Etiquettes when Traveling through the Maldives Islands

There is something to be said of the phrase ‘Please and Thank you.’ Over years of our human evolution we have come to understand the importance of being nice to each other and respecting one another. 

Conflict arises when we disagree on what is appropriate or not. This piece of writing is an exploration into this culture clash found in the development of local tourism and the rise in Maldivians visiting Raaje. 

We the masters of the universe come forth in an angry swarm relenting from the grind of our lives towards basking in the glow that is our vacation. We are so done with all of the stress, the subjugation and imposed politeness of our day jobs that when we go on vacation it is all about us. We are supreme. Our wants and needs come first. Everything else is secondary if that. 

We I call right now all of the young and not that young and absolutely not old people who have now the opportunity to go across our beautiful country and enjoy a holiday. We I am calling the urbanites marching forth towards the peace that comes as a piece and a fragment from our ancestral past meshed together with (if one allows oneself to really think about it) a horrific representation of inequality and the status quo of our societal psyche. 

But let me not get into politics. I am not talking about this and that in terms of modes of production nor modes of governance. I would like to focus instead on something we all need to remember to keep in mind at all times. Etiquette. 

Etiquette is a bougie way of saying not to be an [word censored for writing etiquette keeping in mind the sensibilities of the perceived and hoped for audience] @$$#0!3. It is a means of making sure that our social interactions are protected from misunderstandings and unnecessary conflict. It is also a practice in humility and respect by accepting that what we want and value may not be the same as others in any given circumstance. 

Simple enough, yes? 

Let me lay it out for you. 

As the green speck on the horizon draws closer and the mighty palm trees rise up into the sky. As you disembark and feel the land welcome you. Look around and see the people of this country and their homes. Look at the parks, mosques, and ‘sai hota’ which seem to be fixed characteristics on all islands. Look at your place in their relation and feel at home, but please do not feel or act like you own the place. 
You don’t.

Refrain from documenting people in their ‘natural habitat’.

Consent is essential here. 

This is not something we truly appreciate in this age of snapchat, instagram, and selfies. We document our bedhead, our breakfast, the random cat on the road, a particularly difficult stack of paper at work, and then lunch, tea, a selfie at sunset, and so on. What we do not truly appreciate is that this lifestyle is not for everyone. Not everyone likes being photographed, and no one likes it when they are not even aware of it. So the candid shot of the old woman weaving a mat, may, in your mind be as exquisite as a shot can be. It may even win the hearts of men and women through the ages. But this is their life. Converse nicely and ask for permission first. 

Silence is a virtue not just in libraries. Think on why we are quiet there. It is etiquette. Use the hive like mind with which you follow the buzz online. Listen for a day and night and understand that the people who do own the land you visit, have a routine for day and night. Some of them have mornings that start before the crack of dawn. Some enjoy the sounds of the winds and waves more than a Kygo remix being played on some fancy speaker. We must learn to adapt to the level of noise of the island we visit. Not impose our own. A fun way to do this is to listen and learn from the blaring silence of nature at night and find the right type of harmony for your pleasure. 

Booty shorts on guys is progressive. What is not, is disrespecting the island culture you come upon by parading your liberated body. Nudism is cool. But it is not cool to imitate the colonials you hate by behaving like them and imposing your culture on someone else’s life.  

Worst of all is the assumption that you know better. Or the sneering of living conditions. Or the asinine comment about how you don’t understand why people leave their island homes for the cramped spaces in Male’. 

Look. 

I know you do not mean to tick off the people who live in the islands you visit. So make that meaning into a reality. 

All I am asking is that we respect the people of the communities we visit. That we engage ourselves in such a way where we are not outsiders bearing down, but cousins and relatives coming for a visit. 

Keep in mind their hospitality and remember to return the favor in words and actions for when they come to your home-island. 

I will leave you all with a quote by Yixing Zhang who I think captured in a few words all that I am trying to say here. “To learn etiquette, is actually learning how to see others, and respect them.”