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Discussions: Q & A with Rita Golden Gelman

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Q & A with Rita Golden Gelman
Started by maggiethecat74, Friday, May 23 2008. Last post Wednesday, June 18 2008.

I'm very excited to announce that the author of "Tales of a Female Nomad" has stopped by to check out our discussion! Please post any questions you may have for her on this thread!

I'll go first:

What is the latest culture you've had the pleasure of discovering and what was your favorite part of their way of life?

Do you have a favorite book from your childhood?

Where are you headed next?
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Cuento - Friday, May 23 2008
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Wow! The female nomad is in the building! This is awesome!

I will throw some questions out, too:

I loved reading about your experiences with the orangutans. Did you ever encounter a "pet" animal on your travels that was hard to leave behind?

What was the poorest country you have visited?

Have you been to countries in Africa? I wish I had your book on hand, but I had checked it out of the library... I remember Indonesia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Zealand....

Have you read "Eat Pray Love" and do you know Elizabeth Gilbert?

Thank you again for being here!!
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Rita Golden G - Thursday, June 5 2008
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1. No, not really. There aren't very many "pet" animals in the developing world. I loved the orangutans...but the job was to teach the confiscated pets to go back to the forest, not to love them.

2. Parts of India were hard to live with...I was in New Delhi about three years ago and I spent a lot of time in the slum across from the American Embassy School. All the profits from the collaborative/story cookbook I'm working on now (sort of) will go to vocational training for slum kids in Delhi who manage to graduate from high school. The book doesn't have a publisher yet.

When I think about poverty, I'm looking at the beggar population.

3. I was in Tanzania and Kenya a couple of years ago. I loved living with a Maasai family and visiting the more traditional "bomas." The International School of Moshi and Arusha brought me over to talk at the school but I stayed on several months. I'm sick about what has happened in Kenya....but even when I was there the tribal separations were very evident. No businessman ever hired someone from a different tribe! I also loved the animals on the safaris I took.

4. I don't know Elizabeth Gilbert; and yes, I have read her book. Wish mine had been chosen by Oprah! Yes, there's certainly a little jealousy there. I enjoyed here journey....but our interests and goals were very different. Her journey was to find herself, mine was and is to discover others. Both legitimate pursuits.
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Denizen - Monday, May 26 2008
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As a middle-aged woman who hopes to start traveling internationally in a few years, do you find it harder to stay in hostels and other situations where the amenities are bare minimum as you get older? In Tales of a Female Nomad, it did seem like your living environments improved (mountain hiking trips excluded)as far as basic amenities went as you got older? got wealthier? got better at finding good housing at affordable levels? Established a better network?

I appreciate the chance to watch you travel through reading your book.
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Rita Golden G - Thursday, June 5 2008
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I never thought much about amenities. Still don't. My favorite places to stay are still in homes with families. I can sleep just about anywhere. With or without electricity. I will turn 71 in July. I certainly prefer hot showers to cold scoops and I don't do pit latrines very well anymore (I can get down; it's getting up without hands that I find difficult!) And until last week when I decided to go to Peru, I was saying that I don't plan to climb any more mountains......but truth is, it depends upon what's up
there. For me, it's really all about people.

I can afford to stay in a hotel or rent a place if I feel the need.....and I'm registered at Housecarers.com. I plan to choose the most comfortable house-sit situations. I have nothing against amenities...depends on the culture. I'd even go back to the pit latrines, or none, in Tanzania, where I loved the people. Also, the more Servas families I stayed with the more I sought. Having said all that, I will probably be headed for more developed situations in the years to come........I love hot showers and wireless internet.
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Brianne - Thursday, May 29 2008
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Hi Rita! Thank you for participating in our Q&A discussion. I just wanted to share that I, too, have a "world traveling" parent. My father began his world travels in South America when I was a sophomore in college after he and my mom divorced. We are from Hawaii originally and we are part Hawaiian. Being from and used to a culture where family is a constant, it took me (and probably will always take me) a while to adjust to his absence. I know he loves me, but his absence in my daily life causes me to miss him immensely at times. Is there any special advice or words of encouragement from the world traveling parent perspective that you can share since you experienced a similar situation with your children?
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Rita Golden G - Thursday, June 5 2008
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Yeah. Visit him!! What a great opportunity for you to get a personal introduction to other worlds. And try to be happy for him. Like me, he is probably in love with life. That's a gift. E-mail and Skype are great ways to stay close.
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Denizen - Friday, May 30 2008
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Do you have a favorite recipe from your travels that you would care to share?
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Rita Golden G - Thursday, June 5 2008
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That ho mok recipe will be in the cookbook. How about Vietnamese spring rolls, the soft kind? Buy the rice wraps in an Asian store. Make a platter of cooked shrimp (halved lengthwise), shreddedd lettuce, cilantro, toothpick-size carrots, mint, Thai basil, very thin rice noodles (Soften the noodles by pouring boiling water over them in a bowl and letting them sit until they are soft), maybe matchstick-cut apples. And anything else you think might be good. I've had it with strips of pork too. Put a plate filled with warm water on the table. Slide one of the wraps into the water for no more than 20 seconds. Carefully put it on your plate and fill it. Put the parts of the filling in the center, fold in the ends, and roll it. I serve it with peanut sauce and sweet chili sauce.
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Rita Golden G - Thursday, June 5 2008
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Ok. Here goes.
1. I am currently in my latest culture: Southeastern Tennessee!! Ahv been here for a couple of months and ahm already talkin lahk the locals, who have been warm and welcoming. Everybody seems to be happy to have a conversation...wherever we may be. Ah love gospel music and singin and it goes on all the time all over the place. There are at least as many churches as there are people, most of them Baptist. Tuesday night ah went to Bojangles, a fast food restaurant that closes off its main room every Tuesday naht for a free gospel session. The contrast was great: preachin and singin and harmonizin in a fast food joint. Ahv tried real hard not to get into politics and mah thoughts on certain key issues. It's real beautiful in this part of Tennessee....rivers, hills, wonderfully windy roads.

2. I didn't read much as a kid. I was too busy climbing trees and playing in the park up the street from my house. I much preferred catching frogs to reading books. I do have fond memories of Mr Popper's Penguins.

3. I just decided to go to Peru on June 27th with (at this point) five other people from Global Citizen's Network. I gave a talk for them a couple of years ago in St. Paul and they offered me money or a trip. This is the trip. We're going into the mountains to help build a school. I think they still have a few spots if you want to join us.
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Denizen - Thursday, June 5 2008
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You're a delight! Thank you for joining us!
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krisT J - Wednesday, June 18 2008
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I finished this book lately and Wow! she is something. I am sad i missed her Q and A. This was a fun and interesting read.
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