Connecting with people to really understand cultures with Claudia Neiman

Claudia has travelled to many different cultures and spent a lot of time living in Spain. She is not in Finland working on projects surrounding cultural differences around the world.

About Claudia

Claudia is an organised creative which, although may sound oxymoronic, means that she is able to address problems in a open way and is willing to turn things upside down if that makes the most sense. Claudia is passionate about learning and the environment and her goal in life is to be happy (happiness is defined both by fulfilment and the ability to enjoy this feeling). 

If you are going to experience other cultures, you are going to experience culture shock and if you don’t, its like learning how to swim without water.
— Claudia Neiman

In the episode...

  • Claudia has travelled to many countries with differing cultures.

  • Claudia felt outside of her comfort zone when she was in Brazil and decided to hitchhike and got into a car with a local.

  • She spend her first day in class in Spain with the teacher stereotyping Americans.

  • You have to really understand the culture, you really have to spend quite a bit of time in that place.

  • The real reason Claudia travels is for the people, the food, the experience that is like nothing that she has had before.

  • How travel teaches you that there are so many different ways of doing things, not only one way!

  • Claudia’s biggest insight and learning from travel is seeing how we are all connected and how we can get to know people even if we dont speak their language.

  • Until we actually connect and have conversations with people we actually have no idea about their lives and their culture.

  • If you haven’t had the experience of being a foreigner in another country, its really hard to know how difficult it can be to be judged for how you look, your race, sexual orientation, gender etc

  • Claudia attempts to understand many different perspectives and be open to other peoples opinions.

  • Travel has taught Claudia that we are all just looking for the place where we fit in.

  • When everyone follows their own path and does their own things, it makes like interesting.

  • Travel is what YOU make it! Whatever feels right for you can be the basis of your travels. Do what FEELS good for you.

  • How travel should not just be about bucket lists and ticking a box.

Rapid fire round

  1. What was the last place you visited? Cordoba, Spain

  2. A place you tell everyone to visit? Granada, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal

  3. Scariest place travelled to? Has not really travelled to “scary” places but has had scary moments in Rio, Brazil.

  4. Your favourite thing about travel? Treating herself, people and food.

  5. Wheres your next trip? Scandinavian trip….Sweden, Estonia, Iceland.

Why Claudia continues to seek out travel and adventure?

The biggest reason that I travel is to put myself out there, to meet other people, but also to question these ideas that I have about myself and who I am and how I see the world.
— Claudia Neiman

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