Where to start? I guess with a story... When I write, most of the topics tend to come from a personal experience or from something I’ve observed. This piece is no different…
A couple of weeks ago, I was headed towards the JR (Japan Rail) to go hangout at one of my usual “productivity” spots to catch a coffee and to get a bit of work done before getting lost in the weekend. As I walked up to my neighborhood station, I had to re-up my Suica card and didn’t want to break a big bill so I was fumbling with change! While processing the re-up I caught a glimpse of a black face that I’d never seen before! I thought to myself cool, an opportunity to meet someone new that 1) I won’t have to fight through a language barrier to have a conversation and 2) has probably experienced some of the same things life has to offer as a black person traveling the world.
The 9:04 train was about to push off so I hurried to the first car and got a seat before the doors closed. A few seconds after sitting down the black guy I saw earlier entered the car and sits directly across from me! As I sat there, poised to speak, I noticed buddy was wearing a pair of AirPods that were turned up to the point where I could hear the lyrics to something that sounded Migos-esque. So first off this guy must be a tourist because, loud music in the JR is a NO-NO, especially in the morning! The second give away that he was a tourist, was his reaction to another brown face in this mostly asian country! (More about this brown and abroad topic later)
A couple of weeks ago, I was headed towards the JR (Japan Rail) to go hangout at one of my usual “productivity” spots to catch a coffee and to get a bit of work done before getting lost in the weekend. As I walked up to my neighborhood station, I had to re-up my Suica card and didn’t want to break a big bill so I was fumbling with change! While processing the re-up I caught a glimpse of a black face that I’d never seen before! I thought to myself cool, an opportunity to meet someone new that 1) I won’t have to fight through a language barrier to have a conversation and 2) has probably experienced some of the same things life has to offer as a black person traveling the world.
The 9:04 train was about to push off so I hurried to the first car and got a seat before the doors closed. A few seconds after sitting down the black guy I saw earlier entered the car and sits directly across from me! As I sat there, poised to speak, I noticed buddy was wearing a pair of AirPods that were turned up to the point where I could hear the lyrics to something that sounded Migos-esque. So first off this guy must be a tourist because, loud music in the JR is a NO-NO, especially in the morning! The second give away that he was a tourist, was his reaction to another brown face in this mostly asian country! (More about this brown and abroad topic later)
Prior to engaging a new person, I typically wait to make eye contact or, at the very least give them a moment to gather themselves before speaking. So as I’m sitting there waiting for bruh to get settled, he goes straight for his phone. After fumbling with his phone for a moment, he shifts his full attention to something on the ceiling to the far left of where I was sitting (spiders?!?), then back down to check his phone again. This odd cycle, almost like a tick of some sort happened a couple of times before he started squinting his eyes together like he was just forced to eat something sour against his will. During this process we’ve already stopped at 2 stations and are approaching the transfer point. This dude hasn’t looked anywhere in my vicinity during this entire trip.
I started thinking maybe, just maybe I died last night and haven’t realized it yet 🤷🏾♂️ because this dude is acting like I’m not here. Nah, he’s acting too awkward for me to be dead unless he’s like the kid on the 6th sense. After our short trip, we arrive at the transfer point! This kid springs up without looking, almost falls in his awkwardness (trippin on those feet he was obsessed with) and b-lines straight towards the escalator. Not entirely sure why someone would go through that much to avoid a conversation but, this interaction brings me to the first type of black person you’ll encounter when living abroad or traveling internationally.
I started thinking maybe, just maybe I died last night and haven’t realized it yet 🤷🏾♂️ because this dude is acting like I’m not here. Nah, he’s acting too awkward for me to be dead unless he’s like the kid on the 6th sense. After our short trip, we arrive at the transfer point! This kid springs up without looking, almost falls in his awkwardness (trippin on those feet he was obsessed with) and b-lines straight towards the escalator. Not entirely sure why someone would go through that much to avoid a conversation but, this interaction brings me to the first type of black person you’ll encounter when living abroad or traveling internationally.
1. The Charles (As in Ray Charles)
Travelers that go blind or through lengths to avoid making eye contact or acknowledging other people of color in the vicinity.
As strange as it may sound, black people who go #Charles when they encounter other black people while traveling isn’t a rarity! This has happened countless times and every time no matter where I am it strikes me as odd… When I was in Prague there was a black couple that stayed in the same hotel that to this day are the king & queen of #Charles. I saw these 2 all over Prague and attempted to speak when in close proximity but they literally went through acrobatics to avoid speaking… #DontGoCharles
As strange as it may sound, black people who go #Charles when they encounter other black people while traveling isn’t a rarity! This has happened countless times and every time no matter where I am it strikes me as odd… When I was in Prague there was a black couple that stayed in the same hotel that to this day are the king & queen of #Charles. I saw these 2 all over Prague and attempted to speak when in close proximity but they literally went through acrobatics to avoid speaking… #DontGoCharles
2. Unc & Auntie
Typically an old head who is out traveling the world post retirement or after accumulating excessive PTO. As you’d expect these interactions are the exact opposite of the #Charles. The conversation always starts off with “What up Young Blood” and this quickly turns into an extended chat about life, travel, and the crazy stuff that happened during their trip. Meeting Unc and them while abroad also comes along with getting introduced to the rest of their travel group and may end in a night of drinking and a lot of laughter! Uncle Unc & Auntie travelers are my favorite! This is who I want to be when I grow up!
