68 Proceedings Fall 2024 Haggling is common in many countries, including in the markets of Morocco pictured here. If you agree to the first price offered when shopping overseas, you may end up paying exorbitant prices that could have been avoided with a little bargaining. Sylvia_Kania | iStock/Getty Images Culture 1 Be prepared to learn new and different ways of doing things. In some countries, you cannot go out on a pleasure boat without first consulting the gov- ernment. In some places they eat pizza with a fork and a knife. Crazy, right? As you travel, you will see different ways of doing things. It is not normal to you, but it is normal for them. 2 People live in your destination. Yes, that picture you took for Instagram feels exotic, but there is a local population living their day-to-day lives. They gro- cery shop, attend school, and go to work. Respect their livelihoods and community. 3 Do not take pictures of people. You would not like it if someone drove around your neighborhood and took pictures of you and your living conditions. People are going about their lives, and many do not want their picture taken. Treat others the way you want to be treated. This includes being mindful of where you point your camera. 4 Jumping into business may not be the norm. Sometimes it is customary to make small talk before conducting business. 5 Learn the difference between high- and low-context cultures. In a low-context culture, you will be told if your child is misbehaving on the subway. In a high- context culture, you will be told a story about how loud the subways have become. The message is the same, but delivery styles are very different. “Perhaps tomorrow” might be a near-promise or a polite way to say “no.” 6 Do not compare everything to the United States. Yes, it is what you know, and you are being faced with differences. It may be offensive to repeatedly tell your hosts “In America, we…” 7 Learn a few phrases: hello, thank you, please. Attempting the smallest pleasantries goes a long way in building rapport. 8 The news media makes every place sound scary. If you take the same news story—person stabbed, ferry capsizes, etc.—and put it in an American city, would you take different precautions on your trip? The entire Middle East is not at war as of this writ- ing. You’ll find good and bad everywhere. For every sky-is-falling news story, there are countless other people living their lives, going to school, playing soccer, and having seemingly enjoyable days. These tips are a collection of advice from Coast Guard Activities Europe IPSLOs, and we hope they will help others who choose to venture beyond the United States. Collectively, we have been fortunate to live abroad and travel both as private U.S. citizens and official rep- resentatives of our government. While our focus has been Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, we hope this advice is useful to others since the world needs more Coast Guard expertise everywhere. Our skills are in high demand and the best way to make friends is to show up to the party. Safe travels! About the authors: International Port Division liaison officer assignments are specialty- neutral. The current bullpen is comprised of lieutenant commanders with specialties in aviation, operations afloat, response, prevention, intelligence, and naval engineering. International port security liaison officers are typically on temporary duty—away from their assigned duty station—for 90-120 days per year. CDR James Cepa, International Port Security department head, com- piled these tips on behalf of his team.
