My Autobiography: David Balleza K(C)atague: Odor Shaming During International Travel- The Science of Smell

Monday, August 26, 2024

Odor Shaming During International Travel- The Science of Smell

Some of the comments I received from a few of my readers here at THD is the fact that my blog encompasses various topics. The subject in today's blog will probably elicit a comment that David is running out of ideas. The answer is, No,  I am not running out of ideas. This topic is just interesting to me because I have personal experiences related to this article. If the title of the blog does not interest You, I have no problem, just don't read it.  
In my younger and professional years, I have experienced international travel several times, thus have experienced the following article, which to some of you may not be a topic you want to read about. However,  I felt compel to discuss it. If you feel queasy on the subject, please do not read.  

ODOR SHAMING IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL- From My FaceBook Page The Other Day

"I was one of many Filipino travelers who used to odor-shame other travelers and even the local people of a host country. I used to think that we Filipinos smelled so good. Then, I too was odor-shamed. To them, all Filipinos smell like stale fish.

Odor shaming, a subtle but pervasive issue in international travel, occurs when travelers are judged for their body odors or scents associated with their native cultures. This often stems from cultural differences in scent perception, where what is considered normal or pleasant in one culture may be deemed offensive in another. This lack of understanding can lead to discomfort and insecurity for travelers, exacerbating feelings of alienation in a foreign environment.

As much as I would like to call for an end to odor shaming, I’d also like to share what made me realize the benefits of embracing people’s natural odor or scent:

1. If you’re a joiner in a multi-race group tour with people who aren’t easily offended, “cultural” odor can actually be a fun icebreaker.

2. Smell fatigue is real, and the more you are exposed to a certain odor, the more you’ll get used to it, which can prepare you to deal with similar scents in the future.

3. Lovemaking is more enjoyable when you can smell your partner’s natural scent, as long as the body is clean with odor-neutralizing soap, eliminating the need for deodorant, which can taste bitter, chemical-like, and unnatural when licked.

4. Embracing natural scents helps break down barriers between people, allowing for more genuine connections based on authenticity rather than superficial standards of cleanliness or beauty.

5. Appreciating natural odors can also heighten your sensory awareness, making you more attuned to the subtleties of different environments and enhancing your overall travel experience".

Personal Notes: In general body odor is a result of a person's diet. It is also related to how we do Our Personal Hygiene Practices. Some of you take a bath or shower Daily. Others just do TAPA clean-up.  Daily Showers or Bath is not good for your skin, but daily TAPA will completely removed body odor. It is better than masking it with cologne or perfume💚. If you read this, do you shower daily, use perfume or cologne or just do TAPA with showers in between? 

 If you do not know the abbreviation of TAPA, here's  the Hint- T is for your teeth, A is for armpits and P is for -----( 5 letters word in both genders) and A ---( 3 letters). Did you get it?  

In the Philippines, when I was growing up, the use of cologne/perfume is considered not a masculine activity and was not be encourage, so many Filipinos are reluctant to use colognes/perfumes. But deodorants and shaving creams are popular. I remember , my mother would shout to us kids to do TAPA, before we run out from the house to school.   Comments any one?    Here's the list of the top 5 Men's cologne available today! 

💚https://gentlemantoday.co/the-5-best-colognes-for-men-in-2024/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GT_purchases&utm_content=topcolognes24   

Here's my favorite but not in the List above. 
Lastly, The sense of smell, or olfaction, is the special sense through which smells (or odors) are perceived. The sense of smell has many functions, including detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and plays a role in taste. In humans, it occurs when an odor binds to a receptor within the nasal cavity, transmitting a signal through the olfactory system.

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Highlights of My Professional Career

In my more than 40 years of professional career, I have experienced both working rank and file, as well as supervising the work of subordinates. I have worked in four private firms and the Federal Government, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), where I retired. I enjoyed the challenges and difficulties of both types of job situations. This is the highlights of my work experience story.

My first job after completing my doctorate degree was a Chemist for Chemagro Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. It was a subsidiary of Bayer Corporation, a German conglomerate. I worked for the analytical chemistry department comprised of about fifty people; half that number was either chemists or biologists. My specific task was to develop analytical methods for the detection of pesticide residues in plant and animal tissues. I worked on my own, similar to six other bench chemists, and we all reported to the same supervisor.

The firm sponsored my visa conversion from a student to a permanent resident, and I was able to legally work and reside in the United States with my family. The company generously took care of its employees. At the end of each successful year, everyone received a 13th month salary bonus. The employees and their families celebrated wonderful annual Christmas parties in a downtown Kansas City hotel, with dancing and free drinks for the whole night.

Inasmuch as I enjoyed and loved working for Chemagro for five years, I found a new job which offered a substantially higher pay. Due to my exemplary work performance, my supervisor preferred and lobbied for me to stay with the company. I had to turn him down because they could not match the package presented by my new employer. It was also a chance for me and my family to move and live in the US west coast, where the mild winter climate is bearable compared to the Midwest.

My next job was at the agricultural research division of Shell Development Company in Modesto, California. I was a Research Chemist, and again I worked individually, same as five other chemists who all reported to a supervisor. My specific duty was similar to my previous job. I worked for them for five years, until the company decided to get out of the pesticide business. They closed their research facility affecting the jobs of more than 200 employees.