3. The Know it All
A traveler that you’ll encounter that knows everything about everything regardless of the topic or scenario. BEST example was a guy I encountered at JBR in Dubai! At the time I’d been living in Dubai for 4 years and knowing that, this guy proceeded to tell me how drinking is illegal and how you can't buy alcohol, that women can't drive and a host of absurdities about the city where I live. Oh, and don’t bother telling them otherwise, because "bruh, I'm telling you!... These is #facts..." is the typical response to any rebuttal. I do my best to keep conversations of this nature shorter than inch worms! Maybe #GoingCharles has a purpose... 🤔
4. Hot Sauce Bag Swag
A traveler that brought a bit too much America with them to their new destination! So yea, your traveling the world, yeah you got the passport stamps, and yeah your social media is on fire BUT you haven’t eaten anything but McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut the entire time you’ve been out of the US! Yeah, this may be a little judgemental but Food is a huge part of a country's culture! If you travel but opt out of the local cuisine you missed a HUGE part of the experience! However, this type of traveler is also opposed to trying anything outside their comfort zone unless it involves doing it for the gram. These Adult Chicken nugget people seriously perplex me!
5. The Stereotype
A traveler that steps off the plane in another country and seems to step straight out of a music video, an episode of Empire or your favorite black reality show! Talk about CRINGEY! As a black person, when you encounter these type of travelers they make any situation feel a little more awkward than it ever could have been imagined! I hate the term “TOO Black” but it applies here. This type of traveler is Extremely loud in normal volume situations, freely uses the “N” word in non-black spaces, typically travels in a crew of similar personalities and frequently reference, “well back in (city) we do it like this…”
6. The Black Diplomat
Travelers that seem to be on a blackness good will mission offering an olive branch to the world. This traveler is there for the experience, to meet the people and tends to be about taking in all that the destination has to offer. They approach each destination as an opportunity to make a connection and leave a lasting impression. You can always tell when this type of Traveler recently left their impression on a destination. Shop & restaurant owners see black faces and break in to a Disney level musical welcoming you to their establishment! The chorus is typically the name of cities where black people live... 🎶🎶Chicago, Chicago, Chicago? New York? Miami? California? followed by welcome! Welcome to my store! 🎶🎶
7. The Bear
Travelers that arrive in a destination after a long-haul flight and decide to hibernate in the hotel or resort instead of venturing out to see the country they just flew +10 hours to get to. Whether it’s the inability to power through the jet-lag, under estimating the toll travel takes on the body or them just being alright partaking in the 5 star amenities of the hotel. Either way the BEAR tends to fly half way around the world to sit in a hotel room or stay on resort. Let’s face it a 5 star hotel is a 5 star hotel! You could have done a staycation downtown in your home city and skipped the long haul flight! I Bear'd once after ill advisedly flying 13hrs to a place who's temperature was subzero the entire trip! Never again! #TropicalWinterTravel for the win!
8. Bad & Boujee but uhhh…
Travelers that splash out on the ticket, book the hotel but forget that there are other expenses involved with being on vacation! You know expenses like, food, transportation, tours, spending money, and entertainment! Traveling lean is admirable because even after catching the glitchiest of glitch fares a trip to a foreign destination isn't cheap! Whether it's a rookie mistake, miscalculation or bad planning this type of traveler tends to spend the rest of the trip rubbing foreign coins together in an attempt to make them multiply… I personally haven't met any of these travelers but have read a number of comments regarding their presence on group trips! Those post are hilarious! Original post start off by saying "Only the names have been changed to protect the bad and boujee..."
9. The Appropriator
You know how we use the term appropriation, well that’s basically what these travelers do. They Arrive in a country and hit the most gimmicky shop and say, “Give me the stereotypical attire you've got (that they saw online prior to arriving)!” Oh, and don’t get it mistaken, I’m not talking about trying out a country’s traditional attire in a respectful way. Example: The picture to the left and the time I saw two women in Dubai Mall wearing white Kandoras (the male version) with fluorescent undergarments or the dudes I've seen wearing geisha outfits in non cosplay environments, etc…. Unfortunately, I've seen "us" participate in this foolishness...
10. Dora & Diego VIP
Travelers that are EVERYWHERE and often times leave you scratching your head saying "How'd that happen!?!" You know, those travelers who just happened to be at the Vatican and got to hang out with the Pope, or that time they went to visit the Burj Khalifa and got an impromptu tour of the penthouse, or that one time they were randomly walking down the beach in a remote country and wound up sitting on the sand having a hour long heart to heart with Oprah & Gayle... I'm not sure if it's luck or what but talk about the universe putting people in the right place at the right time!
Honorable mention: Let me Check my laces
Travelers that are the minimalist version of the Ray Charles. Instead of going through an exercise of avoidance when another black face appears they look down to see if their laces are tied, then check to see if they remembered their feet and then to see if the floor where they are standing is stable. Some people look down on the world, well these travelers just seem to be overly concerned with their shoe choice! #DamnYouFakeChucks I think they are talking, hope no one notices!
Did I forget any travelers in my top 10 list? Have you encountered any of these travelers in your journeys around the world? Are you one of these travelers?!? Let me know in the comment section! I'd love to hear what you have to say on this topic!
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