Tell us about an interesting feature from a certain
country, region, people or ethnical group.
You may mention about habits, lifestyle, cuisine, etc...
If possible, mention some personal experience you've had!
Conversation Master Outing at El Paso (Mexican Restaurant)
"Discussing Cultural Diferences"
I heard that in Norwegian the people when they go the a supermarket or a market to buy a fruit, they don´t use to touch the products , beucouse they supose that every fruits that is on the basket have to be in good conditions.
ReplyDeleteEduardo Zatz
Yesterday I heard in the radio that Japanese people buy grape fruit juice - because they don't have enought areas to grow fruits - and then they make wine. It's known that most of the wines are not good, but an expensive one has the same quality of the ones produced around the world. It shows that Japanese people can create interesting solutions for the problems that face.
ReplyDeleteNancy
These days, in the English classes, we discuss about cultural differences in the whole world. We were talking about what does is the lifestyle everywhere. What does an American likes doing, what an italian enjoy eating, why French can´t stand a bath... So, it´s funny having a conversation like that because you forget, for a minute, the same life you´ve always have during your life and learn about others way of life. By the way, being brazilian is motive for be proud because in spite of poverty we unfortunately are able to find in many places, we have to consider many reasons that made us feel happy and satisfied. Here, is quite impossible to live under attack wars and fire shoots at any time as usually happens in Middle East and North África, for instance. Flávia Torres
ReplyDeletewe are going to talk about the spanish people.
ReplyDeleteThe language and the behaviour are very straight and this make us think that they are unpolite, but obviously they arent.
The food are very different because they eat a lot of bread and seafood.
They use to rest a long time after lunch.
In the south of the country they explore the arabic buildings because of their colonization in the last century.
the weather in the summer is very, very hot about 45 degrees.
The means of transportation is very good. They have trains,tube,buses, cars, taxis, bikes.
Its a nice place to visit.
Claudia and Roberta.
The CEARÁ coast has some surprises if you open yours eyes behind a tourist eye! Near Jericoaquara, famous point, there is a little community of fishersmen, where I could find a great man! He is a old fisherman, around 60 years old. Whats makes him a special person is the fact of he is the only man that still builds a specifc kind of boat: the "jangada de raiz de timbaúba"! And he is the only that still uses it, day by day. As he is a fishman, it is possible to taste a delicious fish with banana, a tipical food from that region. People there has a calm lifestile. The beachs are so tropical, with warm water and white sand. It's not difficult to relax and spend a wonderful time in that place!
ReplyDeleteJericoacoara is also an amazing place to spend a week. It's difficult to get there, but it's pretty rewarding: "Pedra Furada" ("Holy Rock"), "Duna do Pôr do Sol" ("Sunset Dune"). And there's also beautiful beaches. You can try the buggies and the quadriciclos, you'll see beautiful views.
Edson and Wilson.
We haven't had any kind of experience with those different people around the world,as shown in these picture. Just knowledge from media, for example; soap opera, that talk us about the hard laws linked to indian religion and family habits. That people follow the most ancient person in their family, which shows very strong respect for the oldest member. Speaking about culture it was shown that they come from a long, long time in history.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, the boy that was born is celebrated too much, because of the great value in continuing the family. The women wear very collorfull clothes covering all the body, almost nothing can be seen, mainly by men.
Generaly speaking, about the food, we know that it's very hot, with lots of seasoning like specialties, pepper and garlic.
There is a ritual concerned about the tea, offered to the family and guests, but its very honorable to the woman that serves it.
We want to go there someday, as soon as possible.
Gustav and Mary Hellen.
To be continued...
ReplyDeleteAs I was saying, talking about arabic´s, we didn´t came to have a conversation about them. To be honest, I don´t intend to know their lifes because I don´t look up to them. What I would like to know is Italy. Actually, is an old dream. I can imagine how romantic is travelling there and find, after a few couple days, a handsome and tall italian prince. HAHA. Just joke! To tell you the truth, it´s import for people keep travelling when they have a chance to do it. The world is too beautiful and big for not being admire. But, in fact, I think we should understand and sympathise with all kinds of habits and costumes to, unless they´re cannibals or something very odd. I mean, I´m talking about general relations like friendship and intercourses: it is universal!!! Everybody has the abitily to be aware how to do it anywhere they go... Don´t you agree with me? You don´t even have to try to explain... Flávia Torres.
