Culture Sparks (1) – Stereotype
Recently, I am practicing spoken English in a foreign language school here in my hometown Yangshuo. When I was talking with those guys from all around the world, I found many interesting things and thought-provoking things. The diversities between culture and culture can make you think. Actually, there are so many things I can learn from these travelers. They have gone around the world and they have their own opinions about this world.
Just today, one of them is leaving for another country, and I asked him what he has learned from these trips around the world. He said you can really find out who you are when you travel alone. So, I kind of want to travel around.
Anyway, here I will share those stories of them. I just want to re-organize my thoughts. However, I will appreciate if you show me your opinions about all of these things.
Yesterday, Mark gave us a speech about stereotype. He is American. When he was in high school, His elder sister asked him to a camp, because the camp had changed her life. At first, he was not willing to go. He wanted to hang out with his friends. But finally, his sister persuaded him.
In the camp, there were people from different background, rich and poor, black and white…They really experienced the diversity there. They learnt to trust each other by some kind of games. Most importantly, they learnt the sense of freedom. Mark was impressed by a simulation of slaver escaping. In the simulation, some professional actors played the policemen who wanted to catch the escaped slavers. And Mark played the conductor who was helping the slavers to escape. In the simulation, everything seemed real. They hided under the floor, they crept on the mud… Finally, it turned out to have some betrayer in their group and all the slavers were caught. Then some people got every upset and some of them started crying. They forgot it was just a simulation. Everything was so real!
From this simulation, they went through what the slavers went through one hundred years ago. Mark said he then understood the meaning of freedom. Those stereotypes of skin color, nationality and so on are so wrong. Most of the time, people have prejudice just because they are in lack of information.
People in US are not all rich. Girls in the west are not all sexy, wearing short panties. The governments in US do corrupt sometimes.
If we think for one minute, we will figure the facts I mentioned above. But it is not easy for us to start thinking. I think we have to see more in order to help us start thinking. The stimulus from the things you’ve never seen will shock you and force you to think. People have to learn more to get rid of stereotype.
BTW:
There are some interesting differences between cultures.
People from the west believe that the period of pregnancy are nine months. But as we all know in China, there should be ten months. Finally, we figured out that if we assume that there are 28 days in one month, it is nearly 10 months. If 30 or 31days, it is nearly 9 months.
Another difference is: foreigners are looked more mature than us. They respect others. They have good manners. They do not interrupt others when others are speaking.
I really want to see more to get the answers of the questions raised in my mind.