Sid Mittra
Ph.D., Economics
Emeritus Professor, OU, Michigan

The famous theme song for Disney Theme Park rides proclaims: “It’s a small world after all. It’s a small, small world.”

But is it? The “small world” concept suggests that things are surprisingly similar from country to country. However, the definitions of freedom and acceptance of unique social practices in countries around the world are rapidly changing as more people are experiencing widely divergent views of these concepts.

Over the last half century here’s what I have witnessed around our “small world.”

JOURNEY THROUGH THE SMALL WORLD

Bombay, India, 1957

In 1947, upon gaining freedom from the British, India adopted a Constitution that guaranteed complete freedom to every citizen. Ten years later, I received a fellowship award from the University of Florida, pending my registration. That meant that I would need sufficient U.S. dollars (called foreign exchange) to pay for all of my expenses for the trip from India by ship to Gainesville, Florida. I estimated that it would cost at least $1,000.

That’s when I learned that, since I was planning an unofficial trip, I was allowed to carry only eight U.S. dollars with me. I was told that while I had the complete freedom to undertake foreign travel that was the largest amount of foreign exchange I was allowed to carry. And so, as an immature 27-year-old, I embarked upon this journey with eight U.S dollars in my billfold.

That’s when I learned my first lesson about the true meaning of freedom.

Caracas, Venezuela, 1963

In 1963, I was working in Caracas as a consultant to the Venezuela government. One sunny Sunday morning, my family and I started driving from Caracas to the world famous La Guaira beach. The six-lane highway was the world’s most advanced expressway. I put the car on cruise control, turned on my favorite music and relaxed.  

Suddenly I saw something that scared the daylights out of me. I was driving in the right lane of the three lanes going toward the beach. I was shocked to notice that there were two other cars driving in the other two lanes, but both were headed in the wrong direction. I slammed on my brakes and pulled over, but the other cars simply sped by me in the wrong direction, unconcerned.  

After I regained my composure, I resumed my journey with great care, and finally reached the beach. I immediately went to lodge my complaint with a highway officer. Here’s how the conversation went:

Me: Officer, I just noticed two cars driving by me, but going in the wrong direction. Please take immediate action to avoid a serious accident.   

Officer:  Senor, don’t worry. Yes, it is against the law to drive in the wrong lanes. But it happens all the time and people are used to it. Please believe me, these are experienced drivers. They saw the two lanes were empty so they felt comfortable driving in those lanes.  Anyway, they did not in any way inconvenience you, did they?

Hmmm. You always learn something on these foreign travels, don’t you?

Bangkok, Thailand, 1965

In 1965 I was working for the United Nations and enjoying the beautiful city of Bangkok in my spare time. One evening, after a long day of sightseeing, I went to a popular Thai restaurant. Realizing that the waiter spoke limited English, I decided to order fish and rice, two popular dishes in Thailand. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out too well for me. Here’s how the drama unfolded:

Waiter: S̄wạs̄dī txn yĕn (Good evening), Sir.

Me: Good evening to you. Do you have fish and rice?

Waiter: Yes, Sir.

Me: Great, bring me fish and rice.

Waiter: No sir, no have.

Me: What do you mean? You just told me that you have fish and rice. Anyway, let’s start all over again. Do you have fish and rice?

Waiter: Yes, Sir.

Me: Then bring me fish and rice.

Waiter: Sorry, no have.

I’ll be damned, I uttered silently. After trying the same approach two more times but getting nowhere, I left the restaurant hungry and thoroughly disgusted.

The next day, when I shared this bizarre story with my Thai colleague at work, he solved the mystery instantly.

In Thailand, the local custom prohibits a negative response when a question is asked for the first time. That evening the restaurant was completely out of fish when I arrived there late in the evening. But the waiter’s response had to be a “yes” when I first asked the question, even though he was out of fish.

Each time I made the mistake of saying, “Let’s start all over again,” and asked if they had fish and rice, it became the first time I had asked the question.

I left the country fully convinced that Thai people were too polite for my taste.

