It’s easy to experience cool things and meet new people without putting much effort into it. With food, you sample and enjoy, with people you can say hello, smile and move along.
But perhaps you’re like me. Maybe you enjoy talking to people who are from somewhere else. Maybe you want to hear about where they’re from, and what they’ve been through, what experiences they've had that are different from your own.
Personally, I feel it makes me more connected to the world, and I like that.
The Work
Did you ever meet someone who can tell you everything you ever wanted to know about Scotch, but they’re not from Scotland? Or Kobe beef, but they’re not from Japan? Or Chinese Medicine, but they’re not Chinese?
These are people who have done the work. They are people who want to know why things are the way they are. They don’t see boundaries or boxes. They see things they can learn about. They see things that can make them grow.
Doing the work is something I learned about as a musician. I learned that if you’re going to understand another culture, you’ve got to be curious. You’ve got to ask some questions and you’ve got to do some listening - lots of listening.