| If there had been no differences between East and West | |
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| Sep 18, 2007 06:01 | #31   |
 | I think we all hold the same vaules. Culture is a differnt thing and should not be confused with the former. I have been lucky to have travel the World and seen diffrent cultures. Family values have always apeared to be the same to me. Dodger. |
| Sep 20, 2007 04:43 | #32 |
| Actually, in essence, this an assumption concernened the question of whether we should live in a multi-culturism or a uni-culturalism. This issue is hard to be addressed. Cultural differences and cultural assimilations, which one should be put on the priority. If there is no difference, the globe wouldl be very dull; if difference do exist,a certain degree of cultural shock would be impossibel to avoid.This is a crux. What do you want the globe to become? Silent and dull. Everything is uniform and numb. Or a dynamic globe with numerous cultural crashes on a day-to-day basis? |
| Sep 20, 2007 06:14 | #33 |
| Iceblue, no assumptions on my part. We are all different and the fun is finding out just what. The World will never be dull Ice. It will always be an exciting place to travel. Dodger |
| Sep 25, 2007 05:05 | #34 |
| Well, I don't quite agree with Apault and Erencius. The difference between the East and the West is obvious and distinct. To say there is a huge cultural difference is by no means an exaggeration. We have so many differences. We are differenct in skin colour. You are white, while we are yellow. You use forks and knives at dinning table, while we use the chopsticks at the dinning table. You are quite open to talk about 'sex" in public, while it is a taboo for Easterners in public. |
| Oct 29, 2007 04:44 | #35 |
| GUEST365 | This thread reminds me of an English poet named Rudyard Kipling who once wrote in this poem "We and They" : All the people like us are We and everyone else is They We live over the sea While They live over the way We eat pork and beef with cow horn-handled knives They who gobble their rice off a leaf Are horrified out of their lives. When I read these lines for the first time, I was astonished by these lines. In the past, the West and the East were so isolated from each other. The is a huge difference between the East and the West. The Easterners and the Westerners were so ignorant of each other. In today's society, those people who used to eat with gobble their rice might be as well have taken to fish and chips. Modern lives of average Chinese have been under the strong influence of Western culture or Western style of living. It's no longer surprising to see the whole families dining out at McDonald's and KFC. Jeans is popular with people from all walks of life. It seems to me that Chinese living habits are being westernized too much. Although Kypling's ideas has left too far behind the times, should we adopt a totally westernized living style. |
| Oct 29, 2007 20:58 | #36 |
| >> Modern lives of average Chinese have been under the strong influence of Western culture or Western style of living. It's no longer surprising to see the whole families dining out at McDonald's and KFC. Jeans is popular with people from all walks of life. It seems to me that Chinese living habits are being westernized too much. Although Kypling's ideas has left too far behind the times, should we adopt a totally westernized living style.<< When I was in China this summer I had a most wonderful time. I took in many differences between the Eastern and Western cultures and most I viewed in a positive light. I was quite disappointed, though not surprised, when I saw some “Western” products and services that were being openly promoted in China. McDonald's and KFC restaurants and Coca Cola etc. are big hits with the Chinese, but they don’t seem to be aware of how unpopular and unhealthy these foods are to Westerners “in the know”. The tide is changing in the West as more and more Westerners are learning how unhealthy and harmful these foods are and students are being educated more and more today about this. There is actually a big obesity problem in America and much of it can be traced to the regular consumption of these unhealthy foods. So of all the possible restaurants and foods we could be enticing our Eastern brothers with, it is a real shame that we are exporting such garbage, and an even greater shame that it’s being embraced so heartily. |
| Oct 30, 2007 05:10 | #37 |
| CANADAGUY, Quote: "I was quite disappointed, though not surprised, when I saw some “Western” products and services that were being openly promoted in China. McDonald's and KFC restaurants and Coca Cola etc. are big hits with the Chinese, but they don’t seem to be aware of how unpopular and unhealthy these foods are to Westerners “in the know”. Yes, you are right. The differences between the East and the West have melted away to a large extent. Chinese living style has been under the strong influence of Western culture. Perhaps,. the above-mentioned phenomenon is side-effect of globalization or westernization. |
| Oct 31, 2007 00:00 | #38 |
| >> Yes, you are right. The differences between the East and the West have melted away to a large extent. Chinese living style has been under the strong influence of Western culture. Perhaps,. the above-mentioned phenomenon is side-effect of globalization or westernization.<< Absolutely. Let's hope the Chinese will become more discerning when they choose to adopt Western exports, and not just follow the leader blindly. |
| Oct 31, 2007 05:05 | #39 |
| All the people like us are We and everyone else is They We live over the sea While They live over the way We eat pork and beef with cow horn-handled knives They who gobble their rice off a leaf Are horrified out of their lives. Kypling's poem is a reflection of his narrowminded-ness. I just thought if Kypling had ever travelled any other places. It seems to me that he is like a near-sighted frog in a well. |
| Oct 31, 2007 05:35 | #40 |
| Yvonne, You must put Kipling words in the time and context that it was written. An upper class man that had, until he had traveled no such experience of meeting people with less wealth than he had. Also a man from the top 2.5% of the people that owned over 95% of the wealth and the land in the UK at that time with an education that sheltered him from the masses. He would not have mixed with the working classes of Britain, never mind anyone else. It was an eye opening experience for him. In another poem his words are “you are a better man than I am, Gunger Din” So he does admit the failings of the Colonials in a Victorian era where the “White Man” reigned supreme. Perhaps a wider reading of his works along with an understanding of the thinking of the time might also help in understanding his words, written more than 100 years ago. His words were meant, in the poem that you quote, to bring shame to his country and invoke deeper thought amongst those that held power. Not unlike those of Dickens. Dodger. |
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