Active Woman Traveler

I always used to say that one of the reasons I loved traveling the world was because I could change people's viewpoints.

Not change people's culture, mind you.  Because a culture is the lifeblood of a place.  And one thing you would never want to do is go to a foreign country and try to change who they are.

But open their eyes?  That's a different story.

In Jordan, I used to work with a bunch of bedouin men.  They were "old school" Arab, the kind that believe a woman should be veiled and home with the children at all times, not working or having their own viewpoint.

So, working with a strong, independent woman like myself often threw them for a loop.  They really didn't know how to talk to me.  How to approach me as a supervisor.  A woman in a position of power?  Wow, what a concept.

But I remember the day it changed.

I was working on a project when they all started laughing.  I turned around with my stink eye to let them know that I didn't appreciate them laughing in Arabic, mostly because I didn't know what they were saying, but also because I was always afraid that they were laughing about me, and I wanted no part of that.

The one that spoke the most English told me politely that they weren't laughing at me.  That one of them, the one with the grossest mind, had told a dirty joke.

"I want to hear a dirty joke," I replied.  Hell, if I was going to work in their hot, dusty, country, the least I could get out of it was a good dirty joke.

But of course they hemmed and hawed.  A woman invading their sacred man space?  Never.

So I did the unthinkable.  I told a dirty joke.  And while it wasn't the grossest dirty joke ever, it may have included a few choice words for certain parts of the female body.

And then I saw the looks of shock on their face.  Inquisitive eyebrows were raised.  And then the one with the dirtiest mind broke out in the loudest and most raucous laughter.  One by one, they followed suit until the whole room was filled with hoots, hollers, and cackles.

The thing was, they understood the joke.  They understood the words.  But for the first time, they saw a woman as someone equal to a man.  Someone that was able to tell a dirty joke and be one of the guys.  And it changed their view.

Sure, they went home to their veiled wives and believed the same beliefs they always had.  But they had a better understanding of the world beyond their huts.  And I helped with that.

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Sarah Marshall (The Travel Mommy) fell in love with the Middle East the night she ate at a world class fish restaurant in the Port of Aqaba, accompanied by her husband, her diving partner, and a Bedouin and his camel. To Marshall, world travel is about embracing world cultures and immersing yourself in them.  From attending a Palestinian wedding in a refugee camp to being the guest of honor at a Bedouin banquet, Marshall incorporates native culture into her own, no matter how unfamiliar. You can read more of Sarah's experiences at The Travel Mommy.  She currently is a freelance writer on the topics of travel, family, and special needs parenting for such sites as the former DC Metro Moms, The Examiner, Hopeful Parents and others.