Rangoon, Burma, 1965

My distant cousin, Col. A. Mitra, an Indian Military Attaché who was stationed in Burma (now Myanmar), which was then under military rule, invited me to visit him. The trip was one for the story books. The way it ended is worth sharing.

After a memorable one-week stay there, I was reminded that the next morning my plane was scheduled to leave for Calcutta at 1:45 p.m., and that I was supposed to be at the airport by 11:45 a.m.

As usual, the day began at 8:00 a.m. with a sumptuous eight-course breakfast that lasted almost two hours. I then started getting ready for my departure. To my surprise, my cousin and his family had left for a couple of hours, which meant that they couldn’t get me to the airport by 11:45 a.m.  When they returned, they happily announced that lunch would be served at 1:00 p.m.  It was a gala lunch that lasted an hour. At 2:00 p.m. it was siesta time. We left for the airport at 3:00 p.m. Our car was driven right up next to the parked airplane. My baggage was loaded directly into the plane’s baggage area. My cousin then wished me a safe journey as I boarded the plane at 4:00 p.m. The rest of the passengers, who had boarded the plane around 1:00 p.m., had had three hours to reminisce about the exciting time they had spent in Burma.

I have never experienced this kind of freedom again in my life.  

Casablanca, Morocco, 1982

I was a member of a U.S. financial planners group visiting Spain.  Casablanca, Morocco’s largest city and its main port, was a popular tourist attraction for people visiting Spain, so I opted to join others on a three-day visit to Morocco. We stayed at the King’s Royal Palace at Rabat, which had been converted into an international hotel.

On the second day of our visit, the tour guide took pains to explain that even though their country was a monarchy, complete individual freedom was guaranteed to every Moroccan. We felt reassured, until the nature of their freedom was revealed.

Before starting a walking tour of the city, the guide brought us to a crossroads and clearly explained that, as tourists in Morocco, we had the total freedom to go anywhere we wanted—no holds barred, and that we could be on our own, if we wanted to. However, he had the following advice for our tour group: “If you venture on your own and get lost, it will be impossible for you to ask for directions back to your hotel, because no one here speaks English. If that happens, come back to where you are standing right now and wait for me. I will be back tomorrow at this time to take you back to your hotel.”

I couldn’t be more appreciative of the thoughtfulness of Moroccans.

Geneva, Switzerland, 1985

There is a saying in Switzerland that when God was looking for a place to bring heaven down to earth, he selected this country. And what a God’s country it is. If you drop a penny in the blue pristine waters of Lake Geneva, you can clearly see the penny traveling all the way down to the bottom of the lake. 

In 1985, while visiting Geneva, I had the opportunity to share quality time with Mr. and Mrs. Hornet and their two beautiful children, who lived in a privately-owned, 704 sq. ft. home, which is not much bigger than a three-car garage in the U.S. When I asked if they had a home mortgage like we have in the U.S., I received a surprise answer.  

I learned that Swiss mortgage companies, as is typical in the U.S., require a 20% down payment, half of which must be paid in cash. That’s where the similarities end.  Switzerland is a relatively small country, spanning 41,277 sq. km, compared to the U.S. with its 9.8 million sq. km. As a result, home prices, even for 700 sq. ft. homes, are prohibitive. In addition, whereas mortgage terms in the U.S. are generally between 15 and 20 years, in Switzerland (are you sitting down?) they are between 100 and 150 years! Sensing that I was shocked with disbelief, Mr. Hornet explained that he expects his home mortgage to be paid off by his son, or possibly by his grandson.

My visit to this Swiss family ended when Mr. Hornet reiterated how proud he was of his spacious and beautiful home in the heavenly city of Geneva. An interesting perspective on life, I said to myself.

Beijing, China, 1991

During a trip to Beijing with a group of financial planners, I stayed at the gorgeous Hilton Hotel. When I arrived at the front desk to register, I was amazed by the elegance of the Chinese lady at the registration desk, and by her command of the English language. During the registration process, the following conversation took place:

Me: I am most impressed with your elegance and your command of the English language. How long have you been working here?