My third industrial job was with the agricultural research division of Stauffer chemical company, located in Richmond, California. I was a Senior Research Chemist doing the same project as my two previous jobs. I worked for twelve continuous years for the company, with outstanding annual job performance. I became a Principal Research Chemist, the highest attainable non-supervisory position.

One day in 1986, my supervisor informed me that my job had been eliminated, and I had one day to vacate the facility. It was the most dreadful lay off experience in my life. I felt anger, sadness and humiliation to be dismissed from work with one day notice, after all the years of hard work invested for the company. This was an unforgettable incident and was the gloomiest point in my professional career.
The company terminated sixty research employees, who were upset of the bad news.

One of the chemists was distressed and expressed his outrageous anger by threatening the company and its workers. He told his supervisor of his intention to bomb and burn down the laboratory. He was immediately escorted by the security staff out of the building and into his car. He was informed to leave behind his personal belongings; they will be mailed to his residence. He was warned never to show up again near the company premises or risk getting arrested.

My supervisor was kind and allowed me to take my time to pack up my belongings. It took me two days to clear up my workplace, after toiling for a long period in the same jobsite. We were provided clerical help and office space, in preparation to look for another job, such as updating our resumes, and using the computer and copy machine. We were given six weeks of separation pay plus benefits.

Fortunately, with the help of a friend who is a Church parishioner, I found another job thirty days after leaving Stauffer chemical company. He hired me as a senior research chemist and as a group leader with two technicians to supervise. It was in the same field as my expertise in my previous three jobs spanning the last twenty one years. My new employer was Chevron Chemical Company, and which was located in the same area as my former employer.

This job gave me the introduction and basic knowledge of managing the work of subordinates. I worked for Chevron Company for four and a half years. The company decided to consolidate their research facilities in Texas, and lay off all its research employees. This time I had enough distress and agony from working, and eventually getting laid off from several private companies. To avoid going through any more miserable layoffs, I made a vow that I would never again work for a private company.

In my work experiences, there were noticeable and unavoidable jobsite occurrences. One can never miss the office romantic relationships between co-workers, both illicit and permitted. Though it was frowned upon, there was a boss and staff relationship, which was used as a ploy to get ahead in the company. Some relationships had chemistry, no pun intended, but some never worked out. Oftentimes, there was a sense of distrust among bench chemists for some workers who unjustly obtained preferred work assignments.

Some employees resorted to bribing superiors to get special privileges, such as being able to attend choice conferences and meetings in exciting venues or locations. Likewise, politics was always present at the worksites. It was during an era when various forms of harassment, equal opportunity and discrimination laws were not yet enforced in the workplace. Occasionally, an unexpected chemical explosion happens in a laboratory setting, where luckily no one got seriously hurt.

In the three private companies I worked for, I was able to publish scientific journals for some of the research studies and analytical methods which I developed for the respective companies of Chemagro, Shell Development and Stauffer.

After deciding and making a vow to avoid working in the private sector, I made my new goal which was either to work for the state of California, or the Federal government in Washington, D.C. Four months after I lost my job in Chevron, I was lucky and joyful to be hired by the Food and Drug Administration as a review chemist in the fall of 1990.

In 1994 I was promoted as an Expert Research Chemist with a GS-14 rating. My expertise was on Anti-malarial and Anti-parasitic drug products. In 1997, I was again deservingly promoted to Chemistry team leader, supervising the work of six Chemistry reviewers including five with doctorate degrees.

As team leader, I was responsible for prioritizing, assigning, and assuring the technical accuracy of all chemistry, manufacturing and control issues for all new drug applications submitted to the Division of Anti-Infective Drug Products, Center of New Drugs.

It was part of my responsibility to give advice, instruct and promote high morale and teamwork in my group. My work in the FDA is confidential, until the drug patent on the products I worked on has expired. There are manufacturing supplements that I have approved that are now open for the public in the Internet.

In 1998, I won the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award. The citation reads, “For outstanding accomplishments in fostering the objectives of the EEO Program by hiring minorities and encouraging their professional growth while providing excellent leadership.” I have received numerous certificates of appreciation, awards in leadership and communications, commendation for teamwork and excellence in the accomplishment of the FDA mission. I have also received several letters of appreciation from private industry for my review work.

There are many good things working as rank and file while enjoying doing one’s job individually. It is a humbling, satisfying and productive experience, if one can work in harmony with one’s immediate supervisor. Working individually develops one’s skills in goal setting and scheduling. But in general, the financial rewards are less than a person who has supervisory responsibilities.

Managing the work of others has its challenges. Moreover, it develops one’s skill in handling and developing people, and the compensation rewards and benefits are better. Due to additional duties, responsibilities and leadership, supervisory work can be more stressful than working as a subordinate. However, supervisory jobs give one more personal growth and satisfaction, based on my personal experience. My work in FDA as a team leader managing the work of six scientists had been the happiest and rewarding work experience in my career in Chemistry. You might also like:

Monday, August 26, 2024

Odor Shaming During International Travel- The Science of Smell

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