Money Matters

I know I’m posting a whole lot, but I’m trying to get a lot of my thoughts out about what’s going on in my head before the trip.  Also, I can’t foretell how much I may be writing while in the throes of the voyage, so I’d at least try to squeeze my creative juices as much as possible before I leave.  So here's one final pre-departure blog post.

In the midst of my preparation for Semester at Sea, I made a visit to the bank where I fetched about 25 American dollars worth of currency from each of the countries I’ll be visiting (well, except for Ghana and Viet Nam because they weren’t available).

Of course, I examined the differences between the bills themselves.  Yeah, the colors, sizes, textures, what have you, are all obvious contrasts, but what I looked at the most was what appeared on each one.  Bank notes are a way in which a country can display its cultural values because it’s exchanged nationwide, and even internationally, for all to see and use, and currency is clearly an blatant representation of a country’s identity.  I liked seeing that a bust of a different animal is showcased on each denomination of South African Rand instead of a old or dead government figure.  

However, what struck me the most was the size of the stacks that I received.  For instance, I was given a pretty sizable stack of Indian rupees, but I also got only a single bank note from Japan.  These two have the same exact face value, but how far that value goes in each country is very different.  How much can you stretch a dollar, or shall I say a rupee or a yen?  If anything, we can see the disparities in wealth across the world through the way their currency works.  Each of my 10 rupee notes, with Gandhi staring back at me and text in 15 different languages, can equate to a complete meal on the table (or so I assume).  Each of those 10 rupee notes is about a quarter in American dollars.  I'm pretty sure all a single quarter has gotten me was a horrible temporary tattoo from a gumball machine.  How many times have you disregarded your change as you got your morning latte?  That change can impart a lot of change in the lives of others.  (I see what you did there, Pauly.)

However, I’m not trying to give you a front row seat on the guilt trip.  I’m not saying to take your change and ship it to the world’s most poor.  What I’m saying is to be cognizant of these disparities in wealth.  By no means am I daring you to feed your family on a quarter, but I am, in fact, daring you to be aware that someone on the other side of the world indeed can.  I’m not telling you that you should change your lifestyle, but I want you to know that what you think is a meager living in America would be an absolute luxury elsewhere.  Poverty is relative.

Basically, what I’m trying to sum up here is that you must be thankful for your privilege.  What you do with that privilege is up to you.  You can decide in what way you display it, and I urge you to not belittle it, as long as you know how much it affects your life and how the lack of it affects another around the world.  Do not underestimate what is within your reach, and if you choose to utilize your privilege to provide that same kind of autonomy for someone else, I commend you.  With thankfulness will inevitably come compassion, empathy, and respect, all of which the world can clearly benefit if it were in abundance.

So be fortunate as you sip your frilly Starbucks drink.  I know I am.  Because in other circumstances, that wouldn’t be possible.