Culture Shock and Awe: Going Beyond Tourism with Renae Ninneman

Renae Ninneman, founder of Beyond Tourism (goingbeyondtourism.com), helps travelers prepare culturally for international travel and moving abroad.     Born in a Dutch enclave in western Michigan, Renae explains how living in Seoul, South Korea for a year teaching English without cultural preparation led her to focus on “below the iceberg” cultural expectations. Travelers often dismiss discomfort as “it’s the culture,” Renae says, instead of naming and exploring what’s happening and seeking a human connection. Stereotyping and ethnocentrism often play a role.     Renae contrasts differing expressions of kindness and friendliness in the U.S. compared with Germany and Latvia, and direct versus indirect communication, describing her approach as a mix of research and experience. She earned certification in the Cultural Intelligence Model (with four CQ dimensions, including CQ strategy for preparation and in-the-moment awareness and follow-up reflection).     The conversation touches on travel for missionary work, her parents’ initial opposition to South Korea and their later visits. She advises travelers to start with self-reflection on their own cultural values, then identify differences in others and, finally, to adapt behavior, noting that “kindness” does not always translate across cultures.   Renae shares some revealing stories of her own learning process, including a humiliating workplace gaff while she was working in the U.S. on refugee resettlement and the damage her collegial relationship suffered because of it.     Nearly arrested for jaywalking, she recounts a frightening incident in South Korea where she was confronted by a stranger, police were called, and she narrowly escaped what could have been a dire situation.     Timestamps 00:00 Moving Along   00:35 Introduction to Renae Ninneman 01:00 Beyond Tourism 02:16 Teaching English in South Korea 04:06 Cross-Cultural Disconnects 08:42 The Cultural Intelligence Model - Cultural Intelligence as a Skill   10:58 Cultural Intelligence Skills for Business Travel 12:25 Growing Up in Western Michigan's Dutch Community 14:38 Learning the Language 15:32  Cross-Cultural Competence and the Most Humiliating Moment 20:11 When Being Direct Has Its Advantages 20:57 Direct and Indirect Communication Styles 22:45 Where to Start When Preparing to Travel or Move to Another Country 27:16  Kindness as a Universal Language? 29:22 Almost Arrested in Korea 35:15 Contact Renae and Going Beyond Tourism   Resources   Beyond Tourism https://goingbeyondtourism.com   The Cultural Intelligence Center, https://culturalq.com/   The Culture Factor Group, Helsinki, https://www.theculturefactor.com/   Geert Hofstede (1928 – 2020), https://geerthofstede.com/   Erin Meyer, The Culture Map David Livermore, Digital and Divided   Contract Renae Ninneman, founder of Beyond Tourism:   [email protected]   CREDITSHost and creator: Christi CassidyContact: [email protected] by Phyllis BusellMusic by Eve’s Blue. Post-production help from Auphonic.com.Show notes written with assistance from Descript and Claude.ai. LINKS:More information and to listen to past episodes: https://movingalongpodcast.comPast episodes are here too: https://moving-along.simplecast.com/Tag and like Moving Along episodes on Facebook and Instagram