofwhitening powders. It is not “my language.” When people ignorantly retort “You don’t know your own language?” they pull at a very specific heartstring. They trigger “Mandarin is not ’my’ language,” as a snappy response. To this day, I have difficulty curbing my defensiveness in reaction to that subject.

I took five years of Mandarin throughout high school and college. I lived in Shanghai for a summer. But going through the motions of these experiences does not guarantee any solid foundation or building of skill. The Mandarin programs I went through were poor and we walked over our teachers like the privileged Asian American kids we were. Shanghai was one of the worst experiences of my life and even six years later, I feel no urges to go back. I’m ashamed of my lack of understanding of Mandarin. I’m too shy to speak it. And, unfortunately, like any other young adult trying to be independent, I haven’t made the time to improve it. Excuse, excuses, but “Life is what happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” Mandarin isn’t anywhere in my life, plans, or priorities right now.

I personally ask myself the same questions Christopher’s parents are battling right now. Do my kids need to learn Chinese history to keep their heritage intact? What if the children are multiracial? How will we raise them then? I don’t consider myself “Whitewashed,” but those who only know two things about me: that I’m Asian and that I don’t speak any Asian languages at home, are often left to draw that conclusion themselves. Would it be a disgrace to let my children choose for themselves the way my mom let me? How are they going to know who they are?
“One time a boy saw Christopher and said, ‘Look, a Chinese boy,” recalled Ms. Liu. “Christopher says, ‘Where?’ I want to do something to make him understand his background and make sure that he’s confident about it.”

Mayka Mei is American, born Chinese. She lives in Berkeley, California where she dances with Kawayan Folk Arts (Pilipino) and Dancers Without Boundaries (hip-hop).
This post originally appeared in theMaykazine on September 11, 2008.
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US Economy Collapse Causes Global Market Turmoil

Here is an article published by the BBC:

Traders and analysts describe the effect of the collapse of Lehman Brothers on global markets
Losses on stock markets have continued after the collapse of fourth largest US investment bank, Lehman Brothers, which has filed for bankruptcy protection.

European stocks fell again; the UK's FTSE 100 was down 2.44%, France's Cac down 1% and Germany's Dax down 1.58%.

Shares in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong fell more than 5%, having been shut on Monday for public holidays.

Lehman, which may be about to sell its core assets to Barclays, is the latest victim of the global credit crunch.

Banks hit
The FTSE 100 of leading UK shares fell 127 points to 5,077 shortly before midday. The Dax index of leading German shares was down 96 points at 5968 points and France's Cac 40 was down 45 points at 4,124 points.

Big banks can no longer be under any illusion that they can make big, stupid financial bets and expect taxpayers to pick up the bill Robert Peston, BBC business editor Japan's benchmark.

Nikkei 225 index dropped 5% to a three-year low, shares in South Korea and Hong Kong shed almost 6% in value and Shanghai's index fell by about 3%.

Markets in Taipei and Singapore were also sharply down, and the pattern was repeated in Australia and New Zealand, although the falls were smaller.

The US stock market on Monday had its worst day's trading since 9/11, with the Dow Jones index ending the day down 504.48 points, or 4.42%, at 10,917.51.

Central banks around the world have been carrying out emergency measures on Tuesday to keep markets liquid. The moves came as the interest rates at which banks lend to each other rocketed - as they did at the start of the credit crunch.
Overnight sterling Libor increased from 5.5% to 6.8%, and the dollar Libor rate increased from 3.1% to 6.4%. The Bank of England put an extra £20bn (25bn euros; £36bn) into short-term money markets "in response to conditions in the short-term money markets" - four times the sum seen on Monday after Lehman's collapse

