Some people who are interested in other cultures to the point of wanting to expatriate and go to another country to live, need to keep one thing in mind and ask themselves this question: "Will the country love you the way you love it?" Prejudice against certain groups is very strong in some parts of the world. Find out how you will be perceived in that particular nation or region, and whether you happen to be a member of a group that is not very popular in that country.
For example, an Israeli guy who likes Italian music and culture may not be making a wise choice when he contemplates moving to Italy long term. Prejudice against Jews in Italy is still quite strong. He may run into unpleasant incidents while there, and many people may not like him.
A Canadian guy who has always enjoyed Russian music and is fond of Russian culture and people, is contemplating a long trip to Russia. He is hoping to make new friends and, possibly, even to meet a great Russian woman and have a romance with her. The problem is, he is black. Now may not be a good time for black people to go to Russia. Skinheads are attacking people of color in many parts of the country. Black people have been beaten, stabbed and shot at. While he may love Russia, many people there may not like 'him'.
A Russian guy loves Cuban music. He is contemplating a trip to Cuba and a possible relocation there. He has always been fascinated by the sultry Cuban women, Havana cigars and, in his heart, he may even like Fidel. However, Cuba may not be a good place for a Russian to be. Anti-Russian propaganda is very strong there now. Since Russia became capitalist, many Cuban people feel that they have been betrayed by the Russians. He may feel resentment coming from a lot of people there. Therefore, planning to go to Cuba may not be a good choice for him.
The good news is that there may be a culture similar to the culture we like, but whose members are not nurturing a grudge against someone like us. An Israeli guy may want to go to Uruguay instead. It is a cosmopolitan society with not much prejudice towards the Jews. And the culture is very similar to the Italian culture.
A black Canadian may choose Croatia or even Slovenia- a similar culture to Russia but without much prejudice against blacks or black Canadians.
A Russian may do better if he goes to a place like Brazil or even Venezuela. People in those two countries have similar cultures to Cuba without much prejudice or grudge against the Russians.
So, choose wisely. Do not invest time, money and energy in preparing yourself to love a country that may not love you back. Unrequited love hurts. It hurts even more if it is accompanied by daily frowns, a beating or a gun shot.
If you want to expatriate, I can assure you that there is a country just for you where you will feel at home. So do your homework, research, ask around and you will soon find your true love which also returns your feelings.
March 2, 2010
Fallacies in Comparing Cultures
We have heard the new politically correct slogan- "There are no inferior cultures, we are just different."
There is also another slogan-" there are good and bad people/things everywhere". As you travel from country to country you become more and more convinced that the above two statements are simplistic at best.
Nations undoubtedly have different cultures but there are definite inferiorities and superiorities inherent in each of them. However, these do not exist in the entire culture, but in different aspects
of it as compared to the same aspects in another culture.
Here is a case in point: Country A has very friendly people, delicious foods and great music. Families are strong, there is very little divorce and children are well- behaved. The country has a great number of wonderful artists and beautiful architecture. However, the streets are dirty, the infrastructure is backward, and the police routinely take bribes, not to mention the fact that they do not do their work properly. Jobs do not pay any good money, and services are also bad.
Country B has cold and unfriendly people, bland food and non-impressive music. Local art is also of inferior quality and could not hold a candle to that of Country A. The divorce rate hovers around 50%. Young people appear tough and disrespectful. Houses look like shoe boxes. However, the streets are clean, the infrastructure is superb, bribery is almost non-existent, and the police is efficient. Salaries are high and services are excellent.
So when comparing cultures we cannot easily say- "Country A is inferior to Country B". However, we can confidently state that, apparently, several aspects of each country do not compare well, and are inferior or superior to each other.
And yes, there are good and bad people everywhere. However let's take a case in point- a Japanese and a South African are talking about each other's homelands. The Japanese says that South Africa is dangerous and there are many criminals there. The South African feels offended and replies:" There are criminals everywhere!" There are criminals in Japan, too".
A Thai is offended when someone mentions that there are many prostitutes in Bangkok. He shouts back "There are prostitutes everywhere!"
I can't count how many times I have heard similar arguments. What is wrong with them? Well, you see, it is true that every human society will have a certain number of good and bad aspects and various social goods and evils. No one denies that, say, both Bangkok and Jedda, Saudi Arabia, will suffer from the scourge of prostitution( in case of Jeddah it would be one or two secret whorehouses), and that both Tokyo and Johannesburg will have criminals. However, they will vary from country to country in their numbers, degree, frequency of occurrence, and intensity. Sure, there must be prostitutes in Saudi Arabia, but what would their numbers be? Ten, fifteen of them? I'd say rather small compared to Bangkok, where houses of ill repute are on the main street of town for everyone to see. Sure, there must be violent criminals in Tokyo, but what is the overall crime, murder or robbery rate per 100,000 of population per year?
So, if you say that South Africa has a much higher crime rate than Japan, or that Thailand has one of the highest rates of prostitution in the world, you will be making a much better statement. It is just that few people like to hear the truth about how screwed-up their countries are.
About the Linguo-Racial Complex again:
It happens when:
1)You have large ethno-cultural groups of people who are socially and politically "pitched" against each other. The example would be the US, especially in large areas where Hispanics feel that they are oppressed by the "Gringo" and they want to preserve the purity of "La Raza".
This would probably never happen in Buenos Aires- people there are all of different backgrounds: British, Polish, German, Russian, Hungarian, etc. All are Argentines and all speak Spanish. There is no "Raza" there, meaning the mythical Mestizo " Jose Rodriguez" who needs to "protect his culture and race" against a mythical blond John Smith- the case of the US. An Argentinian more often than not is a "Jose Smith" himself.
