Culture is what identifies a group of people, is a shared
and learnt human way of living and is intangible. I am fascinated by the plethora of cultures
present in the world today. There’s so much to learn from one another’s culture
and I always feel that it would be very interesting to adapt to a foreign
culture for a stipulated period of time to experience their lifestyle, language
spoken and their way of communication.
Whenever we want to seek a stranger’s attention, it is the norm
for most Singaporeans to either nudge that particular person, tap the person on
his/her shoulders, or call out to that person. I was the stranger when I was
holidaying with my cousin in Amsterdam. We were on a one hour boat ride around
the city centre of Amsterdam and capturing as many pictures as we could was our
top priority. The stunning surroundings amazed us completely and we paid little
attention to the people around us. I was totally unaware that I had stepped out
of my seating boundaries and intruded into the captain’s area.
Suddenly, I felt an arm around my shoulder and was taken
aback. When I turned and saw the captain with his warm arms around me, I understood
his non-verbal cues instantly and retreated back to my seat. He did not utter a
single word to me; all he did was smile. I was actually standing right in front
of the steering wheel, obstructing the captain from starting the engine. His
way of getting my attention was something very different from the Asian
culture. It dawned onto me that all of us are unique individuals who communicate
our ideas differently. Culture is what symbolizes us and give us our own identity.
If I had the opportunity to reside in Amsterdam for a longer period of time, I
deem it necessary to adapt to their lifestyle, read up more about their
cultural norms and behaviour, so as to enhance my ability to interact with the
people there.
Culture is that invisible bond that holds people in a
community together. The different cultures in the world have brought about
diversity in the ways of life and that is what makes every community different.
All of us have been moulded by our own culture and this in turn shapes our
values, beliefs and perspectives in life.
Hi Sharlene
ReplyDeleteI remember you mentioned this in class, but this is a very interesting scenario that you have. I would have felt very uncomfortable if I was you because as an Asian I am not accustomed to that. However due to gobalisation and the world being interconnected, I guess one would have to adapt and tolerate another's culture especially if you are in the country. This would become important when we go out to the workforce and find ourselves working with people from diverse cultures.
Regards
Hannah
Hi Sharlene(:
ReplyDeletelike Hannah I too remember when you shared this in class quite some time ago! But when I read it here it actually reminded me of an incident that occurred when I was celebrating my birthday with my friends in a Italian restaurant overseas. Basically the male owner came over and put his arms around me to take a photo. And I was really taken aback because I wasn't expecting it. My friend even commented that my discomfort showed in the photo.
But like you said I guess its just the norm in Europe for them to be more liberal with this touchy-feely-ness and we just have to adapt to their way of communicating! I feel that as long as they don't go overboard with this intrusion of personal space it's nothing to kick up a fuss about. This kind of tolerance will become even more important with the increase in human traffic, with more foreigners come here to seek employment,or even with us going overseas to work and live.
Hi Sharlene!
ReplyDeleteI also remember you bringing up this experience in class!
I guess Singaporeans are more conserved when seeking strangers' attention because we're afraid that the recipient might perceive the action wrongly, especially if you're a guy. On the other hand, people in Europe are less conservative. Hence, the captain was unafraid to put his arms around your shoulder.
Thankfully, globalization has given us the opportunity to experience more cultures, changing us in such a way that youngsters, like us, are not as conservative as our parents. This is probably the reason you were not too shocked to feel the arms around you. :D
This is an fascinating example, Sharlene, of how two people from different backgrounds do adapt when interacting. You had broken a rule that you weren't even aware of at the time (don't stand in front of the boat's wheel), and the captain violated what would be for most Asians a stranger's private space when he embraced you. But you both emerged unscathed. I don't think you'd have to read so many books about Dutch culture if you lived there: You would learn by experiencing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this succinct yet telling description.