The Frankfurt-based European Central Bank said it had provided 70bn euros ($100bn; £56bn) in an emergency operation to keep money markets supplied with liquidity
The Bank of Japan carried out two injections of a combined 2.5 trillion yen ($24.1bn; £13bn)
Australia and India also pumped cash into their money markets
And Japanese-registered Lehman Brothers Japan and Lehman Brothers Holdings have applied to the Tokyo District Court for bankruptcy protection
Bank stocks were hard hit again across Europe; in London HBOS was down about 12%, and Royal Bank of Scotland was down more than 7%
Barclays Bank - which today said it was in talks to take on some of Lehman's US operations - was one of the big fallers, down more than 5%
In Paris, Credit Agricole, Societe Generale, and BNP Paribas were all down by nearly 4%, while in Germany Commerzbank dropped 8.6% and Deutsche Bank fell 3.7%
'Crisis'

On the currency markets, the dollar slid to a four-month low against the yen before recovering slightly. At 0820 GMT, it was down 0.7% at 103.70 yen having earlier dropped to 103.62 yen.
The euro was down to $1.4234, having hit $1.4482 on Monday.

The collapse of Lehman, which had incurred billions of dollars of losses from the failing US mortgage market, has raised fears that other financial institutions could be hit.
"We're in the middle of a crisis," said YK Chan at Phillip Asset Management in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, there were fears that AIG, one of the world's largest insurers, could also face collapse.
The State of New York announced a "multi-billion dollar financing plan" on Monday to stabilise the insurer's finances.
'Rough spots' ahead
On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said the US was "working through a difficult period in our financial markets right now as we work off some of the past excesses".
Henry Paulson was upbeat despite the turmoil He said Americans could remain confident in the "soundness and resilience" of the US financial system. But he warned that uncertainty remained and it was likely that there would be further "rough spots" ahead until the correction of the US housing market was completed.
Mr Paulson said he was committed to working with regulators in the US and abroad, as well as policymakers in Congress to take the necessary steps "to maintain the stability and orderliness of our financial markets". But he gave no details of what such steps might mean.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/7617976.stmPublished: 2008/09/16 11:26:48 GMT

Peace Sign-50 Year Birthday Celebration

My non-denominational church, Unity On The Bay, where EVERYONE is welcome, is conducting a ten-day marathon of activities, films, lectures, discussions, book studies, music, prayer, meditation, and other activities to help us embody peace. Our minister informed us today that the Peace Sign turned 50 this year. He shared the story of its origin meaning "surrender".

The following is an excerpt from "A history of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) (CND) logo" by the CND in UK.

One of the most widely known symbols in the world, in Britain it is recognised as standing for nuclear disarmament - and in particular as the logo of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). In the United States and much of the rest of the world it is known more broadly as the peace symbol.

It was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts. He showed his preliminary sketches to a small group of people in the Peace News office in North London and to the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, one of several smaller organisations that came together to set up CND. The Direct Action Committee had already planned what was to be the first major anti-nuclear march, from London to Aldermaston, where British nuclear weapons were and still are manufactured. It was on that march, over the 1958 Easter weekend that the symbol first appeared in public.
What does it mean? Gerald Holtom, a conscientious objector who had worked on a farm in Norfolk during the Second World War, explained that the symbol incorporated the semaphore letters N(uclear) and D(isarmament).
He later wrote to Hugh Brock, editor of Peace News, explaining the genesis of his idea in greater, more personal depth:I was in despair. Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya's peasant before the firing squad. I formalised the drawing into a line and put a circle round it.
The symbol almost at once crossed the Atlantic. Bayard Rustin, a close associate of Martin Luther King had come over from the US in order to take part in that first Aldermaston March. He took the symbol back to the United States where it was used on civil rights marches. Later it appeared on anti-Vietnam War demonstrations and was even seen daubed in protest on their helmets by American GIs.

Simpler to draw than the Picasso peace dove, it became known, first in the US and then round the world as the peace symbol. It appeared on the walls of Prague when the Soviet tanks invaded in 1968, on the Berlin Wall, in Sarajevo and Belgrade, on the graves of the victims of military dictators from the Greek Colonels to the Argentinian junta, and most recently in East Timor Although specifically designed for the anti-nuclear movement it has quite deliberately never been copyrighted. No one has to pay or to seek permission before they use it. A symbol of freedom, it is free for all.

addition:

Here is an article posted in The New Times

Peace Out

Just give it a chance at Unity on the Bay’s Peace-a-thon.
BY PATRICE ELIZABETH GRELL YURSIK