Lady: Two years, Sir. 

Me: And what did you do before?

Lady: I was the superintendent of a high school, Sir.

Me: Then why did you leave such a prestigious position to work at this registration desk?

Lady: They asked me to work here, Sir.

Me: Would you like to go back to your school? If so, when?

Lady: Whenever they ask me to go back there, Sir.

An amazing expression of freedom, if I may say so.

Maui, Hawaii, 1992

Even though Hawaii is a U.S. state, in reality it is like a separate country with a distinct culture and a unique definition of what constitutes freedom in that part of the world.

In 1992, I was visiting Maui as a tourist and having the time of my life. In accordance with local tradition, they arranged for a gala outdoor dinner and dance program to entertain the guests. It was heavenly.

At one point the master of ceremonies took to the microphone to welcome the guests. After the usual prepared speech, he mentioned that even though Hawaii was a part of the U.S., it enjoys a very different kind of culture and freedom. That got my attention.

Me:  I do understand that a very different culture prevails here; but why do you say Hawaiians enjoy a different kind of freedom?

MC: It would take me all night to explain that to you. But here is just one simple example. He then explained that instead of wearing a wedding ring that indicates that a woman is married, Hawaiian women follow a different social custom. Unmarried women wear flowers on the right side of their hair, whereas married women wear flowers on the left side of their hair.

At that point, a guest responded: “Today I noticed a woman wearing flowers in the middle of her hair. What did that designate?”

MC: I am glad you noticed. That means that she was exercising her freedom to announce publicly that she is married but still actively looking.

No wonder we all call Hawaii a paradise. What other locale could approach the level of freedom these people enjoy?

Luxor, Egypt, 2004

 In 2004, during a visit to Egypt, I was informed that no trip to that country would be complete without a visit to Luxor, the location of The Colossi of Memnon, the two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt.

After completing my tour of Luxor, I arrived at the airport for check in. Passengers were told that, for safety reasons, no food or drink could be brought into the airport.  Of course, food was available for purchase at the airport.  

At 3:45 p.m. we were asked to board the bus that would take us to the plane. One of the passengers was a Canadian who was carrying a bottle of Coke he had bought at the airport. That’s when the concept of the Egyptian brand of freedom was reinforced.

Security: You can’t take the Coke on the airplane.

Passenger: Why not? I just bought it at the airport.

Security: No matter. You have to drink the whole bottle before boarding the plane.  

Passenger: That’s disgusting. Okay, I will obey.

With that, he drank the entire bottle and then started to board the bus. The security officer stopped him again.

Passenger: Now what the hell is the problem?

Security: How do we know that you did not drink a liquid containing explosives? Before you can board a plane, you must wait here for four hours to prove that you did not consume any explosives. You must realize that while freedom is guaranteed to everyone in this country, there are also rules that we must follow.

Our plane left Luxor around 4:00 p.m. The Canadian passenger remained at the airport, where he could experience the unique brand of Egyptian freedom for four more hours.

Arizona, USA, 2020

In September 2020, at a political rally in Arizona, there were thousands of people in close proximity, almost all without face masks. A reporter from a local newspaper had the following conversation with a middle-aged attendee:

Reporter: You are without a mask and are not maintaining the required social distancing. Can you explain why you are taking such a risk and risking others?

Attendee: In America I have the complete freedom to do whatever I want, including using or not using a face mask and not observing social distancing rules. Does that answer your dumb question?

Reporter: By ignoring the official advice you are endangering your own health and putting others at risk. Doesn’t that bother you?

Attendee: Not a damn bit. I am free to do whatever I want, including endangering my own life and that of others. That is my birthright. And if you don’t understand the nature of freedom we enjoy in this country, then get the hell out of my country.

Long live freedom in America.

BOTTOM LINE

In this article I have shared my personal experiences of the “shrinking world.”  If you have similar experiences to share, please send them to me for inclusion in a future publication.

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Travis Smith provided technical support for this article. Credit for professionally editing the blog goes to  Charles Gauck.  However, the author takes full responsibility for the contents of this blog. 

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