Anke Schlingemann

I have read the online critique entitled "Anke Schlingemann - Food For Thought When Crossing Paths". This has appeared on various travel blog sites throughout the web. On the one hand, it sounds a lot like the travel fling gone awry that is of limited relevance to the larger world. On the other hand, it's a perfect cautionary tale for anyone planning on creating good will and happy memories when traveling abroad. For more details on the matter, check out the posting here.

http://www.pissedconsumer.com/tag/anke-schlingemann.html

For starters, let me clearly state what this posting is NOT about. I am not bashing Schlingemann nor her blogger. Nor am I defending them. Others I'm sure have done a fine job of that. I am just looking for the lessons to be learned.

By way of background, I have traveled globally extensively and read hundreds of travel journals, including Schlingemann's. She is well-spoken, and even more convinced of the rightness of her questionable views. She seems like the kind of person who does not mind shaking things up a bit.

That is not a bad thing when traveling, of course. It in fact can be a good thing, since it generates cross cultural understanding and discourse. After all, the goal of travel is to advance knowledge and leisure. Yet the Schlingemann tale provides some lessons on ways to avoid trouble in your holiday interactions.

First, did Schlingemann ruffle the feathers of her foreign guests? I do not know, but clearly one was harshly opposed to her. Whether she justly deserved his wrath or not is wholly irrelevant for my purposes. Rather, the lesson for any host or traveler seeking good will and happy endings is to tread softly if possible and not antagonize people. The old saying is that "friends come and go, but enemies accumulate". If someone has a say over their travel experience with you, that is that. Whether that person is opposed to you for valid or invalid reasons is quite beside the point: you either win him over (either through your interpersonal skills, kindness or preferably both), neutralize the opposition, or deal with the fall out.

Schlingemann's British (or American?) guest walked out on her in disgust and disappointment after repeated neglectful antics. She apparently lacked sensitivity, accountability and substance. He apparently felt compelled to warn others online of her behaviour and express his negative experiences through posts.

The lesson for travelers and human relations overall is that if something smells fishy it probably is, and just to be safe you shouldn't do it anymore. Any potential pay off does not match he fall out if exposed, especially in the digital age. Treat others the way you would like to be treated whether at home or abroad. You do not want the reputation of the one that people warn others about.