Christian or Muslim, Jew or Hindu, agnostic or atheist — we can all agree on one thing: This world is in need of a whole lot less war and a whole lot more peace. Although world peace might seem like a tall order to anyone with an IQ higher than your average pageant queen’s, there are folks actively working toward that lofty goal. But for every aid worker toiling in a refugee camp, or public official trying to bridge communication between rival factions, there’s a government waiting to invade another country for bull____ reasons, or a fundamentalist ready to blow harmony to smithereens. Why can’t the world just do what John Lennon asked, and give peace a chance? If you want to try, head to Unity on the Bay (411 NE 21st St., Miami).

Its Peace-a-Thon aims to use the power of collective hope to target a specific problem. The church is of Christian denomination, but its message carries beyond religious boundaries. Because September 11 is the Unity World Day of Prayer, and September 21 is the United Nations International Day of Peace, Unity on the Bay plans to embrace global unity and spiritual diversity for the 11 days in between.

Celebrations will include a concert with Deva Premal & Miten this Sunday — tickets for which cost $25 general admission in advance, $35 at the door. There’ll be a consciousness day-spa this Saturday that includes meditation, workshops, labyrinth walks, massages, Reiki, and Johrei. And this Friday, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., like-minded individuals are simply welcome to come to the Return to Self Silent Retreat. There’s a “suggested love offering” of $30, and pre-registration is required. Visit www.unityonthebay.org or www.peace-a-thon.com.

Kalingo Tribe Faces Extinction

Here is an interesting article about a tribe in the Caribbean that faces exstinction because of the impact of colonalization and globalization.

In May this year, the chief of an ancient Caribbean people came up with a drastic solution to protect their heritage - and their future.

Chief Charles Williams of the Carib - or Kalinago - people of Dominica said they should not marry non-Kalinago people.

"The impact of colonisation has been so strong on us that if we do not take steps to protect the race, it will be soon extinct," he said.

Extinct is a word that the academics who study this people would never use, but Chief Williams has little doubt that the Kalinago could be in danger of disappearing altogether.

The Carib were famed for their skills as sailors and warriors and gave their name to the Caribbean Sea. There are now about 3,000 tribal members left on the island, which has a total population of some 70,000 - and the chief's radical views have found support amongst other leaders. "Well, for some people this is a ticklish issue," says Miranda Langlais, who refers to herself as the Kalinago's cultural queen. She, like several of the elders, thinks that the Kalinago women hold the key and are to some extent to blame for the tribe's woes.

"You go out there, you see a nice white guy and you fall in love," says Miranda, talking about the young Kalinago women who have left or have married non-Kalinago men.
"You have to stick to your people, you have to stick to your traditions and that's the only way."
But that is not the only way for many of the Kalinago's younger generation who are keen to escape poor living conditions.

Take 17-year-old Arnique Volmand who has big plans for her future.
She does not envisage staying on the tribe's 3,700-acre territory (1,500 hectares), where poverty is a problem. "I want to become a pilot and I don't think I will be staying here," she says. Arnique helps her mother run a small shop on the reserve. It is little more than a wooden shack clinging to one of the island's steep volcanic hillsides. "They want us to stay here to marry our own tribe but I don't think that will happen. It's already happening that we are marrying outsiders," she says. "They cannot tell us what to do. If we want to be pilots or nurses, we have to leave the island."

In a globalised world, where even the most unspoilt of Caribbean islands is feeling increasing influence from the outside, the survival of the Kalinago has divided the tribe.
Minister for Carib Affairs Kelly Graneau describes himself as an internationalist.
"I never pick a fight with my chief in public," says Mr Graneau, the first politician to hold a full cabinet post on behalf of the Kalinago. "The world is getting smaller and smaller, it's almost at our doorstep. If we were to legislate and say a Carib man must marry a Carib woman, it means that the race will eventually finish, because your stocks will get thinner and thinner."
Mr Graneau is encouraging the younger tribal members to leave the island to be educated.
He is putting his faith in those who will then return to the Carib territory, bringing with them ideas and a real sense of hope for the future.

