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EP 24 Sun or shade? A humorous look at vacation culture
28 Plays23 days ago
John Stech draws on his experience working with Germans, Swedes, Thais, Americans, and Vietnamese to examine the summer holiday sun culture of each.
Every culture has a different attitude towards taking vacation. Stay connected or completely disconnect? One week or six? Sit in the sun or stay in the shade? John will take a humorous approach to the Thai, German, American, Vietnamese, and Swedish attitudes to taking it easy.
In a fun twist, John hosts a “parade”, an examination of summertime stereotypes just to find humor in how each spend their summertime in the sun (or out of it). With stereotypes having a kernel of truth to them, this is a lighthearted look at the summer vacationer.
Whether you listen to this on a beach, in the sun, under an umbrella, or in the cool sanctuary of an air-conditioned shopping mall, The Auto Ethnographer wishes you a wonderful summer and restful days.
To learn more about The Auto Ethnographer podcast, please visit the homepage at https://www.auto-ethnographer.com
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Transcript
Introduction and Theme
00:00:00
Speaker
So wherever you are this summer, whether you're bronzing or burning or barricading yourself away from the UV rays, just remember,
00:00:11
Speaker
The sun might be universal, but our reactions to it are hilariously diverse. Hello and welcome to the Auto Ethnographer. I'm John Steck, your host on this journey. We travel the globe to bring you stories about culture and the global automotive industry.
00:00:28
Speaker
Fasten your seatbelt and let's get started.
Cultural Approaches to Summer Holidays
00:00:31
Speaker
Hello and welcome to this week's episode of the Auto Ethnographer. We're going to talk about something a little bit more lighthearted at this week, summer holidays.
00:00:40
Speaker
So tell me, what do Germans, Americans, and Thais have in common in the summer? They all chase the sun, but some run towards it and others run from it. This past weekend at Jomtien Beach in Thailand, I had the opportunity to observe really a mixed ecosystem of local Thais and foreign tourists, which inspired me for this week's episode.
00:01:03
Speaker
And besides, if I think about my friends in the Northern hemisphere, many of them are on holiday right now, Perhaps they've had one, perhaps they're on their holiday at this very moment and listening to this podcast from a beach or from a lake somewhere.
00:01:19
Speaker
And others are still looking forward to it at the end of August.
00:01:24
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Summer is a ah global ritual. It's a time when we leave the workplace behind and we seek out some adventure, relocation, rest.
00:01:36
Speaker
We go on vacations. of course, known as holidays in other parts of the world. maybe to beaches, to mountains, to lakes, to visit cultural or historic sites.
00:01:48
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But the way that each nationality, each culture approaches this season has its own cultural quirks. And I think that's where we want to be a little bit lighthearted today, talking about how vacation is addressed in each part of the world. And we'll have a little bit of a parade later on in the episode, a parade of stereotypes, if you will.
00:02:12
Speaker
So while Europeans have their long holidays, Americans are obsessed with tanning and likely doing that somewhere in the United States, Southeast Asians seek relaxation in the shade.
European Vacation Habits
00:02:27
Speaker
The great escape European summers. Let's talk about Germans and Swedes a little bit since I worked for employers from each of these two countries. Four to six week vacations are common, often planned a year in advance and down to the minute on the daily schedule.
00:02:46
Speaker
Ah, we're late. For example, I have a German friend visiting me in Thailand later this year, and his intensive planning of each day down to the last detail began already in the summer of 2024, more than a year in advance.
00:03:04
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Looking forward to seeing you soon.
00:03:07
Speaker
Migration to southern Europe, Spain, Italy, Greece, where the more, let's say, uptight northern European cultures can truly relax and absorb the Mediterranean vibe is something you'll probably find.
00:03:25
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You're more likely, frankly, to run into Germans on the island of Mallorca rather than the native Spaniards. The cultural emphasis is truly on rest, nature, family time.
00:03:40
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They believe that a full month is needed in order to truly disconnect from the job, to rest, to enjoy, and then to return to work after four to six weeks with a completely fresh mindset.
00:03:58
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Call it Sommerferien or Industrie semester. These are institutionalized breaks in Europe. Many companies, the entire company is nearly shut down during this time.
00:04:12
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In Sweden, Volvo is closed pretty much from mid-July until mid-August. Compare that to Mercedes-Benz in their home state of Baden-Württemberg and the school vacations.