Some Asians ( except tourists and foreign students) after living in the US also develop the LRC. It is funny that after years of living in some Asian country you come to the US and want to speak Japanese or Tagalog to the people and they give you these squeamish looks. Really sad.
2) When you are abroad and places where there are large groups of tourists or military men whom the natives see every day and whose ways and behavior they think they already know and are trained to deal with- Mexican border towns, San Juan, Puerto Rico and the tourist areas in the Philippines, Thailand, and other such places. Cairo? Paris, maybe?
Places that are not like that at all:
1) Smaller towns- not necessarily very small but kind of like second biggest cities which do not get many tourists. One is far less likely to be treated with a Linguo-Racial Complex in Osaka than in Tokyo.
2) Places where all kinds of immigrants come to assimilate- Argentina, as I have mentioned, Brazil, I guess. And of course, the US, Canada ( with the English language) These people are used to seeing immigrants, not tourists. The attitude is- "this is Argentina, you are here now, you had better speak my language".
3) Remote areas where people can speak only one language and they will not answer to you in English simply because they don't know any English- rural Russia and other rural areas in E. Europe. Rural China, I guess? Small town Italy?
4) Places where the person you are speaking to is a foreigner as much as you are a foreigner. LRC does not happen much in Saudi Arabia or Dubai if you talk with Filipinos or any other such people there. I was very happy to be able to speak with Thais in Thai and Filipinos in Tagalog and even Puerto Ricans in Spanish when I was in Saudi. It was great.
It is the same if you travel in ,say, Costa Rica and you meet a German or a Japanese who is also traveling there. More often than not, they will not behave with LRC.
There is also another slogan-" there are good and bad people/things everywhere". As you travel from country to country you become more and more convinced that the above two statements are simplistic at best.
Nations undoubtedly have different cultures but there are definite inferiorities and superiorities inherent in each of them. However, these do not exist in the entire culture, but in different aspects
of it as compared to the same aspects in another culture.
Here is a case in point: Country A has very friendly people, delicious foods and great music. Families are strong, there is very little divorce and children are well- behaved. The country has a great number of wonderful artists and beautiful architecture. However, the streets are dirty, the infrastructure is backward, and the police routinely take bribes, not to mention the fact that they do not do their work properly. Jobs do not pay any good money, and services are also bad.
Country B has cold and unfriendly people, bland food and non-impressive music. Local art is also of inferior quality and could not hold a candle to that of Country A. The divorce rate hovers around 50%. Young people appear tough and disrespectful. Houses look like shoe boxes. However, the streets are clean, the infrastructure is superb, bribery is almost non-existent, and the police is efficient. Salaries are high and services are excellent.
So when comparing cultures we cannot easily say- "Country A is inferior to Country B". However, we can confidently state that, apparently, several aspects of each country do not compare well, and are inferior or superior to each other.
And yes, there are good and bad people everywhere. However let's take a case in point- a Japanese and a South African are talking about each other's homelands. The Japanese says that South Africa is dangerous and there are many criminals there. The South African feels offended and replies:" There are criminals everywhere!" There are criminals in Japan, too".
A Thai is offended when someone mentions that there are many prostitutes in Bangkok. He shouts back "There are prostitutes everywhere!"
I can't count how many times I have heard similar arguments. What is wrong with them? Well, you see, it is true that every human society will have a certain number of good and bad aspects and various social goods and evils. No one denies that, say, both Bangkok and Jedda, Saudi Arabia, will suffer from the scourge of prostitution( in case of Jeddah it would be one or two secret whorehouses), and that both Tokyo and Johannesburg will have criminals. However, they will vary from country to country in their numbers, degree, frequency of occurrence, and intensity. Sure, there must be prostitutes in Saudi Arabia, but what would their numbers be? Ten, fifteen of them? I'd say rather small compared to Bangkok, where houses of ill repute are on the main street of town for everyone to see. Sure, there must be violent criminals in Tokyo, but what is the overall crime, murder or robbery rate per 100,000 of population per year?
So, if you say that South Africa has a much higher crime rate than Japan, or that Thailand has one of the highest rates of prostitution in the world, you will be making a much better statement. It is just that few people like to hear the truth about how screwed-up their countries are.
About the Linguo-Racial Complex again:
It happens when:
1)You have large ethno-cultural groups of people who are socially and politically "pitched" against each other. The example would be the US, especially in large areas where Hispanics feel that they are oppressed by the "Gringo" and they want to preserve the purity of "La Raza".
This would probably never happen in Buenos Aires- people there are all of different backgrounds: British, Polish, German, Russian, Hungarian, etc. All are Argentines and all speak Spanish. There is no "Raza" there, meaning the mythical Mestizo " Jose Rodriguez" who needs to "protect his culture and race" against a mythical blond John Smith- the case of the US. An Argentinian more often than not is a "Jose Smith" himself.
Some Asians ( except tourists and foreign students) after living in the US also develop the LRC. It is funny that after years of living in some Asian country you come to the US and want to speak Japanese or Tagalog to the people and they give you these squeamish looks. Really sad.
2) When you are abroad and places where there are large groups of tourists or military men whom the natives see every day and whose ways and behavior they think they already know and are trained to deal with- Mexican border towns, San Juan, Puerto Rico and the tourist areas in the Philippines, Thailand, and other such places. Cairo? Paris, maybe?
