Liked part 1 of this series? Here’s the exciting conclusion, this one focusing on dilemmas and dramas.
This post is set up the same way. I share the details of the situation I found myself in and pose the “What would you do?” question. You share your answer and then, later, I’ll most likely share what it was that I did.
Note: Five of the situations (6 in all, counting Pt 1) are real and happened as described (names, countries, cultures changed to protect the innocent and guilty). One is a hybrid of sorts with a few modifications.
1. Disabled Tour Guide–To Tip or Not?
It’s your final day (in Jerusalem) before returning home from a long trip to the Middle East. You pay way too much money for an “Israel in a Day” sort of tour, which you share with a couple from S. Africa.
Along the way, you realize that your tour guide, a friendly Palestinian man with a warm smile and friendly face, has a problem. At first, it seems he’s ignoring your requests to stop for photos and the bathroom. Yet, it’s odd because at times, he does seem to get what you’re saying.
Also, his English is LTG….Limited Tour Guide–meaning that he’s memorized things from books and speaks in a staccato sort of way. If you ask him about things he didn’t memorize, he can’t answer you. You learn little to nothing much about the places you see, including Masada. Good thing there are signs to help you.
Later on, after you nearly scream at him so he’d stop for photos of “the wall” surrounding Jerusalem, you realize what’s wrong.
He’s deaf in his right ear.
He’s a nice man who works hard. Does/did his best, it seems. He also keeps the AC cranked all day, which is worth a lot, considering the brutal Middle Eastern heat in July. But as far as his tourguide skills go, it’s a ‘fail.’ By the way, he takes you to a restaurant in Nazareth that’s pricey. It’s owned by his friends.
Just as you arrive back at the hostel, your travel companions bring up the tip and ask how much you want to throw in. You hesitate, suddenly wondering if you want to tip or if you even should. You feel slightly ripped off somehow.
What would you do?
Would you put some money in for a tip? Why/why not? Does someone who did a mediocre or somewhat poor job deserve a tip? Does it matter if the person is disabled? How do you feel about someone who’s hearing impaired working as a tour guide? Does that seem like an appropriate job?
What did I do?
Well, this was a tricky situation. The tour was not very good and I felt frustrated. I did not really get my money’s worth. But the man worked hard and did his best. I was torn, but then the other travelers decided to give him a tip and I contributed to it.
2. Back to the Wall–Dealing with a Colleague/Batterer
You’re teaching somewhere in Asia and you befriend the wife of a colleague. Her English is quite limited and she uses a dictionary and gestures. She does know enough, however, to explain that her husband is a drinker who sometimes slams her up against the wall. That’s when he’s not hitting her.
One night, during a free weekend trip, you hear noise in the room next to yours. It’s them…fighting. She comes to your room crying, gesturing that he–the husband–had been drinking and was beating her.
What Would You Do?
Do you let her stay in your room? Do you call the trip organizers–Communist Party officials whose English is limited–and report the husband? Do you go to his room and confront him?
What did I do?
I allowed the woman to stay in my room and did my best to comfort her. I then went to his room, banged on the door and confronted him re: what he’d done. I was a little bit scared of him, but I didn’t care. I wanted to tell him that what he’d done was wrong and that he should be ashamed of himself. And that’s exactly what I did. The next day he bought me a beer and tried to BS me and smooth things over. I didn’t fall for it.
Wait–there’s more.
3. Reward and Punishment–Poetic Justice?
You’ve been teaching at that particular school for 1 month and of all the teachers, you’re the most qualified and have done a fantastic job. The students and the administrators know it, too.
That’s not true for one of the other teachers, however. He did a poor job and everyone knows it. He showed movies every day and did very little. And he even laughed, at lunchtime, about the fact that he “wasn’t working very hard.”
At the end of the month, when it’s time to get paid, the administrators tell you that you’re receiving a special bonus/reward for your “exemplary work.” They’re going to give you extra money to pay for a flight to your next destination. You’re thrilled because you’re on a budget and really didn’t want to take the train.
Later that night, while having a drink with your colleague, you learn that the administrators docked his pay by nearly 20%%. They told him they knew he hadn’t done the job he was supposed to. He’s angry–livid in fact. You figure out, rather quickly, that the money they’re giving you is what he was owed.
What Would You Do?
Do you keep quiet and see it as poetic justice? Do you give him some of the extra money that you’ve been given for the train ride? Or…?
Oh, by the way, he’s the husband who’d been beating his wife.
What did I do?
I kept the money and kept quiet.
Your Thoughts/Experiences?
So…what would you do in each of the situations listed above? Also, what sort of tricky cultural situations and/or dramas/dilemmas have you been in? How did you handle yourself?
Can’t get enough?
Check out Part 1 of this series. There’s an icky meal made my friendly locals, a homestay dad who’s a bit too friendly and more!