Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Culture vs Culture

It is so easy to be judgemental and so important not to be, when one lives abroad you have to remember that we are only visitors or guests and even if our stay should be for a long while, unless we take upon ourselves citizenship, we do not have the true right to pass ruling.

Being away from home during the time of the Gaza war, has for me put a different perspective on how it is to be an outsider and listen to what people say or hint at in their opinion of your country and what is happening there. But nevertheless, one sees cultural differences and wonder how long it will take to cross the barrier to reach a better understanding.

Today KFC and McDonald's have not only cornered the market on fast food, but have managed to create a menu that appeals to the Chinese taste, but labelled as an all American brand, including noodles and rice into their list as well as french fries. This reminds me of the time when Chinese food hit the Mediterranean and those who came to sample the food, would insist on bread being served as an accompaniment to their meal, today years on, not being the case any longer.

Saying this, the will to fit into a western civilization doesn't include the use of mobile phones like outside China, here they are more for personal fun and usage than being a public disturbance.
It is not that business people will not sit at a meal and talk on their phone, but less obvious th an it is abroad when two, three people or more will partake of a meal together and each one is oblivious of the other whilst they hold their own personal conversations with whomever it is on the other end. Otherwise they are more like toys, with each one having more facilities and toys than the next, as each one vies for more functions. Here using the phone whilst driving is forbidden, but as their seems to be a greater shortage of policeman on the street to check on this crime, so accidents whilst driving do happen.
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It is amazing how many cars there are on the roads, but more amazingly how they all look in mint condition, so when asking as to how this was possible, I was told that not only do all cars as
in abroad, have to pass their MOT, but should they have an accident they must fix them as
quickly as possible or be fined. This in a way is a good thing, because the roads even though heavily laden, look cleaner. Strange though that even though this is due to aesthetics is also because of the environmental issue, but when I see the factory funnel chimneys billowing out white smoke, this seems a strange contradiction.

In a society where again the policy is one child, it is difficult for mothers of other nations who are planning to have a baby, when their present child turns around and asks "why. don't you love
me any longer?" What most parents have to realise is, that all children, whatever the age, will feel jealousy at some point at the birth of a new baby, whether it be immediate or at a later age or stage. It is normal. What is maybe different, is that because of the onus of socializing here in China with work colleagues, it is extremely important if one wants to ensure a successful promotion in the future, to go out with work mates is a must and be part of the external life that
is work. Today with difficulties being faced by some of the companies and salary reductions being enforced, it is hard for some who have come to regard the work place as their home, either
because it is their first place of employment or because of friends. I myself have always counted
myself as extremely lucky as the places where I have worked have not only become family, but have continued to remain so many years later.

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