Places that are not like that at all:
1) Smaller towns- not necessarily very small but kind of like second biggest cities which do not get many tourists. One is far less likely to be treated with a Linguo-Racial Complex in Osaka than in Tokyo.
2) Places where all kinds of immigrants come to assimilate- Argentina, as I have mentioned, Brazil, I guess. And of course, the US, Canada ( with the English language) These people are used to seeing immigrants, not tourists. The attitude is- "this is Argentina, you are here now, you had better speak my language".
3) Remote areas where people can speak only one language and they will not answer to you in English simply because they don't know any English- rural Russia and other rural areas in E. Europe. Rural China, I guess? Small town Italy?
4) Places where the person you are speaking to is a foreigner as much as you are a foreigner. LRC does not happen much in Saudi Arabia or Dubai if you talk with Filipinos or any other such people there. I was very happy to be able to speak with Thais in Thai and Filipinos in Tagalog and even Puerto Ricans in Spanish when I was in Saudi. It was great.
It is the same if you travel in ,say, Costa Rica and you meet a German or a Japanese who is also traveling there. More often than not, they will not behave with LRC.
Love thy Conqueror!
As you travel you will visit many countries who had been colonized by one or another colonial power. You will also probably become aware of a strange paradox- usually, if Country A was Colonized by Country B, and Country B was richer and more developed than Country A, many of the natives of Country A will continue loving and admiring it long after the independence; despite the horrors perpetrated by the colonial power on its soil. It does not matter that Country B was dictatorial and oppressive. It does not matter that it had killed and tortured the natives of Country A. Many people there will love and respect the culture of Country B and treat Country B tourists and investors with supreme welcome. On their vacations, they will yearn to go to visit the former overlords' capital city and brag to their family and friends of their travel to that place.
In Latin American countries, anything that is related to Spain is still seen as sophisticated and proper. Never mind that Spain destroyed so much culture of South America and so many natives died from diseases brought there by the Spaniards. They were masters and they were stronger than S. Americans. They were richer, too- through stolen wealth, but hey, it does not matter.
The admiration for anything Spanish is alive and well there. Being fluent in the Spanish language is seen as a sign of being cultured and "high-class". Listening to music from Spain is also seen as something very respectworthy.
In the US, a person with a British accent is seen as someone very intelligent, and one of the main destinations of American tourists is still Britain.
In the Philippines, after all the struggle for independence, the natives proudly display American symbols and wear bright T-shirts with letters "USA" on them. The dream of many a Filipino is still to go the States.
Malaysians also love going to London on holidays and British tourists are received with a big smile
and a warm handshake when they visit Kuala Lumpur. Tunisians and Moroccans look up to France. The dream of many a Ukrainian is to go to Moscow to live. Taiwanese teens go crazy about Japanese music and culture.
However, if the colonizers was poorer than the colonized, the former colonial subjects have nothing but scorn for them. The Balts discriminate against the Russians and do not want them in their countries but may look up to Germany in spite of what the Germans had done there. The Vietnamese have the same scornful attitude towards the former USSR while young people there adore anything American and marriage to an American is a desirable choice of many a Vitenamese woman. Go figure! But then again, who has got more money? The Russians do not cowtow to Ulaan Bataar or dream of visiting the Mongolian capital on their honeymoon. Few dream of emigrating to Lovely Mongolia or studying there. The Mongols were powerful militarily but they were not necessarily richer than the Russians when they put thousands of them to the sword.
I guess it is human nature to kowtow to and respect the strong and the rich, no matter what bad things they have done to you. After the revolutions and the wars of independence pass, the former "oppressees" are back to the business of adulating the former oppressors.
In Latin American countries, anything that is related to Spain is still seen as sophisticated and proper. Never mind that Spain destroyed so much culture of South America and so many natives died from diseases brought there by the Spaniards. They were masters and they were stronger than S. Americans. They were richer, too- through stolen wealth, but hey, it does not matter.
The admiration for anything Spanish is alive and well there. Being fluent in the Spanish language is seen as a sign of being cultured and "high-class". Listening to music from Spain is also seen as something very respectworthy.
In the US, a person with a British accent is seen as someone very intelligent, and one of the main destinations of American tourists is still Britain.
In the Philippines, after all the struggle for independence, the natives proudly display American symbols and wear bright T-shirts with letters "USA" on them. The dream of many a Filipino is still to go the States.
Malaysians also love going to London on holidays and British tourists are received with a big smile
and a warm handshake when they visit Kuala Lumpur. Tunisians and Moroccans look up to France. The dream of many a Ukrainian is to go to Moscow to live. Taiwanese teens go crazy about Japanese music and culture.
However, if the colonizers was poorer than the colonized, the former colonial subjects have nothing but scorn for them. The Balts discriminate against the Russians and do not want them in their countries but may look up to Germany in spite of what the Germans had done there. The Vietnamese have the same scornful attitude towards the former USSR while young people there adore anything American and marriage to an American is a desirable choice of many a Vitenamese woman. Go figure! But then again, who has got more money? The Russians do not cowtow to Ulaan Bataar or dream of visiting the Mongolian capital on their honeymoon. Few dream of emigrating to Lovely Mongolia or studying there. The Mongols were powerful militarily but they were not necessarily richer than the Russians when they put thousands of them to the sword.
I guess it is human nature to kowtow to and respect the strong and the rich, no matter what bad things they have done to you. After the revolutions and the wars of independence pass, the former "oppressees" are back to the business of adulating the former oppressors.
