Musings From My Desk ...

Last month while on business in Southern California, I took some time to attend one of the chapter meetings for the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives' (SITE). It was in fact ironic that the very morning of the meeting there was a story in USA Today on how companies such as Bank of America, Timberland, and Google are offering their staff incentives to buy hybrid vehicles. Ironic, yes, because the topic of the monthly meeting was "In the Green... Environmentally Responsible Meetings."

Perhaps this may seem irrelevant -- however, as long as you travel or live in a community that one can consider a destination, this is about you. Some of the guidelines shared were pretty basic, ones that I suppose we take for granted. Consider for example, hotel sheet and towel programs by which guests are asked to use their linens more that once in an effort to conserve energy: Towels on the rack mean 'I'll use it again,' while towels on the floor or in the tub mean 'Please exchange.' After all, how many of us actually change our linen at home everyday? Other examples included:

- implementing paperless registration processes
- playing with biodegradable tees on the golf course
- serving water from pitchers rather than individual water bottles.

Of course, you too can do your part to help us "keep it green," such as:

1. Driving smart. That is combining several errands in one trip, and keeping your car well tuned and tires properly inflated.

2. Using less water by taking showers rather than baths, and turning the tap off when brushing your teeth.

3. Printing and photocopying on both sides of paper.

4. Sharing seeds and plant cuttings with friends and neighbors.

These are simple things we can do everyday that can help to sustain our homes and communities.


Simone
simone@sncdestinations.com

motivation

"Yo Mamma ... "

Even before Zinedine Zidane's head-butting incident in Sunday's FIFA World Cup Finals, the very nature of cross-cultural communication characterized the event. For example, whenever you would see a player argue with a referee, in which language do you think the player might be speaking ... in his native tongue, that of the ref, or one that might be common to them both? As we watched the end of the France/Portugal game when France's Thierry Henry exchanged hugs and words with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, was Henry sharing words of wisdom in French or Portuguese?

There are a number of things that we might take for granted when watching players from two different countries or even continents interact, beyond just that of language. Expressions, gestures and body language may also have different meanings between the two. But back to the unfortunate incident for which Zidane received a red card and was ejected on Sunday. There remains much speculation as to what exactly Italy's Marco Materazzi said to Zidane, whose parents immigrated to France from Algeria, to provoke this response. Yes, Zidane once played for Italian team Juventus and may therefore have understood what Materazzi said to him. An Italian friend of mine feels that whatever Materazzi said could possibly have been said in Sicilian dialect, which could have also been misunderstood as in a phrase such as "testa di minchia" the word "minchia" might also sound like a "mamma" word.

And, that brings us full circle to the discussion of culture. An article in yesterday’s U.K. Guardian highlighted cultural differences when it comes to insults, noting the reverence paid to mothers in Mediterranean and Latin cultures, while in the U.S. "yo mamma" jokes make their round on MTV’s popular show of the same name. There is no denying that culture has an impact on what and how something is said, and in turn how it is interpreted. After all, words only account for 7% of the total impact that a message has on the receiver.


To find more cross-cultural news and tips visit our blog, Something Extra. For more information on our cross-cultural workshops and presentations, we invite you to visit our web site.

For Planners and Buyers, Save the Date

SNC Destinations and our DMC partner Carib Travel would like you to save this date, October 16-19, 2006, as together with our sponsoring partners, we are hosting an educational trip to the Caribbean island of St. Lucia.

Six qualified incentive buyers and meeting planners will enjoy a 3-night stay, arriving in St. Lucia on Monday, October 16 on Air Jamaica’s direct service from New York’s JFK. During their stay, participants will have the opportunity to experience the diverse, vibrant, world class service and amenities offered in a destination that Incentive Magazine describes as "a stone-age beauty drawing brand-new growth" (March 2006).

To the south of the island, the group will be hosted in the shadow of the Pitons, in barefoot luxury. Then moving to the north, participants will enjoy among other things, what novelist James A. Michener described as "the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean."

Applications and details will be made available this month. For additional information, please feel free to contact me at simone@sncdestinations.com or telephone 954-748-6895.

 

SNC Destinations, Inc.

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