hebel. today · 15 November 202671 / 79
Beyond Familiar · Strange Places
Shared games and cooking bridge cultural divides in remote travel
Chris Arnade identifies Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as destinations offering a degree of physical and cultural remoteness that remains rare in the modern world. To engage with communities in such places, travelers often move…
From 2 newsletters · 1 min read · one thing to try
Chris Arnade identifies Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan as destinations offering a degree of physical and cultural remoteness that remains rare in the modern world (Chris Arnade Walks the World). To engage with communities in such places, travelers often move beyond sightseeing to participate in local activities that bypass language barriers. Lieke Pijnappels joined a cooking workshop at a women’s shelter in Sri Lanka where participants communicated through the shared labor of preparing a rice and curry feast rather than through verbal language (Alexa McDonald).
Structured play serves as a similar mechanism for building connections in isolated settings. Alexa McDonald played tennis with children at a school in Togo to foster rapport, while Michelle used football to resolve conflicts between campers from different countries in Switzerland. Carrying a deck of cards facilitates this process, as demonstrated when Michelle played with a group in Ecuador that included travelers from Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, and France, with each person teaching a game from their home country.
"you don’t always need words to connect with someone."
Try today · 20 min
Teach a simple card game from your region to a person you have just met in a public space.
Carry a standard deck of cards in your bag to initiate the exchange.
You need
- Standard deck of playing cards
Steps
- Identify a person or group in a communal space who appears open to interaction.
- Introduce yourself and mention that you are interested in learning or sharing games.
- Explain the rules of a local card game clearly.
- Play one round to demonstrate the mechanics.
- Ask the other person to share a game from their own background.