The Linguo-Racial Complex
The Linguo-Racial complex is a phenomenon that I (and many other people, I guess) discovered while learning foreign languages. It refers to how average people associate a language with people's racial characteristics and have confusing reactions to the speaker of the language if he/she does not have the appearance that a "normal" speaker of such language has. Here are some examples:
A White American took years of Spanish and is now fluent in it. He talks Spanish to some Mexican or Cuban immigrants in the US. They make a wry face and answer in broken English. He again speaks Spanish to them. They again answer in English (which is much worse than the white American's Spanish).
A Brit learns Japanese and speaks it very well now. He stops people on the streets of Tokyo and talks to them. They look at him like they have seen E.T. -with eyes wide-open and jaws dropped. Some smile sheepishly and walk on. Some look irritated and say in Japanese- "the language, I do not speak the language". Some answer in bad English, some walk by saying "I do not speak English", some asking him: "Do you speak Japanese?"(And what is he speaking now, Bantu?).
A European gentleman sits in a restaurant in an Arab country. He calls a waiter and asks for "thom"- garlic. The waiter looks shy and makes gestures at the customer- "One moment please, one moment please" and walks away. Thinking that he went to get garlic, the customer patiently awaits his food. Guess what? He brought another waiter who addresses the customer with "May I help you, sir?" "I asked for bloody garlic in Arabic, why are you here asking me again?" "Sorry sir, we did not realize you could speak Arabic". "But I was speaking Arabic to the first waiter!"
The first waiter's mind did not register the fact that in spite of the speaker's European appearance he was, in fact, speaking Arabic.
An American man who spent 15 years in the Philippines is with his girlfriend. He stops a taxi and talks to the driver in Tagalog. The driver ignores him like he does not exist and starts talking to his girlfriend about the taxi fare and all. People with high noses and white skin speak English. People with flat noses and brown skin speak Tagalog. People with high noses and white skin speaking Tagalog are absurd and probably unreal. Let's talk to the girl- her nose is flat and her skin is brown. She is a Tagalog speaker.
Here is another example: an Australian has spent half of his life in Thailand and speaks Thai fluently. He stops at a street stall. The hawkers look at him incredulously as he begins speaking Thai. One of them lights up and starts yelling out to others: "He can talk! He can talk!"
The Lingo-Racial complex can take ugly extremes such as people ignored at restaurants and not served. People not being rented apartments because the landlord is afraid that he cannot communicate with English speakers (who speak his language very well) and friendships and dates being denied because, you see, I can't speak English. "
"But I can speak your language!" A dull and incredulous look and silence are the answer.
In a place that has many tourists and foreigners of a particular "stock" people form a stereotypical reflex about how a person who looks like that should talk and behave.
In places that are excessively provincial and or/nationalistic people cannot even conceive of a person who is clearly of another race being able to speak their language.
In some Latin countries particularly in the Caribbean and Mexico the speakers see Spanish as "their" language and become shocked and even insulted if a person of "another (non-Latin) race" speaks it.
Anglo-Saxon countries such as the US , UK, etc. do not have that complex but the opposite of it- in their cultural view the whole world speaks English and if they don't they should and soon will. So there is no surprise if a Japanese person speaks English- he should.
Argentina, being an immigrant Spanish speaking society will have a similar attitude and will lack the Complex. So, I guess, would Brazil.
Good news? Well, not everyone has the complex. There are many people who are happy to see that you speak the language and many people who will not even be surprised that you do. Many will treat you as an equal especially after they got to know you. However, when one studies languages of nations where the majority of people do not look like you, one has to get ready to face the awkwardness of it.
It's all in the expat's day's work. What's to do?
A White American took years of Spanish and is now fluent in it. He talks Spanish to some Mexican or Cuban immigrants in the US. They make a wry face and answer in broken English. He again speaks Spanish to them. They again answer in English (which is much worse than the white American's Spanish).
A Brit learns Japanese and speaks it very well now. He stops people on the streets of Tokyo and talks to them. They look at him like they have seen E.T. -with eyes wide-open and jaws dropped. Some smile sheepishly and walk on. Some look irritated and say in Japanese- "the language, I do not speak the language". Some answer in bad English, some walk by saying "I do not speak English", some asking him: "Do you speak Japanese?"(And what is he speaking now, Bantu?).
A European gentleman sits in a restaurant in an Arab country. He calls a waiter and asks for "thom"- garlic. The waiter looks shy and makes gestures at the customer- "One moment please, one moment please" and walks away. Thinking that he went to get garlic, the customer patiently awaits his food. Guess what? He brought another waiter who addresses the customer with "May I help you, sir?" "I asked for bloody garlic in Arabic, why are you here asking me again?" "Sorry sir, we did not realize you could speak Arabic". "But I was speaking Arabic to the first waiter!"
The first waiter's mind did not register the fact that in spite of the speaker's European appearance he was, in fact, speaking Arabic.
An American man who spent 15 years in the Philippines is with his girlfriend. He stops a taxi and talks to the driver in Tagalog. The driver ignores him like he does not exist and starts talking to his girlfriend about the taxi fare and all. People with high noses and white skin speak English. People with flat noses and brown skin speak Tagalog. People with high noses and white skin speaking Tagalog are absurd and probably unreal. Let's talk to the girl- her nose is flat and her skin is brown. She is a Tagalog speaker.
Here is another example: an Australian has spent half of his life in Thailand and speaks Thai fluently. He stops at a street stall. The hawkers look at him incredulously as he begins speaking Thai. One of them lights up and starts yelling out to others: "He can talk! He can talk!"
