Opening My Cultural Lens: A Globe Trekker's Experiences and Photographs

by Gail Shore

Gail Shore grew up in Wisconsin during an era that provided few opportunities for girls. Then, in the late 1960s, with no vision or plans for her future, she took her first trip abroad, never dreaming how cultural travel would irreversibly change her life.

Gail’s solo trips would eventually take her through five decades and nearly 100 countries, including to destinations as intriguing and unfamiliar as North Korea, Iran, the Amazon, and even Timbuktu. Opening My Cultural Lens is the account of her lifetime on the road—an illuminating exploration of the traditions, rituals, and cultures of some of the world’s most remote and fascinating populations.

Using history and humor, Opening My Cultural Lens is both a celebration of diversity, and a poignant reminder that we are, in fact, more alike than different. By chronicling the many faces of our shared human experience, Opening My Cultural Lens takes a hammer to stereotypes and cultural barriers, revealing a world lusher and more precarious than we may know.

342 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 2022

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging, informative compilation of a solo female traveler's adventures. The author's own photos included throughout each chapter were significant and helpful in getting a real glimpse of the places and people she described. She was open-minded and respectful, especially through the inclusion of writing about the history and politics of each of the countries visited.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "Opening My Cultural Lens: A Globe Trekker's Experiences and Photographs" (2023) by Gail shore for an upcoming event, at which Shore will appear.

Shore began working in the airline industry in the late 1960's which, after a relatively homogenous upbringing in the Milwaukee area, introduced her to worlds she'd never imagined. Her first trip oversees was in 1968 to Switzerland. After years of "conventional" travel, she ventured to Kenya in 1982 with her sister. This trip proved to be a turning point for Shore. She became highly interested in culturally distinct locations that many of us know little about, certainly have never visited. She became a traveler, rather that a tourist. To document her travels, she also became a photographer. She began presenting what she had documented and learned with others, and eventually founded Cultural Jumbalaya, a nonprofit that "...creates free, online programming that educators use to spark student's curiosity and broaden their world views right in the classroom." In "Opening My Cultural Lens," Shore documents some of her travels via her photography and a brief description of each trip, beginning with her travels to Kenya in 1982.

Takeaways:

1. Gail Shore is definitely an adventurer, a brave adventurer. I deeply admire this bravery, as well as her curiosity and willingness to experience things outside of her comfort zone. I could not do what she has done.

2. Shore's photography is rich! It deserves much more attention than it gets in the book. Each photo needed more space. I kept wanting to take my two fingers and spread them across the page to enlarge the photo (technology has its perks). I would love to see them in a much larger format than they appear here.

3. I appreciated that Shore shared her experiences in each spot with us. However, this too got the short shrift. I wanted much more here. I was often left with lots of questions. I get it that she was trying, literally and figuratively, to cover a lot of ground here (32 countries/areas of the world), but covering China (etc.) in 10 pages wasn't enough. Perhaps the hope was that this would be enough to whet the reader's appetite to seek out more information? Shore's writing is just okay - but, again, she calls herself a "traveler" and a "photographer," rather than a writer.

4. The appearance of an outline of each country at the beginning of each chapter was interesting. However, it would have been more helpful to see each highlighted on a world map at some point in the book.

5. I liked the fact that Shore summarized the key lessons (p. 15) that her travels have taught her. I would have liked more discussion of each of these points.

6. I appreciated Shore's sense of humor here!

7. Questions that I would like to ask:

- You talk a bit about how you prepared for each of these trips. Talk more about the role of your "travel agent" in preparing for these trips. I'd like to know more about preparations in terms of learning enough about each culture so as to be respectful of that culture: how to dress (you discussed this a bit on p. 252 in the section on Syria), what you would eat, the role of women, etc. I would also like to know how you prepared medically for each trip - did you need vaccinations, for example? I'd like to know how you prepared physically - for elevations, temperatures (like in Mongolia), hiking, etc.

- You mention "windows and mirrors" (Emily Style and Peggy McIntosh) early on in the book. Talk more about this and give examples.

- Did you think about the repercussions of what you wrote about each country/area in "Opening My Cultural Lens"? You bravely visited some places considered off-limits and dangerous, especially for Americans. And some of your conclusions might be frowned upon in some of these countries. Did this influence your writing?

- Discuss the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its significance. You mention it several times throughout the book.

- Some of your trips occurred decades ago. Are your conclusions based on then, or the here and now? How have things in each of these countries/parts of the world changed in 2023? I was particularly interested to know if some of the places you visited that were considered unknown and isolated at the time are still considered isolated and unknown? The Himba in Namibia, for example.

- Friends recently visited Galapagos Islands. Should places like this be tourist destinations? How do we protect them?

- Talk more about the Minnesota connection (loved the Ann Bancroft reference!)

- You share highlight experiences, such as holding the baby panda (Cheneg Gong) in Chengdu, China, and seeing the crocodile eyes while spear fishing in Queensland, Australia. Any other highlights since the book was published that you'd like to share? I loved these stories!

- Talk more about fears that you may have experienced while traveling to these remote, dangerous areas (as on p. 278 after you left Timbuktu). What did it feel like to be under surveillance?

