Text 21937, 98 rader
Skriven 2006-01-10 16:54:04 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
  Kommentar till text 21507 av FRANK SCHEIDT (1:123/140)
Ärende: Re: Editor's censorship
===============================
*** Quoting FRANK SCHEIDT from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

 CS> Mono-cultural.  Most  Americans are mono-cultural and in this, you
 CS> probably are main-stream while i  think perhaps, I am not.
 FS>  
 FS> That's where you're mistaken.  This is a small town but it's a 
 FS> very cosmopolitan community.  People come here to work from all 
 FS> over the world as it's the headquarters of what is *now* the 
 FS> world's largest chemical company.  I worked as a research chemist 

 CS> Frank, they are living in American culture there.  *Totally*
 CS> different.  You  are on 'home turf'.  I do not know how to describe the
 CS> difference but perhaps  one of the folks who travel alot can help
 CS> there.  Read Ward's trip diary for a  smaller sample though the first
 CS> one was more obvious about it all than the most 
 CS> recent one where he steps on a rattler and pees on a bear cub.

FS> As for my being on "home turf", that's true enough.  However 
FS> there are advantages in that as I can be more open in my dealings 
FS> with foreigners than can someone who is on *foreign* "turf".  

???  I have no reason to hide at all with my local neighbors, nor have i ever
in a foriegn port.  There is no shift in 'openess' at all.

You have to actually live IN a foreign land to the one you came from, to gain
the perspective.  The USA is so huge, few ever really feel or experience that
which makes them largely mono-cultural.  Europeans, living in smaller
countries, have a better cross-cultural understanding for the most part.

If a Japanese person in a crowd pushed you aside to get around you, you'd
probably think they were rude.  Thats not the case though.  'Hand chopping in
air up and down' Summimasen (phonetic) 'please excuse'.  In a crowed land,
this is the polite behavior of one who is in a rush and never used unless it's
really needed (like, catching a flight and running late etc).  I can give you
many examples of things you would consider 'rude' that are not, or 'less
efficient' that are accepted here.  Paying bills is the first one that hits
Americans as the system is very very different.  Japanese do not use checks
and they dont accept payments by mail for most things even if you want to mail
cash (which they do not do).  You take the bill mailed to you to the site and
pay in person, in cash.  A few things can be paid at other places (electric at
the post office) but generally you have to go to the site to pay your bills.

On the upside, some things are alot easier.  Kerosine to your doorstep and cash
laid out in an envelope outside to pay for it (safe here to do).  If you lose
something and the item has your name anyplace on it, it will 90% of the time
at least, come back.  You can safely forget your wallet full of cash in a taxi
and it will come back with the cash untouched.  You can leave your door
unlocked and not have to worry about it while you are gone for 3 weeks.

FS> However I'll bet I've met more foreigners who are able to 
FS> communicate more articulately than the average which *you* meet.  

Which is why I have learned more at least in part.

FS>  
FS> I'm sure I've dealt with people with all of those areas -- and 
FS> more ... though I cannot recall anyone specifically from Guam 
FS> or Darwin -- some from Australia though.  I recall it was a 
FS> friend from the Philippenes who taught me the proper way to 
FS> pronounce "Tagalog" which was his native language.  I've known 
FS> that for many years but had been pronouncing it incorrectly.

On my ship are at least 20 Chiefs who come from there.  The PI has 4 main
languages and that is only one of them.  Most interesting though is 'Tugi' who
is American Samoan.  He gets confused sometimes on women's issues and asks me
for advice on a regular manner because I am straight up with him.

 FS> attitude usually reflects the attitude of the participants in any 
 FS> echo.  People here tend to be intolerant.

 CS> People here react fast to intolerance.  There's a difference there.

FS> I hadn't noted ... their rapid intolerance comes through clearly, 
FS> of course, but I've not seen them *react* to intolerance.

Umm, you are missing what is going on then.  You have a cultural clash and
appear intolerant of any culture not your own.  The others here are reacting
to that which is why you get flamers (mostly).  Frank, there is nothing
horrible in being mono-cultural as it would be natural with your background,
but trying to tell others what their culture feels about something just doesnt
work.

 FS> I'm *far* more flexible than you seem to think ...

 CS> Perhaps.  I think there is hope for you.

FS> I'll not take that as a subtle insult ... heh heh heh ...

Smile, you can learn unlike some of the others here.  You have only the level
of experience your life has provided you.  Ward who has spent significant
portions of his life in other lands, has more experience in cross-cultural
issues.  I obviously have the most with Asia, and among the USA folks posting
here, Shannon is possibly the one with the Europe experience though I gather
he was living mostly on a ship at the time?
                                       xxcarol

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