The Lingo-Racial complex can take ugly extremes such as people ignored at restaurants and not served. People not being rented apartments because the landlord is afraid that he cannot communicate with English speakers (who speak his language very well) and friendships and dates being denied because, you see, I can't speak English. "
"But I can speak your language!" A dull and incredulous look and silence are the answer.
In a place that has many tourists and foreigners of a particular "stock" people form a stereotypical reflex about how a person who looks like that should talk and behave.
In places that are excessively provincial and or/nationalistic people cannot even conceive of a person who is clearly of another race being able to speak their language.
In some Latin countries particularly in the Caribbean and Mexico the speakers see Spanish as "their" language and become shocked and even insulted if a person of "another (non-Latin) race" speaks it.
Anglo-Saxon countries such as the US , UK, etc. do not have that complex but the opposite of it- in their cultural view the whole world speaks English and if they don't they should and soon will. So there is no surprise if a Japanese person speaks English- he should.
Argentina, being an immigrant Spanish speaking society will have a similar attitude and will lack the Complex. So, I guess, would Brazil.
Good news? Well, not everyone has the complex. There are many people who are happy to see that you speak the language and many people who will not even be surprised that you do. Many will treat you as an equal especially after they got to know you. However, when one studies languages of nations where the majority of people do not look like you, one has to get ready to face the awkwardness of it.
It's all in the expat's day's work. What's to do?
Double and Triple Expats
There is new and growing group of people whom I will call Double Expats. These are people who are from country A, who immigrated and became naturalized in country B and now are living and working in country C. There are also triple expats, those who after working in country C have decided to retire and live in country D.
An example- a Lebanese engineering student who emigrates to Canada, receives Canadian citizenship and dgrees and goes to work in Kuwait as a Canadian engineer. After he makes oodles of money in Kuwait, instead of retiring in Canada or Lebanon, he goes to Indonesia, marries a local beauty, buys a house and stays in Indonesia forever.
There is also a growing group of people who when faced with the simple question of "Where are you from?" or "What is your nationality?" in casual conversation feel confused, put on the spot and don't know what to answer.
Take one friend of mine- He is half French and half Italian but he grew up in Hong Kong. Basically he is almost Chinese in thinking and in manners. He then left for the Philippines and settled there. What will he say to people when he travels to another country?
Such people were not so common in the past when international travel was lengthy and expensive and working overseas involved only one country at the most. Nowadays, however, they are growing in numbers and we will be seeing them more and more often in the future.
***If you have a long layover at Dubai airport and are tired of shopping, reading and do not want to spend your money on expensive lounges, kickback and play a solitary game called "Ey Jinsiya". "Ey Jinsiya" in Arabic means: "What Nationality?" People from all over the world fly through or out of Dubai. Just sit down and try and guess what they are.
Can you tell Filipinos from Indonesians?
Filipinos have a certain European skin color because of the Spanish mixture which the Indonesians do not have- they look "purely native". Filipinos also try and "look American"- many wear jeans and T-shirts that say "USA", or "USA sports." They have big round eyes and are relaxed in the way they walk. They like to make eye contact with other people and observe what is happening around them. Indonesians walk in a tense manner and with more determination, so to speak. They are not interested too much in what the other people at the airport are doing.
Can you tell Americans from Brits? Brits are usually skinnier and have sharper features. They all dress in solid colors usually denim and black and do not look around much or try to have an eye contact with anybody. Americans also dress in subdued colors but are generally fatter. They turn their heads more and make eye contact with others more than the Brits. Can you tell Canadians from Americans without listening to their accents? Can you tell the Irish from the Brits? If you can't, keep trying, soon you will pick up on that certain something that will make you say- "Oh, a Canadian!", "Oh, an Irishman!"
Can you tell a Pakistani from an Indian or a Bangladeshi? Pakistanis are mixed with Iranians- their skin is whiter and they are taller than Indians. If you cross an Indian with a Persian, you get a Pakistani. They also wear these long shirts that go down below their knees. Indians are darker for the most part and they all walk like Gandhi. The look on their faces is strong. Many wear glasses. Most look like traveling businessmen. They are officious in their demeanor whereas Pakistanis look much more humble and less formal. Bangladeshis are very short and have round faces.
Can you pick out Sri Lankans? They are very dark for the most part and short with a certain "Sri Lankan face". I can't even begin to describe it. Sort of Indian but not quite.
Can you tell different Arabs from each other? Actually it is not that hard. Gulf Arabs may be harder to distinguish if by facial features- to an unpracticed eye, at least- but you can tell them by their dress and mannerism. Emiratis wear white headdress and they look very polite in the way they move. Kuwaitis dress the same way but have different expressions on their faces- either they look crazed from a night of wild partying and have that devil- may-care mien of an unruly teenager, or they look arrogant, like they own the Gulf (and the world for that manner). Saudis and Qataris are very hard to tell apart as they both wear red headdresses but Saudis seem to look like they are poorer- they walk like peasants lumbering along in a somewhat insecure manner. Qataris appear to have more class and move with a certain spring in their step that is uniquely Qatari.
Egyptians stand out by their aggressive walk and their oily skin, a special way their hair curls and the Arab/Nubian/ Pharaonic racial characteristics.
Can you tell an Ethiopian from a Sudanese? The Sudanese look like dark Semites but Ethiopians look like Africans but they have thin European features. Many have big teeth.
Anyway, "Ey Jinsiya" is a great game that you can play solo or with a friend. The problem is checking your guesses for correctness. Short of running after these people and asking to see their passport, there is really no way to do it. You may follow them to the departure gates and hope you will get a peek of the passport. But then you can get a punch in the eye.
