Do you have something special you do when you travel that gives you a greater glimpse into the local culture? I do. I go the movies! I really enjoy seeing a movie in other countries and observing their local movie theater customs. In Australia, for instance, people ate ice cream cones in the theater. So I had an ice cream cone, too. It felt really odd to eat a cone in the dark. And I made quite a mess. The first time I was ever asked to reserve a seat in a movie theater was in New Zealand. The movie goers in Portugal stay until the very end of all the movie credits. And as I mentioned here, in Lisbon I went to a theater that didn’t have any food or beverages for sale. No concession stand at all!
I even enjoy sitting through movies in languages I don’t speak or understand. I’ve done that in Japan. In Vienna, I went to a wonderful old movie house. Those are the best. I also enjoy reading about the history of movie houses, why we go to movies at all, and in many cases how movie going culture has changed. Here’s an article I found written by a film historian and critic. It’s a fun, easy read!
Village Movie Theater in Coronado. Image source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/78742693458651847/
Maybe you don’t go to movies when you travel, but do you do something that’s fun and unusual that puts you in the local scene?
