It is a Small, Small World

by Milt Lum, Staff Writer

It’s A Small World, the Disney boat ride through a dark tunnel, had its inaugural debut at the New York World’s Fair in 1964. It continues to be one of the most popular rides throughout Disney theme parks globally, entertaining three generations of children and adults with its catchy theme song. The song and the joyful, singing, animated children espouse a world which truly belongs in Fantasy Land where this ride is situated. While some would refute the reality of “a small world,” my travels have taught me that we are, in fact, all members of the same family, with fears and hopes and desires so similar that the ‘small world’ feels very close.

As a member of an immigrant group who has succeeded in achieving a fulfilled life within a democracy, I am astounded at the current demonization of members of the global family by a democratic nation which was built by immigrants. Rick Steves, Edmonds-based travel writer and tour operator, stated in a recent interview: “We are a frightened society, and the most frightened people are the people with no passports, whose worldview is shaped by fear mongering by commercial TV news.” As a dedicated world traveler, I would agree in part that traveling to places requiring a passport does provide one with a changed perspective of the world and of one’s own self.

The common thread throughout all of my travels is that we share a common humanity. No matter we speak different languages, eat foods unfamiliar to our palates, have varying shades of melanin under our skin, and have different nuances in our expressions, we all understand a smile and a bewildered look. We have managed to get lost on every trip abroad and were shown the way by complete strangers who spoke little or no English. No matter how many times we were ignored or politely dismissed, a pathfinder found us. On a recent trip to Japan, even with the aid of Google, we could not locate the bus stop for a particular shuttle. We were relieved to hear these words from a stranger who asked in unaccented American English, “Do you need help?”

Finding one’s self outside of one’s comfort zone is a way of discovering this common humanity. Visiting Turkey in the aftermath of 9-11, the tour group we traveled with made it a point that, beyond seeing points of interest, we were provided opportunities to interact with people by: going to a Turkish elementary school sponsored by the group, having lunch at the home of a Turkish family, spending the night at a home of another Turkish family, and spending four nights on a sailing ship with a Turkish crew. From the interactions facilitated by our guide, we were able to discuss shared values and aspirations about our families and children. We discovered the secret to the Mediterranean diet consisted of fresh foods and olive oils. We saw that the women were valued and an integral part of the family unit. We left with a greater understanding of their culture and realized that the actions of a radicalized few was not a reflection of all Islamic nations.

Dealing with an unexpected event in a foreign country can be both challenging and enriching. We have visited two police stations and an emergency room while abroad.  Each occasion, while unnerving, resulted in an appreciation of how we were aided by the locals in coming to a successful resolution. The police station visits were in Spain and Japan. We were victimized by an elaborate scheme in Spain which resulted in having the tire on our rental vehicle slashed within a mile of the car rental place. While we were distracted, the thief absconded with our carry-on bags which were in the back seat of the vehicle.

Fortunately, we had our money and passports on us. We successfully filed a report with the police in one city and were aided in finding the police station in another city to retrieve the report which allowed us to successfully file for the lost items with our insurance company. The inconveniences of losing travel directions, a favorite travel pillow, laptop and camera gear were offset by the patience of the police and people along the way who helped us get to our destination.

Going to an emergency room while abroad makes one appreciative of the universal language of caring. My wife sustained a period of heart rhythm disturbance which was quelled by medication. She was well enough the next morning to walk to the ferry, which was to take us to our next destination, an island in the Adriatic Sea. We were already at sea when she became pale and weak, too weak to disembark. We notified the chief steward and, upon arrival, a physician and an ambulance driver came aboard and took her to the clinic. I was assigned to take our luggage and meet her there. A taxi was waiting for me. The physician and nurse who both spoke and understood English had properly assessed the cause for her weakness and had her sitting up and feeling much better by the time I arrived. They observed her for several hours while I waited at her bedside. The emergency room was similar in equipment and emergency protocols to many of the emergency rooms where I had worked. The physician was thorough and knowledgeable as we conversed about my wife’s condition. I commented that we were fortunate to have been treated so promptly. She said in their system of medical care everyone has their own physician and only people with true emergencies come here. We paid with our credit card and received the full report of the treatment and itemized expenses. Our travel insurance company reimbursed us later for that visit which totaled $260.

The visit to the police station in Japan was because I lost my credit and debit cards while in Tokyo, and we were there in hopes that it had been turned in. No luck. We had prepaid for most of this trip arranged by a travel agency so continued our way. Already behind on our tightly scheduled trip, we decided to skip the first stop on our itinerary, a visit to Kamakura to see the daibutsu, the great Buddha.

Fast forward two years later, and I returned to Japan alone to explore flying Space A using the Air Force’s Patriot Express from Sea-Tac. I wanted to see daibutsu and traveled to Kamakura. Online I had learned about Kanagawa Systematized Goodwill Guide Club (KSGG) and made arrangements to have a guide for my next day visit to Kamakura. I was told that the usual protocol was to provide a two-week notice, but there was an individual free and willing to show me Daibutsu. I met Takako Konno, my guide for the day, who was a retired English teacher. We have remained in touch through email, sharing our experiences about how our countries were dealing with the pandemic. We reunited on my subsequent visits to Japan, and our families have become fast friends.

Traveling the world has made me realize that people are people everywhere. We want to be safe and secure, have enough to eat, share our cultures and cuisines and be able to laugh together. It has also made me aware that all countries are dealing with problems associated with wealth disparity, growing populations, dwindling resources, global warming and a global economy. Some have developed solutions to problems which plague our nation, and we have resources which could assist many developing nations. We need each other more than we need to demonize each other. It is a small world after all.