It’s Culture Trasition Tip Tuesday once again!

Here is Tip #9

I’ve mentioned before that volunteering is one of the absolute best ways to meet new people, and feel less isolated.

Today, in my capacity as a Big Apple Greeter, I took a lovely French couple around New York to show them parts of the city they wouldn’t get to see on their own.  They ended up teaching me a lot, too!  It’s always fascinating to me how a foreign pair of eyes on a place you know so well you take it for granted, helps you find novelty.  They marveled at a barber shop in Chinatown which still looked like something out of a Hollywood film from the 1940s, and were amazed at a parking lot that had cars parked above others via a raised platform, requiring the bottom car to be moved out of the way, to get to the car on top.

We also got to speak about cultural differences – this is another wonderful experience – getting a slice of life that you might otherwise not get.  My choice of volunteer jobs allows me to meet people from many different cultures, and nationalities, and to speak many different languages.  Each time I volunteer, I am overjoyed by the types of people I get to meet, and the in-depth conversations and shared learning that ensues.

The other wonderful part about forming these relationships is that you never know who you’ll meet.  It turned out that the couple I took around New York is from a city in France that my cousin is visiting next week.  They very kindly offered to help her around while she’s there! 

So, once again, I’m demonstrating here how the act of volunteering can have so many different rewarding experiences – if you’re hoping to meet new people, make sure to find something to volunteer for!

I’ve mentioned before that I am a Big Apple Greeter. It’s one of the most wonderful volunteer experiences I’ve ever done, and I highly recommend it! As I mentioned in the prior post, there is actually a worldwide network of Greeters, so it may be available to you outside the US.

This past weekend, I accompanied 4 wonderful Australians, from the Gold Coast, around Manhattan, to experience what I feel is the magic of New York – how you can float through the city and experience the change in neighborhoods, and just how many different ones there are. Having been here a while, I find it inspiring when I discover something unexpected to add to the dimension of the city. As we strolled around neighborhoods I know very well, we found tiny little street fairs – some of them had hand-made crafts, others more commercial goods. It added to the day. And, my new friends, knowing how much I like cows, actually tried very hard to find me a cover for my iPhone with cows on it! Though we couldn’t find one, they did manage to come across a black and white case, and suggested I paint a cow on it – great ingenuity!

The other highlight of the day is that one of the Australians looks just like Z.Z. Top! So, I spent the day with a celebrity….sort of. When I dropped them off at our destination – a water taxi around the city – one of the boat attendants asked if it was Z.Z. Top and I said, “Yes, it is! But his voice is a bit horse, so he won’t be singing today. But, take good care of him!”

We all hugged goodbye – bonded by a day of fun experiences – and I felt like I was saying goodbye to some excellent new friends that I would be overjoyed to see again.

On my journey home, I then “happened” upon a concert in the middle of a small park.  It was apparently the last free one of the year in that location, and I felt so lucky to have been in the right place at the right time.

Can’t wait for the next volunteer opportunity!