Jonah Webb
Section 05 Cultural Miscommunication Experience
I have a very fond memory that began with cultural miscommunication on a trip to India.
Upon arrival to Cochin, India, I was greeted by many taxi and tuk-tuk drivers who were offering
their services. Going for the local experience, I picked the tuk-tuk over the taxi. Many tuk-tuk
drivers in Cochin only offer their service if they can take you to touristy stops along the way
where they receive credit for gas, saving them money. The extra stops take up to an hour of time
before reaching the intended destination, and focus on tourism and shopping rather than culture
and history. I expressed my disinterest in touristy stops, and found a very friendly tuk-tuk driver
who promised to take me where I wanted to go right away, so I quickly got into the back of his
tuk-tuk.
Upon request, my driver took me to a local, non-touristy restaurant for lunch, so I could
eat like the locals. As I got out, I started to thank him and pay, which was met with anger. I did
not realize, but in Cochin, it is customary for your tuk-tuk driver to drive you for the entire day,
not just at the intended destination. Meaning no offense, I apologized and invited my driver to
join me for lunch. He told me the local favorite to order for lunch, and proceeded to show me
norms, as I was visiting his country and did not want to disrespect his culture.