An example- a Lebanese engineering student who emigrates to Canada, receives Canadian citizenship and dgrees and goes to work in Kuwait as a Canadian engineer. After he makes oodles of money in Kuwait, instead of retiring in Canada or Lebanon, he goes to Indonesia, marries a local beauty, buys a house and stays in Indonesia forever.
There is also a growing group of people who when faced with the simple question of "Where are you from?" or "What is your nationality?" in casual conversation feel confused, put on the spot and don't know what to answer.
Take one friend of mine- He is half French and half Italian but he grew up in Hong Kong. Basically he is almost Chinese in thinking and in manners. He then left for the Philippines and settled there. What will he say to people when he travels to another country?
Such people were not so common in the past when international travel was lengthy and expensive and working overseas involved only one country at the most. Nowadays, however, they are growing in numbers and we will be seeing them more and more often in the future.
***If you have a long layover at Dubai airport and are tired of shopping, reading and do not want to spend your money on expensive lounges, kickback and play a solitary game called "Ey Jinsiya". "Ey Jinsiya" in Arabic means: "What Nationality?" People from all over the world fly through or out of Dubai. Just sit down and try and guess what they are.
Can you tell Filipinos from Indonesians?
Filipinos have a certain European skin color because of the Spanish mixture which the Indonesians do not have- they look "purely native". Filipinos also try and "look American"- many wear jeans and T-shirts that say "USA", or "USA sports." They have big round eyes and are relaxed in the way they walk. They like to make eye contact with other people and observe what is happening around them. Indonesians walk in a tense manner and with more determination, so to speak. They are not interested too much in what the other people at the airport are doing.
Can you tell Americans from Brits? Brits are usually skinnier and have sharper features. They all dress in solid colors usually denim and black and do not look around much or try to have an eye contact with anybody. Americans also dress in subdued colors but are generally fatter. They turn their heads more and make eye contact with others more than the Brits. Can you tell Canadians from Americans without listening to their accents? Can you tell the Irish from the Brits? If you can't, keep trying, soon you will pick up on that certain something that will make you say- "Oh, a Canadian!", "Oh, an Irishman!"
Can you tell a Pakistani from an Indian or a Bangladeshi? Pakistanis are mixed with Iranians- their skin is whiter and they are taller than Indians. If you cross an Indian with a Persian, you get a Pakistani. They also wear these long shirts that go down below their knees. Indians are darker for the most part and they all walk like Gandhi. The look on their faces is strong. Many wear glasses. Most look like traveling businessmen. They are officious in their demeanor whereas Pakistanis look much more humble and less formal. Bangladeshis are very short and have round faces.
Can you pick out Sri Lankans? They are very dark for the most part and short with a certain "Sri Lankan face". I can't even begin to describe it. Sort of Indian but not quite.
Can you tell different Arabs from each other? Actually it is not that hard. Gulf Arabs may be harder to distinguish if by facial features- to an unpracticed eye, at least- but you can tell them by their dress and mannerism. Emiratis wear white headdress and they look very polite in the way they move. Kuwaitis dress the same way but have different expressions on their faces- either they look crazed from a night of wild partying and have that devil- may-care mien of an unruly teenager, or they look arrogant, like they own the Gulf (and the world for that manner). Saudis and Qataris are very hard to tell apart as they both wear red headdresses but Saudis seem to look like they are poorer- they walk like peasants lumbering along in a somewhat insecure manner. Qataris appear to have more class and move with a certain spring in their step that is uniquely Qatari.
Egyptians stand out by their aggressive walk and their oily skin, a special way their hair curls and the Arab/Nubian/ Pharaonic racial characteristics.
Can you tell an Ethiopian from a Sudanese? The Sudanese look like dark Semites but Ethiopians look like Africans but they have thin European features. Many have big teeth.
Anyway, "Ey Jinsiya" is a great game that you can play solo or with a friend. The problem is checking your guesses for correctness. Short of running after these people and asking to see their passport, there is really no way to do it. You may follow them to the departure gates and hope you will get a peek of the passport. But then you can get a punch in the eye.
Distance Decay and Ethno-Cultural Differentiation
The farther away a group of people is from you geographically or culturally, the more they fuse into a blurred whole, sometimes even becoming a completely new category.
To illustrate: A Brit can tell different accents of English in his homeland. However, he often cannot tell different American accents. To him they all sound just "American". Same with Americans- they oftentimes cannot distinguish different accents of the UK- they all just sound British, but they can easily tell a New Yorker from a Bostonian.
To a non-traveling Westerner, all East Asians will look the same while he could probably distinguish a Scandinavian fron a Southern Italian or a Greek. In East Asia, people will easily distinguish a Korean from a Chinese or a Japanese, but to them, a Greek and a Scandinavian will look roughly the same. They will all be just "Westerners".
The same with the average Westerner's view of Africans, Arabs or South Asians- people from E. Africa and W. Africa, Jordan and Egypt and Indian, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will look roughly the same.
However, they themselves immediately know who is who but they cannot tell Westerners apart.
Interesting, isn't it?
***
To illustrate: A Brit can tell different accents of English in his homeland. However, he often cannot tell different American accents. To him they all sound just "American". Same with Americans- they oftentimes cannot distinguish different accents of the UK- they all just sound British, but they can easily tell a New Yorker from a Bostonian.
To a non-traveling Westerner, all East Asians will look the same while he could probably distinguish a Scandinavian fron a Southern Italian or a Greek. In East Asia, people will easily distinguish a Korean from a Chinese or a Japanese, but to them, a Greek and a Scandinavian will look roughly the same. They will all be just "Westerners".
