From "wooden ship" to sensitivity

Never before I really thought what it means to be sensitive towards different ethnicities. Not only being respectful, but also communicating it, in the right way. That the famous cake in Lithuania "Negriukas" can sound like a deadly insult to somebody. That people can leave the room only because somebody said the "N" word out loud, in English. Or that there is a difference between "people of color" and "colored people".

So many misunderstandings can come just from the fact that we don't know about each other, what is sensitive in other cultures and what is actually not. I remember a story how in one hotel in Vilnius a Latino guest was asked to show some additional documents, only because he was served by a new receptionist who followed the rules with more scrutiny. He took it personally and it wasn't easy for personnel to calm him down! You never know where you can get an intercultural lesson.

Here in Georgia I heard many stories that make one smile. Like, people expressing their affection to foreigners of other ethnicity in the most inappropriate language - but so honestly and warmly, that their intentions couldn't be mistaken. Or when someone would point at differently looking people on the street and shout names at them - this is not funny, but makes one raise both eyebrows and think, why would anybody do that?. When even wearing red sneakers can be considered "Weird....", it is hard to stand out of the crowd. But still worth it. Because it is really interesting to watch how diversity transforms from an "old old wooden ship" into something more real. What will it bring here? I wonder...