- Expand on your thoughts about based on your experiences throughout the world in regards to:

* family (you mention multi-generational families)
* the environment
* violence
* the role of women
* America/home - on p. 154 and 239, you discuss the joy and appreciation of America and returning home and its freedoms - yet, on p. 85, you discuss returning home to rude, impatient, and disrespectful Americans in the airport - when you compare America and Americans to the countries you have visited and their inhabitants, what are your conclusions? - for instance, do Americans tend to be as welcoming and generous as so many in the countries that you visited were to you?
* America's relationships with the other countries of the world
* religion and the role it plays in the world versus the United Stated - has this changed?

- What are some of the most difficult things you have experienced in your travels?

- Based on your experiences, are you hopeful about the future of our world? Why or why not?

I love this quote from near the end of the book (p. 309): "As I travel, I am continually awed by those doing all they can to keep their cultures alive: not only indigenous groups, but people everywhere who look to their elders and ancestors for wisdom and guidance, who turn to their religion and spirituality for courage and hope, and who work alongside local leaders to find common ground and solve problems. 'If we are facing the right direction,' a Buddhist proverb says, 'all we have to do is keep on walking.' Never underestimate the human spirit."

I can not wait to meet Gail Shore and hear her speak about her travels!

[James Casterton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening My Cultural Lens is an informative, intelligent, and humorous account of the author's travels around the globe. But it's much more than that. The author, Gail Shore, hilariously but sadly recounts being advised by her 1960's era high school guidance counselor that she basically had three options in life: Teacher, nurse, or housewife.

While that guidance counselor probably had a very narrow conception of each life path, it's ironic that Gail, in her own insightful and self deprecating way, has succeeded at each.  The four lessons shared on page fifteen and reinforced throughout the book attest to her skills as a teacher.  The various and sometimes serious ailments she overcame while traversing some of the most dangerous places on Earth bear witness to her medical knowledge and experience.  But Gail the housewife? Huh?  It's just that her "house" is much larger than that of 1960's Milwaukee suburbia. It's the entire planet; and her role of "wife" extends care and compassion to more than just one person...or even to those of just one culture, one race, or one religion. It's a universal care and compassion for all humankind which is illustrated repeatedly and thoughtfully throughout the book.

Opening My Cultural Lens is a repudiation of the myopic view of that high school counselor from decades ago and a triumphant and bold realization and redefinition of all that he recommended. As the author puts it, "while we all may look, dress, or speak differently, people are more alike than we are different. Understanding this is the path to compassion and empathy." That's true thoughout the world in 2023 and it was true throughout the suburbs of Milwaukee in 1965... but she/we may not have known it then.  She and her readers know it now and we are all better because of it. I highly recommend this book.

[Judith Brant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. I am a traveler but usually to popular destinations. Gail Shore is someone I have known since forever. She developed a career from her natural interest in other cultures and then traveled and experienced the country and people. Now you can live vicariously as I did and follow her journey. Her book is educational, interesting and fun to read. Excellent for anyone who loves history, geography, and of course humor. You will spend time and truly learn about countries and the people through Gail’s eyes and some special experiences that are amazing and certainly surreal. You will love this book as I did and will want to read it more than once.

Gail Shore

[Joe Arterburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gail Shore has spent decades traveling the world, unaccompanied except for local guides; always a local guide. Her travels and subsequent photographs, first resulted in her founding Cultural Jambalaya, a nonprofit organization that provides free multi-media content to classrooms to improve global awareness and understanding. Now, she's compiled the experiences and stunning photographs in an entertaining and educational book form. Not one to only travel the beaten path, she often visited hard-to-get-to places, like North Korea, China, Cuba. Was she ever in danger, scared, starving, bug-bitten and changed by the cultures she experienced? It's worth the read to find out. If you're like me, you'll wish it had been a coffee-table-sized book to provide a larger palette for her colorful, penetrating photographs - and a larger window into fascinating cultures.

[Char Krepel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick stories about the many countries Gail has visited. Appreciated the brief histories of each of the cultures and areas. Photos are small and wish more space had been allotted to the photographs. Good overall read in a fairly and a good overview of cultures. Made me especially appreciate many of the services (doctors, teachers, dentists) and freedoms (education, internet) that i take for granted.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a pure delight. Gail has traveled to every corner of the world, but this book is so much more than a travelogue or a series of photo essays. It's her deeply personal exploration of world cultures flavored with her insightful and often witty commentary.

Can you imagine being an American woman and having the cohones to travel alone to North Korea? Or trusting that a guide will safely escort you across the deserts of Mongolia on a camel? Or risking bodily harm to get a massage as a woman in a Muslim country, with a Muslim masseuse in a place where women are not permitted. Gail did all this and so much more, and her tales are mesmerizing.

Opening My Cultural Lens is fascinating, informative, and enlightening. It's also a fun read because Gail's commentary can be quite cheeky at times. I recommend this book for adults who enjoy learning about other cultures or who enjoy traveling vicariously. And it's also a wonderful book for youth to expose them to world cultures. They may be surprised to learn that all around the world there are youth who are a lot like them.

[Roxanne Krech · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. I went to a book reading with this author in Frederic Wisconsin. She is very interesting and her book is wonderful.