00:04:23
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The holidays start on 1st of August and run to mid-September. But don't expect any calls back from your colleagues at that time. Europeans take their holidays very seriously.
00:04:38
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Company time is company time, but personal time is personal time. There's a German saying that's, you know, Arbeit ist Arbeit oder Schnapps ist Schnapps, which is basically work is work and, well, you understand the second half.
00:04:56
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When they go on holiday, they really go, and they separate from the office. It's unlikely that they're going to respond to emails or do any kind of work during their vacation time, specifically because it is their time.
00:05:12
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I'll contrast that to the American mindset shortly. One of my longtime German friends from Mercedes-Benz explained to me once that he can go on a four-week vacation and have fewer emails in his inbox on his return than American going on vacation for only one week.
00:05:36
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I looked at him like he was crazy. I asked him, how is that possible? Simple, he said. You make sure that all of your international business contacts are clearly aware of your travel schedule.
00:05:49
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You let them know that you will not, will not, look at emails until your return and that anything sent is going to sit unanswered for four to six weeks.
00:06:03
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By setting that expectation clearly, the business partner simply won't send anything because they don't want to wait four to six weeks for a response. Of course, it also helps if the entire company is in a summer status with nearly nobody present, which also cuts down on the email flow overall.
00:06:26
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And for those mails that he does receive, they're likely obsolete by the time he returns and can simply be deleted. But what
American Vacation Challenges
00:06:35
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about the Americans? I asked him. His response?
00:06:39
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They go away too short, he said. Even if an American informs everyone that they're going to be away for a one week vacation, maybe even two, everyone will still send the emails and be willing to wait one week until the person's return.
00:06:56
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And since there are no coordinated vacation dates where an entire company shuts down in the United States, everything functions like normal with only people here and there away on vacation.
00:07:09
Speaker
So basically the email box just fills up and fills up and fills up on a daily basis. By the time most Americans come back from vacation, their relaxation evaporates the moment they see the count of unread emails just waiting for them.
00:07:25
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And they probably, frankly, don't wait for their return to check on those mails. One week, one week to recharge. That's kind of the standard American way.
00:07:38
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you know, the average American gets about 10 to 15 days off per year. It just doesn't allow for the type of extensive travel, either domestic or international, that many other nationalities, especially in Europe, have on offer to them.
00:07:56
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Because of the limitations on vacation days, popular destinations are domestic. You have Florida, California, other coastal areas, lakes, national parks.
00:08:08
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And then of course, there's the tanning culture. Thanks to Coco Chanel's accidental tan in Cannes in 1923 in France,
00:08:19
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Tanning became something for the status symbol. It got its start in the fashion world. And that after that point, the tan became associated with wealth, with travel, with style, with luxury.
00:08:37
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And indeed, fashion adapted to show a little bit more skin, tan skin, that is. You also find a lot of, let's say jokes about the summer beach body, a lot of references.
00:08:51
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um You'll certainly be bombarded with advertisements in the first week of January, so that your new year resolution can be to have that beach body back before summer starts.
00:09:04
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And this has spawned really an entire fitness industry, sun tanning industry. It's really part of that, that youth obsessed culture.
00:09:16
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Something that I even addressed in episode 22 of the podcast, which was about ageism and where really the the youth obsession leads people to certain type of behaviors and and certain type of preferences.
00:09:32
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Going back to the number of vacation days, because people are not willing, which makes sense to spend three to four days of a nine day vacation just traveling to and from a destinations.
00:09:44
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they tend to stay on their own continent in the United States. Maybe there's some air travel involved. Often it's by car, by large SUV, or even campers completely loaded and stuffed with gear.
00:09:59
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As a result, Americans have often gotten the stereotype that they are less well-traveled in the world, but that's more for lack of vacation days than it is for a lack of desire.
00:10:13
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And then going back to the lesson I learned from my my friend in Germany, the challenge for Americans is that their company doesn't close for an extended vacation time.
00:10:25
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This means that as they sit on the beach or the lakeside, the emails and the phone calls, they just keep coming in. It it doesn't stop even with the out of office message activated.
00:10:37
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And often these emails and these phone calls do get responded to. in order to have an avoidance of that massive pileup when you get back on the first day of work.
