June 8, 2009
Commentary
Kristof and bandits
New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof offers an online degree in evading bandits for Americans abroad. Although I suspect that most IPAers would agree with the spirit of Kristof's recommendation - that young people should spend time abroad - I wonder if his safety tips are a bit more controversial.
Kristof sends a little love our way: "If students can learn about microfinance while sitting comatose in 9 a.m. lectures, couldn't they learn more by volunteering with a lender in a Bangladesh slum?" Although we can't offer anything in Bangladeshi slums just at this very moment, we do highly recommend several delicious alternatives in Mali, the Philippines, Liberia, Kenya, and India.
Since we have a lot of collective experience living in many countries, I'm curious what IPA staff and other friends and readers think of Kristof's tips.
My favorite is #14:
If terrorists finger you, break out singing "O Canada"!
What do you think of Kristof's advice? Wise? Paranoid? Otherwise?
PS. Five bucks to any American IPA staffer who is actually capable of singing O Canada. Without googling. Seriously.
I'll match that!
I'll match that!
After spending time in Ghana,
After spending time in Ghana, Peru and Mexico and having exactly none of those terrible things happen to me, I wonder if Mr. Kristof is actually scaring people off traveling/working abroad more than he is encouraging them. Of course, better safe than sorry, but the article presents a pretty grim (and over dramatic, in my opinion) view of life in a developing country... Nonetheless, I'll be attaching my decoy wallet to my prop chair with a 6-foot retractable wire tonight while rehearsing "O'Cananda" under my headlamp.
Having spent a lot of time
Having spent a lot of time trying to sleep on trains and buses with my arms or legs draped strategically over my bags, I actually thought the ski lock idea was a good one. But by no means specific to developing countries.
That said, I thought this was a hilariously inapt ending to the column: "Finally, don’t be so cautious that you miss the magic of escaping your comfort zone and mingling with local people and staying in their homes. The risks are minimal..." Sure. That was definitely my take-away, Mr. Kristof.