Young men like Che Fredrick who hopes to market Kalinago herbal tea and medicinal plants.
Che is 21 years old and holds his people's traditions dear.
"Our culture is very important. Basically I'm finding ways to create sustainable employment for the people of our community," he says.

Che is not alone. He is a member of the heritage society here and he is bright, educated and determined to place the Kalinago people on the world map. Getting the few tourists who do visit Dominica to make the Carib territory their first port of call is essential and the key to that lays with the tribe's next generation.

There is a generation gap here and while the elders' suggestion that the Kalinago people marry only each other has not gone down well with many of the younger members, there are those who are now going to university and returning to their heartland full of ideas and enthusiasm.
The Kalinago tribe have lived through colonisation, disease and slavery and it is a minor miracle that they have survived to this day.

But do not be surprised if you see Kalingo herbal tea on the shelves of your local supermarket soon. As for the intermarriage of the tribe and the idea of legislating that as a rule?
That does not look likely and as several Kalinago people told me: "You can't tell someone who they should or shouldn't love."

By Andy Gallacher BBC News, DominicaStory from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7529143.stmPublished: 2008/09/12 13:11:54 GMT© BBC MMVIII

American Profiled in Israel Airport Because of His Name

Here is an interesting article about an Ameican who was profiled in Israel's international airport because of his name. He was forced to dance to prove he was not a terrorist threat--despite the fact that he traveled with his famous professional dance troupe.

American performer: Israeli security made me dance

By JOSEF FEDERMAN, Associated Press WriterTue Sep 9, 3:28 PM ET

A performer with the famed Alvin Ailey dance troupe on Tuesday said he was twice forced to perform steps for Israeli airport security officers to prove his identity before he was permitted to enter the country.

Abdur-Rahim Jackson, an eight-year veteran of the dance ensemble, said he was singled out by Israel's renowned airport security because he has a Muslim name. He called the experience embarrassing and said at one point, one of the officers even suggested he change his name.

"To be greeted like this because of my name, it took me back a little bit," said Jackson, who is black.

Israel is the first stop on a six-nation tour celebrating the New York-based dance company's 50th anniversary. Earlier this year, Congress passed a resolution calling the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater a "vital American cultural ambassador to the world."
Jackson said he was pulled aside from other members of the troupe when they arrived at Israel's international airport on Sunday night. He said he was taken to a holding room, where he was asked about the origins of his name. When he explained he was part of the dance group, he was asked to perform.

"I stood up. I asked what type of dance?" he explained. "He said, "Just do anything.' I just moved around."

Minutes later, he said a female officer put him through a similar interrogation and asked him to dance again.

"The only time I'm really expected to dance is when I'm performing," he said.
Jackson said he received his name because his father was a convert to Islam. Jackson said he was not raised a Muslim, does not consider himself religious and is engaged to a Jewish woman in the troupe who has relatives in Israel.

Jackson said he did not plan to press the matter further, saying the numerous apologies he has received from American dignitaries and his Israeli hosts is "enough for me." The Israel Ports Authority said it had no comment because it did not receive a formal complaint.
The incident was reported in Israel's largest newspaper and on an Israeli television news and interview program. "The security guards should be sent home or (the airport) will become a mental asylum," said Motti Kirshenbaum, a veteran commentator and host of the Channel 10 TV program.

Israel is constantly on the alert for attack because of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and extremist Islamic rejection of the Jewish state's existence. Security is strict at all entry points and inside the country.

Israel is famous for the effectiveness of its airport security. But a key element in its security checks is ethnic profiling. The practice has been criticized by Israeli human rights campaigners as racist because it singles out Arabs for tougher treatment.

Such profiling is illegal in the United States, but Jackson said that the only place he has had the similarly humiliating experience of being forced to dance in the past was at a U.S. airport when he returned from a vacation in the Dominican Republic. He did not say when or where that took place.

Jackson said that since the Israeli airport incident, the reception in Israel has been "amazing."
"We're only here to bring positive light to our lives and the people here," he said, calling the group's multicultural appeal "an amazing bind you can't touch, you can only experience."