00:10:49
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The end result to this? It's more difficult to truly disconnect and to fully rest in the sense that the Europeans do it, where they absolutely disconnect for at least 30 days.
00:11:06
Speaker
Now let's swing around to the other side of the globe.
Asian Sun and Vacation Culture
00:11:10
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I've been living in Southeast Asia now for three years, first in Vietnam and now in Thailand. And I think let's talk about the summertime shade seekers, the Southeast Asian summers.
00:11:23
Speaker
The amount of vacation days offered to Thais and Vietnamese is pretty similar to the American, slightly better in some cases. Officially, most Thais are offered six vacation days with companies able to add to that um on their own if they wish.
00:11:43
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There are also about 13 national holidays that are paid where employees can go and and do what what they want um in terms of recreation.
00:11:55
Speaker
But those holidays are scattered about and not necessarily contiguous. So it means that it's still difficult to have longer periods of time off in ah in a single vacation shop.
00:12:08
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It's a little bit different in Vietnam. They entitled their employees to 12 days of vacation, which is slightly more than two weeks, which starts to allow a little bit more opportunity for longer holiday times.
00:12:22
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But for reasons of available time and also heavily influenced by budget, many Thais and Vietnamese will vacation domestically.
00:12:35
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The irony here is that While they vacation domestically, they live in tropical paradises, but they largely avoid sun exposure.
00:12:48
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This was always curious to me to be on a beach. And I observed this again this past weekend here in Thailand, where you have this beautiful expansive beach and there's absolutely nobody on it.
00:13:02
Speaker
It's the tourist low season. So there aren't so many foreign tourists in Thailand at the moment. But the local Thais who went to the beach for the for the weekend, they spent their time in the shade, mostly ah under umbrellas or under trees, absolutely avoiding exposure to the sun.
00:13:22
Speaker
Why is that? Why is there such an aversion to the sun? Well, it comes from historical class distinctions. People who have tan, dark skins in Southeast Asia are perceived to be outdoor laborers, whether some sort of hard form of labor, farming, or or other outdoor work.
00:13:45
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Whereas people with pale skin are perceived to be wealthy, to be educated, someone who doesn't have to be outside laboring and and getting that dark skin tan from the work outdoors.
00:14:01
Speaker
Well, this leads to massive behavioral differences when you go outside. Whereas the Europeans and the Americans are seeking sunshine ah during the course of their holidays, you know here you're talking about umbrellas on the beach and sitting under trees and indeed wearing long pants and long sleeves, even on the beach at temperatures 35 degrees Celsius.
00:14:27
Speaker
With that in mind, local tourism here often figures in on mountain retreats or shaded areas. So while the foreigners are worshiping the sun on the beaches, the local populations may either sit in the shade by the beach, but they'll also seek out cooler, shadier locations, including, frankly, nearby air-conditioned shopping malls.
00:14:54
Speaker
It seems so funny to me that people always want the opposite of what they have. I'm a very light skinned Northern European born in Germany.
00:15:07
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And, and I've always sought out to, to tan my skin, to be a little bit darker while in the meantime, in, in Asia, People who have naturally darker tinted skin, they seek to have lighter tones.
00:15:22
Speaker
If you go to any health and beauty shop here in Southeast Asia, you're going to find the shelves absolutely packed with creams, lotions, and salves that are meant for lightening and whitening and brightening.
00:15:38
Speaker
It's a clear indication that this class distinction is something that's really culturally ingrained and that people are continuing to adhere to and desire the appearance of having lighter skin.
Humorous Summer Stereotypes
00:15:56
Speaker
I promised you a parade. a summer stereotype parade around the world. And again, these are stereotypes and I'm doing this only for fun. But as I think we know with stereotypes, there's always a little grain of truth, a little grain of reality hidden in there somewhere.
00:16:15
Speaker
So let's just take a quick spin around the globe and meet some of the classic summer characters. You've seen them. You might even be one of them. There's no judgment here.
00:16:26
Speaker
just some sunscreen and some fun. The first stereotype I'm going to call this the German beach commander. The Germans, they arrive at 6 AM to claim the best sun bed with their towel.
00:16:43
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They just put the towel out and then they go back to breakfast to their room and do something else until eventually coming out to that seat, which has been reserved for several hours. The German beach commander also has a spreadsheet of daily activities and daily schedule.