The same with the average Westerner's view of Africans, Arabs or South Asians- people from E. Africa and W. Africa, Jordan and Egypt and Indian, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will look roughly the same.
However, they themselves immediately know who is who but they cannot tell Westerners apart.
Interesting, isn't it?
***
Racism
While you were growing up, you must have watched many movies about racism in the US. If you have not been out of the US, you may think that America and, maybe, South Africa before the end of apartheid, are the most racist countries in the world. One has to be a bit careful in making such conclusions. For one, if you have not been to every country in the world nor have done extensive sociological research involving statistics on incidents of xenophobia and general societal attitudes, you simply cannot think of America being the most racist.
America undoubtedly has a big problem with racial discrimination. However, the new politically correct generation has reduced overt racism and made life for minorities much better than before. People are taught that it is impolite to use racial slur as well as that you can get sued or lose your job if you do so publicly. They are taught by the new educational system that it is bad to be racist. If you call someone a racist or a bigot, it is an accusation.
Nevertheless, racism is still strong in America and inter-racial mixing is not as natural as it could be. Many people live in ethnic neighborhoods and many prefer dating people of their won ethnic groups. Dating across ethnic/racial boundaries is still somewhat of a big deal as people are still very racially aware.
In many other societies, particularly non-Western ones, racism can be much worse and local governments themselves may do very little to stop it. There will be no way for a person who is different racially to obtain legal help or even sympathy if he runs into rejection or persecution for wanting to date someone who is of a different ethnic stock.
One of the most racially exclusive societies can be Japan and Korea. While we are well aware of the White on Asian racism in the West, in the East, Asian on White racism, or Asian on Black or even Asian on Asian racism can be just as bad if not worse. Examples of this can be signs in Japan and Korea on bars and real estate agencies stating " No Foreigners" or " No Americans". There have been cases in some Asian countries most notably Vietnam and Korea of mixed couples spat upon and stones thrown at.
There are also societies, which are much less racist than the US. Such countries would be the Philippines or Brazil, Panama, Venezuela and many other Spanish colonies.
There, racism, even though not completely absent, is less of a problem and social mixing is much easier. People are not as aware of their racial "tags". Few are constantly reminded of their race.
If you decide to date interracially, the best thing to do would be to find out where it would be less of a deal and go to such places. A white man who likes black women should go to Brazil and a white man who likes Asian women and who wants to be able to date them more or less freely, should head for the Philippines.
If you wish to try other, less tolerant places, then you have to prepare yourself for the racial attitudes in the society where you are going. If you are thick-skinned enough not to care about what other people say and how they look at you and your girlfriend/wife, then you are ahead of the game. If not, go to places where populations have a greater history of tolerance and greater degree of interracial mixing.
If you are going to a place where people are of the same race as you, such as a white American heading for the Czech republic, then, you will, of course, have very little to worry about.
***
We only seem to be as free
As our bank accounts let us be,
And the degrees of freedom fluctuate
With ups and downs of your savings rate.
A lot of money gives you elbow space
To better move within the ol' rat race,
And even out of it you thus can move,
While other live and perish in its groove.
The money is a fifth dimension
To help you move within the other four.
May you be bless't to have a big, fat pension
To give you freedom now, and evermore.
***As an American you have probably learned while growing up that an American can be of any race. There are Black Americans, White Americans, Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, etc. Anybody can be an American. a nation of nations, melting pot, etc.
This is not how most countries around the world see " Americans". Outside of maybe, England or Canada, etc., where people are in touch with the US culture daily, most people think and believe fully that the word " American" denotes a "race".
An "American" is a blond, blue-eyed , very light skinned, tall human being with a name such as John Smith or Steve Johnson. Everybody else is not an American. Or at least not a "true" American.
When various non-Anglo Saxon Americans visit various countries, they are asked :" What is your nationality?" "I am an American". "But you do not look like an American". "What is an American supposed to look like?"
"Tall, blond, Anglo- Saxon." John Smith.
Isn't it ridiculous?
Mexican Americans wanting to teach in Japan or Korea get turned down for jobs- "these are not Americans". Many people think that Blacks are not Americans but, conversely children of Irish Americans are. Close enough to the English. This is ridiculous to you but billions of people around the world still uphold this view.
The reason is the movies. And the fact that the president is almost always a WASP. And you know what else? Foreign investors in US movies are also the reason. When Taiwanese or Japanese invest in a film in the US they often want "American" actors to play main roles. That is why Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt are chosen for such roles.
There are such words that one hears abroad as a "pure American" or he is " half- Black and half-American", as if "Black" were not American.
For most people in the world an American is just an Englishman who was born and raised in the US.
Live long and you'll see a lot.
For an expat citizen of the world, life in 200 + countries of the world can be likened to watching TV with 200 channels. Each channel has an independent program that is running according to its own rhythm, has news and movies and music and commentaries. If you get bored with one, you can always change channels. If one channel is too violent for you or too annoying, or does not suit your mood, there is always a channel where you would feel more in tune with.
Here is my blank verse about them:
Two Hundred Channel Islands.
Two hundred countries of the Earth,
Like twenty tens of channels
Of some heavenly TV station.
Each channel unrolling its own program,
Its revolutions, heroes;
Staring proudly
From the screen, eyes looking dignifiedly
On his or her people.
And on me, the stranger, with
Half-suspicion, half-welcome.
Sometimes erring, sometimes smiling
All wanting to be great.
