I wrote previously that native Seattleites are cautious. This article puts it on stronger terms: the "Seattle Freeze". It describes Seattleites as cold, distant, and not trusting. I had an interesting conversation recently with a man from Rome who I encountered on the sidewalk. He complained that people he meets here haven't been friendly. We remarked on our different accents, and on the fact that the natives don't have any accent. I used the explanation for unfriendliness as a caution in a place where the majority of people are strangers. I doubt that I really understand, though, not being a native.
I am a very reserved person, but am open to speaking to strangers that I meet. Its good practice for an urbanist and researcher, and for life in general (keeping caution in mind, of course), as it is possible to learn so much from our fellow travelers. Early one morning in Dublin, Ireland, I was unsuccessfully searching for a laundromat when I encountered a roguish pair sitting on the steps of a building at Trinity College, eating takeout for breakfast. They hailed me, and I came over and sat with them for a while, which they were slightly surprised by. One asked me if I made a habit of speaking to strangers and I replied that yes, as a matter of fact I do.
Another time I was doing research in Hampstead, outside of London, and found myself locked out of a community I wished to explore. I stood by the gate looking lost, and a resident not only let me in and gave me a tour, he then drove me around all of Hampstead as my guide, pointing out everything of interest.
I've done extensive backpack travel, and have sometimes been taken for a rough wanderer. I went to Skagen, Denmark, once, not realizing that it is a favorite vacation spot for the Danes and that accommodations would be hard to come by. I asked a man in the yard of a house if he had any vacant guest rooms. He at first had the impression that I was offering service in trade; an easily corrected misunderstanding. He was then a very informative host, telling me all the must-sees in Skagen. The next morning he gave me breakfast and we had a long talk about art, architecture, cities and travel. I regretted only staying one day but Skagen was expensive.
Another time I got caught in Norway by the seasonal change of the ferry schedule coming back to Bodo from the Lofoten Islands. I got in too late for the hostel and spent the rest of the night freezing outside the door. A man was walking back and forth trying to keep warm. At first I startled and looked up every time he came by; then got used to him and judged him harmless. We were both waiting for the train station to open. He spoke no English and I don't speak Norske but he showed me how to order breakfast, and then helped me fit my pack in a smaller, less expensive locker then the one I had chosen, as the train didn't leave for some hours. Just another fellow traveler, a stranger.
I am a very reserved person, but am open to speaking to strangers that I meet. Its good practice for an urbanist and researcher, and for life in general (keeping caution in mind, of course), as it is possible to learn so much from our fellow travelers. Early one morning in Dublin, Ireland, I was unsuccessfully searching for a laundromat when I encountered a roguish pair sitting on the steps of a building at Trinity College, eating takeout for breakfast. They hailed me, and I came over and sat with them for a while, which they were slightly surprised by. One asked me if I made a habit of speaking to strangers and I replied that yes, as a matter of fact I do.
Another time I was doing research in Hampstead, outside of London, and found myself locked out of a community I wished to explore. I stood by the gate looking lost, and a resident not only let me in and gave me a tour, he then drove me around all of Hampstead as my guide, pointing out everything of interest.
I've done extensive backpack travel, and have sometimes been taken for a rough wanderer. I went to Skagen, Denmark, once, not realizing that it is a favorite vacation spot for the Danes and that accommodations would be hard to come by. I asked a man in the yard of a house if he had any vacant guest rooms. He at first had the impression that I was offering service in trade; an easily corrected misunderstanding. He was then a very informative host, telling me all the must-sees in Skagen. The next morning he gave me breakfast and we had a long talk about art, architecture, cities and travel. I regretted only staying one day but Skagen was expensive.
Another time I got caught in Norway by the seasonal change of the ferry schedule coming back to Bodo from the Lofoten Islands. I got in too late for the hostel and spent the rest of the night freezing outside the door. A man was walking back and forth trying to keep warm. At first I startled and looked up every time he came by; then got used to him and judged him harmless. We were both waiting for the train station to open. He spoke no English and I don't speak Norske but he showed me how to order breakfast, and then helped me fit my pack in a smaller, less expensive locker then the one I had chosen, as the train didn't leave for some hours. Just another fellow traveler, a stranger.
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