2 People, 23 Countries, 187 Interviews, 12 Global Issues...Fasten Your DreamBelt

Tipping Point

One thing that is against nature to the "Cheap Frenchman" I am is the "obligation" to tip. Btw it's funny how being a bad tipper has become a little like being homophobic or communist. It says something about you...yeah that you're a poor guy that enjoys eating out?
First of all let's talk about cabs.
I think they don't give it to me because of my accent but from what our NY friends report, you get called cheap if you don't tip 10% at the end of your ride!
I paid 71$ for a 25 minute ride from Newark airport and I should feel bad not tipping the guy? Someone even made a racist comment to one of our friends!
I just don't get that.

I am the 1st to agree that nice service at a restaurant should be rewarded. Now you yankees are going to love this, I went to dinner in the west village with friends and it all added up to 2 hundred something $. Don't get me wrong the service was great. We tipped 45$ to our waitress. Everyone tells me it's because they don't get paid much otherwise. Well I checked: the minimum wage in the food industry in NYC is 4.65$/hour. Not much but then again they don't require candidates hold a PhD...

You see where I come from we don't tip everyone, but only if the service is great (OK that's not very often). Although it still strikes me as odd that waiters and bartenders in NY often make thousands of $ a month.Our waitress that night made more an hour than I did. Maybe I should rethink career options and become a cab driver or waiter in NYC!

One more thing that i discovered about civilization is that in the year while we were gone people have decided to stop pickinp up their phones. It's interesting and in my view very revealing of an attitude. People want to be connected, to see what is going on in the world and among their friends' lives. But we don't want to be disturbed. Texts and emails are preferred since you can ignore them and respond what and when you want. It's easier to make up an excuse or lie in a text than on the phone.

I'm sounding old now (and getting there) but after we started communicating less because of phones at least we were still talking. Now it's reduced to a few words on a screen that basically anyone could have written. You don't really know who typed that message. I just take it very personally.
You can't even text back "don't call me anymore" so we both save some time?

While I understand people are busy and don't have time for much anymore I still think there's more to it than that. My generation is for the most part crazy scared of confrontation  (It might mean admitting you were WRONG). We do not want anyone to know we don't like them. Try confronting one of your friends next time you feel strongly about something. If you get the balls to do it you will realize how tough it is to have an actual conversation with someone.

That's a big problem when you think about it because you never know how people feel and nothing ever gets done. Whether it is the National Debt ceiling, the amount of the waiter's tip or something worse... Problems just keep being pushed to the side because we are to busy, life is too fast, short, and sweet to worry about these tough issues.

To finish off I'm going to be generous and give you a tip: If the service is bad don't be afraid to leave a bad tip, you're doing the guy a favor. By confronting him and letting him know he sucks you're probably going to increase his future earnings. That's how people get better, by putting themselves on the line.

Know Your Rights!

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Mui Ne, Vietnam

Cochabamba, Bolivia

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Lesson from Bolivian Preschoolers

Just had a great week in Cochambamba, Bolivia, interviewing volunteers, teachers and NGO personnel from a Community Based project called Proyecto Horizonte. It consists of a school, preschool, IT Lab, HealthCenter and other services to the community. Though funded by it´s genrous founder for the most part, it has started to tap into a new source of income. Recently , volunteers are asked to make a donation of 150$ as participation. This could seem like a scam at first but when we discussed with Eliza Wall, the volunteer manager she explained the rationale.
Most people do want to give money to a cause but are not sure that it is going to be efficiently spent. For having visited a few this year Ihave to say those concerns are grounded. However if one of your relative or friends is going to see where the money is spent, you  will get feedback and access to an insiders perspective. So far every volunteer has far exceeded the minimum amount required.

But enough about money let´s talk about the kids. The community of Ushpa Ushpa in Mineros San Juan about 10km from Cochabamba is poor. There is no running water (it is not drinkable in Bolivia anyway), parents and kids often live in the living room/kitchen and of course have no toilets.
In partnership with the Solis Foundation, Proyecto Horizonte has started a scheme to provide eco toilets to the community. Can you imagine having to borrow money to pay for your toilet?
At the school we met with many teachers (all of them are local) and asked them what their best moment was. One of them answered that when she was sick the kids came to her house after school and brought her milk and cookies. Another teacher Veronika, 24, worked as a teaching assistant while going to night school for 4 years. Another teacher gets up at 4am to tend to her Tienda (a mini grocery store) before going to school from 8 to 4 and then tending to her shop again til late. When we asked her why she was a teacher, she told us it was because she knew what it felt like not to have any opportunities and didn´t want her kids to go through the same thing.

Of course the kids favourite time was playtime and when while we were filming the heaps of fun they were having we were both struck by a very simple fact. As all kids do, these fell, knocked their heads, where headbutted by a football and fought. But they didn't cry and wine about it as we do...
Anyway here is an example of a good project where you volunteer virtually for free, live in a great city in the center of South America and develop your own projects while you are there!

Want to see more pictures of Proyecto Horizonte!
And if you want to be put in touch with Eliza the volunteer manager you can either visit the organisations website or contact me.
Peace
Will