Two hundred islands
Caught in their triumphs and tragedies,
Doldrums, recessions,
Complexes and inconsistencies,
Now puffing up their chests,
Now cringing in obsequouisness
Before a bigger channel.
Change your channel and you are
In a whole different world,
Developing of its own
Centering upon itself,
Thinking itself the very core of
The Universe
From which other countries
Spring out as additions to it.
Such is the way people view themselves
In their tribal self-centeredness.
***
America undoubtedly has a big problem with racial discrimination. However, the new politically correct generation has reduced overt racism and made life for minorities much better than before. People are taught that it is impolite to use racial slur as well as that you can get sued or lose your job if you do so publicly. They are taught by the new educational system that it is bad to be racist. If you call someone a racist or a bigot, it is an accusation.
Nevertheless, racism is still strong in America and inter-racial mixing is not as natural as it could be. Many people live in ethnic neighborhoods and many prefer dating people of their won ethnic groups. Dating across ethnic/racial boundaries is still somewhat of a big deal as people are still very racially aware.
In many other societies, particularly non-Western ones, racism can be much worse and local governments themselves may do very little to stop it. There will be no way for a person who is different racially to obtain legal help or even sympathy if he runs into rejection or persecution for wanting to date someone who is of a different ethnic stock.
One of the most racially exclusive societies can be Japan and Korea. While we are well aware of the White on Asian racism in the West, in the East, Asian on White racism, or Asian on Black or even Asian on Asian racism can be just as bad if not worse. Examples of this can be signs in Japan and Korea on bars and real estate agencies stating " No Foreigners" or " No Americans". There have been cases in some Asian countries most notably Vietnam and Korea of mixed couples spat upon and stones thrown at.
There are also societies, which are much less racist than the US. Such countries would be the Philippines or Brazil, Panama, Venezuela and many other Spanish colonies.
There, racism, even though not completely absent, is less of a problem and social mixing is much easier. People are not as aware of their racial "tags". Few are constantly reminded of their race.
If you decide to date interracially, the best thing to do would be to find out where it would be less of a deal and go to such places. A white man who likes black women should go to Brazil and a white man who likes Asian women and who wants to be able to date them more or less freely, should head for the Philippines.
If you wish to try other, less tolerant places, then you have to prepare yourself for the racial attitudes in the society where you are going. If you are thick-skinned enough not to care about what other people say and how they look at you and your girlfriend/wife, then you are ahead of the game. If not, go to places where populations have a greater history of tolerance and greater degree of interracial mixing.
If you are going to a place where people are of the same race as you, such as a white American heading for the Czech republic, then, you will, of course, have very little to worry about.
***
We only seem to be as free
As our bank accounts let us be,
And the degrees of freedom fluctuate
With ups and downs of your savings rate.
A lot of money gives you elbow space
To better move within the ol' rat race,
And even out of it you thus can move,
While other live and perish in its groove.
The money is a fifth dimension
To help you move within the other four.
May you be bless't to have a big, fat pension
To give you freedom now, and evermore.
***As an American you have probably learned while growing up that an American can be of any race. There are Black Americans, White Americans, Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, etc. Anybody can be an American. a nation of nations, melting pot, etc.
This is not how most countries around the world see " Americans". Outside of maybe, England or Canada, etc., where people are in touch with the US culture daily, most people think and believe fully that the word " American" denotes a "race".
An "American" is a blond, blue-eyed , very light skinned, tall human being with a name such as John Smith or Steve Johnson. Everybody else is not an American. Or at least not a "true" American.
When various non-Anglo Saxon Americans visit various countries, they are asked :" What is your nationality?" "I am an American". "But you do not look like an American". "What is an American supposed to look like?"
"Tall, blond, Anglo- Saxon." John Smith.
Isn't it ridiculous?
Mexican Americans wanting to teach in Japan or Korea get turned down for jobs- "these are not Americans". Many people think that Blacks are not Americans but, conversely children of Irish Americans are. Close enough to the English. This is ridiculous to you but billions of people around the world still uphold this view.
The reason is the movies. And the fact that the president is almost always a WASP. And you know what else? Foreign investors in US movies are also the reason. When Taiwanese or Japanese invest in a film in the US they often want "American" actors to play main roles. That is why Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt are chosen for such roles.
There are such words that one hears abroad as a "pure American" or he is " half- Black and half-American", as if "Black" were not American.
For most people in the world an American is just an Englishman who was born and raised in the US.
Live long and you'll see a lot.
For an expat citizen of the world, life in 200 + countries of the world can be likened to watching TV with 200 channels. Each channel has an independent program that is running according to its own rhythm, has news and movies and music and commentaries. If you get bored with one, you can always change channels. If one channel is too violent for you or too annoying, or does not suit your mood, there is always a channel where you would feel more in tune with.
Here is my blank verse about them:
Two Hundred Channel Islands.
Two hundred countries of the Earth,
Like twenty tens of channels
Of some heavenly TV station.
Each channel unrolling its own program,
Its revolutions, heroes;
Staring proudly
From the screen, eyes looking dignifiedly
On his or her people.
And on me, the stranger, with
Half-suspicion, half-welcome.
Sometimes erring, sometimes smiling
All wanting to be great.
Two hundred islands
Caught in their triumphs and tragedies,
Doldrums, recessions,
Complexes and inconsistencies,
Now puffing up their chests,
Now cringing in obsequouisness
Before a bigger channel.
Change your channel and you are
In a whole different world,
Developing of its own
Centering upon itself,
Thinking itself the very core of
The Universe
From which other countries
Spring out as additions to it.
Such is the way people view themselves
In their tribal self-centeredness.
***
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