Cracking the Cultural Code With Lorelou Desjardins
Zero To Travel Podcast
A Journey to a Small Village
The speaker recounts their long and arduous journey to a small village in Indonesia and their encounter with a sick shaman. They also talk about the tension caused by the unintended consequences of giving herbal supplements to a villager.
Integrating ourselves into a new culture allows us to meet more locals and enhance our travel experience. But how can we do this in the most authentic and ethical way?
Lorelou Desjardins is a French lawyer who’s lived in seven countries, speaks four languages, and has dedicated over a decade to addressing environmental issues and fighting injustice on behalf of Indigenous people worldwide. She is also a fellow immigrant to Norway and has a popular blog and book called A Frog in the Fjord, which has become a bestseller here in Norway.
During today’s chat with Lorelou, you´ll hear about her experience advocating for Indigenous rights and rainforest protection. She’ll share tips on ethical travel to Indigenous areas, advice for cracking the cultural code wherever you go so you can get the most out of your trip, and the importance of being unafraid to follow a different path that others may not agree with. We also commiserate on the curiosities of life in Norway and some of the quirky things we’ve experienced living here as immigrants!
Have you taken the time to immerse yourself in local culture while you travel? I'd love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me an audio message.
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Tune In To Learn:
- How traveling as a child and witnessing Aboriginal injustice in Australia led to a life working in human rights
- Lorelou’s advice for effecting change in areas that matter to you and dealing with the naysayers
- The stigma and exotification of Indigenous cultures and her experience working for their rights and rainforest protection
- The time she was asked to be the doctor in a remote village (you won’t believe how it ends!)
- The irony of Indigenous shame when it comes to environmental reform and climate change
- How tourism can be a powerful tool for Indigenous communities if done right
- Why integrating into Norweigan culture was more difficult for her than in Indonesia
- What life is like as a woman in Norway and why she feels this country allows you to have it all
- What Lorelou loves most about calling Norway home and her favorite travel experiences here
- How writing has allowed her to process the journey of integrating into a new country
- And so much more
Resources:
- Join Zero To Travel Premium Passport
- Subscribe to our FREE newsletter
- Today's Sponsor - US Bank
- Learn more about Lorelou, her work, and living in Norway
- Connect with Lorelou on Instagram
Want More?
- Australia Through Indigenous Eyes
- Connecting Across Cultures w/ Tayo Rockson
- Hidden Norway: 7 Off The Beaten Path Gems You’ll Love, Popular Norwegian Concepts Worth Stealing, Trekking In Bhutan, & Living At The Crossroads of Magic & Science w/ Torunn Tronsvang from Up Norway
Thanks To Our Sponsors
- This episode is also sponsored by US Bank's Altitude Connect Visa Signature Card, with the ability to earn up to 5x the points on travel-related expenses like hotels, and rental cars, this card will get you the most return on your next trip.
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