The coffee shop was buzzing with activity, names were called out; "Brayden, double shot latte skim milk", quickly followed by "Martin, macchiato grande". Sitting in the corner of the coffee shop quietly observing the ebb and flow of people, I suddenly saw her. Dressed in an immaculate white dress, glistening pearl earrings, standing there in an aura of stillness,....exuding grace.
Looking at her it seemed as if she was unaffected by time constraints; she was her own entity.
I had to paint her.....
I approached her, camera in hand and with gestures asked if I could take a photo of her. She smiled, gently nodded her head in agreement. As suddenly as she had appeared, she disappeared. Going through the camera in search for the shot I took of her expecting to see her smiling face, what I found instead was an enigma.
When I started to paint her I was struck by millions of questions: where was she from, what did the sadness in her eyes hide, what was she thinking of when I took the photograph, how old was she...?
How important is cultural background and what part does it play in understanding and communication? What is culture?
"Culture is a complex system of behaviour, values, beliefs, traditions and artefacts, which is transmitted through generations."(Buzzle)
What we experience as "our" culture, may I suggest is what we learn from the environment in which we grow up; our parents/primary caregivers/guardians. Belief systems, including values and principles are commonly passed down through generations: "our family always vote conservative/liberal, our family value hard work as a primary motivator, our family believe that keeping traditions is paramount, etc.."
The issue of culture in my view is very complex so for the purpose of this post I will just focus on one small aspect of it: keeping an open mind and appreciation for cultures different to our own.
Some suggest that there are 6.700 recognised languages in the world which may be of value perhaps to remember the next time we meet someone from another country speaking a different language to our own. "English", for instance, although used more and more globally, my I suggest is not "the" language, only one of many languages; all with their own beauty and other qualities.
If we remove the terms "right" and "wrong" in association with cultures, then we are left with "different"....a term without a judgemental value attached. "In my culture we usually do "it" this way, how do you do "it" in your culture?" Embracing other cultures culinary(food) inventions has made it possible for us to now consider pizzas, curry's, hot chips, coffee lattes, tacos, burgers, etc., etc.. to be staple(common) dishes in most countries. The Italians invented the "eye glasses", coffee originally came from Ethiopia, pasta originated in China, Sumerians were the first to put a written language in order, writing paper was invented in China, glass was invented in Ancient Egypt, "cooking" food was invented in Mesopotamia, and the list goes on.
Most cultures have within their cultures traditions, tools, customs, that have been adopted from other cultures somewhere along the way.
We learn from each other.
Knowing about other societies and understanding their cultures we are given the opportunity to affect/minimize conflict and instead build cooperation and congruence (harmony).
In some countries "small talk" is considered essential for socialising, in others it may be viewed as pointless, in some countries, speaking with your whole body i.e. using vivid body language is "normal" in others it may be considered demonstrative, in some countries it is impolite to look someone in the eyes when speaking with them, in other countries on the other hand; if you do not look the person in the eyes when you speak, you may be considered "shifty"(dishonest).
To understand other cultures a good starting point may be to understand our own, both from a collective and individual point of view. Mostly we view and make sense out of our world through a set of "lenses"; our values, principles, morals, ethics, etc., and through those we interpret meaning. Bearing in mind that each individual have their own "lenses" may assist us in understanding that there are many different ways to experience and express ourselves.
"Preservation of ones own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures".
(Cesar Chavez)
"No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive". (Gandhi)
"People can only live fully by helping others to live. When you give life to friends you truly live. Cultures can only realise their further richness by honouring other traditions. And only by respecting natural life can humanity continue to exist." (Daisaku Ikeda)
“We seldom realize, for example that our most private thoughts and emotions are not actually our own. For we think in terms of languages and images which we did not invent, but which were given to us by our society.” (Alan Wilson Watts)
Pizza, chips or spag boll anyone?
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