00:17:00
Speaker
Hiking, swimming, schnitzel at six o'clock sharp and bedtime at 10. And then the next day starts.
00:17:13
Speaker
And I've been guilty of this in the past. They might wear socks under their sandals, which is taboo nearly every place else on the planet.
00:17:25
Speaker
The motto of the German beach commander efficiency doesn't take a vacation.
00:17:32
Speaker
So swinging a little further north from Germany, let's talk about the Swedish sun worshipper.
00:17:41
Speaker
I've been in Sweden in the wintertime and I can tell you it's dreary where you have nearly no daylight for the entire for the entire day it's and for months on end.
00:17:53
Speaker
So I can fully understand this, but they haven't seen the the sun in eight months. And when there is sun and the first warming rays start to come out in the spring, you'll you'll see the Swedes first still wearing jackets, you know, penguining facing the sun. And as the sun moves, they they slowly rotate in the direction of the sun.
00:18:15
Speaker
you know, maybe in the summer when they go on holiday, they can lie motionless on a rock like a lizard, absorbing every photon of the sun.
00:18:26
Speaker
just absorbing and tanning and preparing for the next eight months of darkness. And who knows, maybe at their side, they have a small snack pack.
00:18:38
Speaker
ah Did they bring their fermented fish along and their oat milk for the beach snack? I don't know. The motto of the Swedish sun worshiper is let the light heal me.
00:18:52
Speaker
Then there's the American tan enthusiast, They lather themselves up with SPF 4 and call that protection. Maybe they wear a tank top from their favorite beach vacation five years ago.
00:19:08
Speaker
what What location might that be? Miami, Ocean City, Outer Banks? They take selfies every 10 minutes just to make sure that their tan is progressing on schedule.
00:19:22
Speaker
And the motto, if I don't peel, did I even go on vacation?
00:19:29
Speaker
Then there's the Thai shade strategist. Beach umbrella? Packed. Long sleeves? Got them. Got the whitening lotion instead of the sunscreen?
00:19:43
Speaker
It's packed. And while they're sitting inside in the air-conditioned cafe or safely tucked under an umbrella or under a tree, They wonder, why do the foreigners insist on looking so crispy?
00:19:59
Speaker
The motto? Beauty is in the shade. Then there's the Vietnamese beach ghost. If you've ever spent time in Vietnam, you'll see that the beaches are full.
00:20:14
Speaker
from sunrise until maybe 8 to 10 o'clock, they empty out. And between 10 and 4 p.m., the beaches are absolutely empty.
00:20:24
Speaker
It's almost as if the beach turns radioactive and they seek shelter someplace else. But during the day, they'll probably wear a full hoodie, a mask, and even gloves in the 35 degree Celsius heat.
00:20:39
Speaker
Of course, during that 10 to 4 p.m. timeframe, They may be enjoying their iced coffee, the iced Vietnamese coffee, which I can only recommend in an air conditioned shopping mall while they watch the foreign tourists toasting themselves outside.
00:20:59
Speaker
Their motto, tan lines are trauma.
00:21:05
Speaker
So wherever you are this summer, whether you're bronzing or burning, or barricading yourself away from the UV rays, just remember, the sun might be universal, but our reactions to are hilariously diverse.
Conclusion and Call to Action
00:21:23
Speaker
And that's all due to culture. So you could be sipping your sangria in Majorca, having a Diet Coke in Miami, or hiding under a palm tree in Phuket.
00:21:36
Speaker
Summer tells a story about who we are, what we value, and how we rest. I hope that all of you have had your opportunity this summer for a holiday.
00:21:47
Speaker
And I'm sorry to my southern hemisphere friends, you have to wait a few months. Or that you've got one coming up soon, or perhaps are even on a holiday right now.
00:22:00
Speaker
Get some rest. recharge your personal batteries, and have some fun with your families. Soon it's time to head back to work with or without a summer suntan.
00:22:11
Speaker
And don't worry about those emails or PowerPoints right now. Just relax. So until next week, apply the sunscreen and keep on driving.
00:22:25
Speaker
Thank you for joining us on today's journey. Please remember to like and subscribe to The Auto Ethnographer and leave us a rating or comment. For more information, visit our website at auto-ethnographer.com.
00:22:37
Speaker
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