And...
ReplyDeletethat´s it. On the other hand, psycologists says that when you are in a trip, you need to take care about whom you get involved with because people be different, less worried and stress than normal. So, sometimes, people show to be a kind of person that they´re not in the real life. So, be careful... buuuu.... WE NEVER KNOW ANYONE!!! Flávia Torres.
The cultural diversity is a important point to be considerate in the global context. Unfortunately, in the globalization process, nowadays we only consider some cultural aspects, like as from christian, man, ocidental and monosexist model. That is important we consider that in all societies we have diverstiy. The cultural difference does not imply superiority ou inferiority. So, in this way we must understand the cultural difference. For instance, while catholics go to church to pray according to their rituals, other religiors have other rituals as go to river or the other sagrad places. In some countries fruits are deserves in others the are meals. We have different ways to greet somebody, this is possible hand by hand, hand shake, cheek kiss, kiss mouth, hug, hold, bow etc. Languange is other example. We have words that have different meanings same in the same country and we have different words for the same thing. Maybe we could say that all these differences was constructed by human conventional and these was stablished during many years. I believe that men and women can adapted in other cultural context. This is a question to open our mind and accept the possibilities to adopt other habitits and other conventionals. For this is important to considerate the meanging of the different cultural.
ReplyDeleteWildson
Brasil has a enormous cultural difference and it was not necessary to go abroad to see european, italian or african influences in it music, food, religion, etc. The regions show clearly these differences. Northeast and South Regions have the highlighted communication styles, caracteristic cuisine and religious beliefs.
ReplyDeleteBahia, for exemple has a hard African influence in it religious syncretism and in it music that you can fell the soul of the city.
The South has an European athmosphere in it architecture, the people physionomy and the way they speak.
This diversity and the beautiful landscapes make Brasil an interesting place to visit!
Regina
Some friends of mine have told that sellers in Egypt, by the pyramids and other monuments, feel rather disapointed when the buyer they offer their products to don't bargain. The ability of selling is appreciated amongst them and bargaining considered — I'd dare say so — almost like a form of art.
ReplyDeleteIn the Phillipines they are not used to eating raw vegetables like we are. Even vegetarians usually have their food cooked somehow.
Leine
I would like to say something about England, and in England London especifically. When i was about to going to London people here use to tell me that british people are very formal, they don't talk much, they don't use to hug anybody, they don't show their emotions, they are very polite etc... So, i went there and in the begining i was a little afraid of start a conversation with somebody. But as the time goes by i could see that things are not exactly that way , and i saw that british people can be very friendly, can express their emotions especially when they are drinking a beer! I had the oportunity of make friends there. I became really surprised when a ladie aproach to me and asked me where i was from and afterwards we ended up having a long and pleasand conversation. We became friends and we are keeping in touch to each other through e-mail, and i hope someday she is able to visit me here in Brazil. I could see that they love football and they respect and love our football team very much.
ReplyDeleteRosane
Talking about cultural differences, the first think that comes to my mind is the way we face our dutties. Usually we are much more relaxed in terms of following the rules comparing with other cultures.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm not talkink about the laws, but it's about routine habits, facts that we have to deal daily, like punctuality and organization.
Sometimes this strict bevahior can be annoying for us, and it's hard to accept some foreign habits when we are abroad. Maybe because we have inside of us a very brazilian feature called "jeitinho", what is nothing more than a alternative way to disobbey the rules and keep thinking that we are right.
Giving examples of what I said above, I'd like to describe a funny fact that happened to me in Germany.
I was just sightseeing Berlin, in a tourism trip, when I decided to go to a famous palace, in a not so far suburb. I was waiting a bus in a bus stop when I suddenly saw the one I had get. But before this bus reach the station that I was waiting, the driver stopped at a station just a few meters before mine. Immediately I ran to the bus, passed through the entrance door and got a good place to seat. But, instead of the bus restart the journey, the driver started to scream to me, and for my despair, in German, a language that I can't understand anything. After a frustrated attempt of communication, the driver showed all your knowledge in English, yelling the expression "GET OUT". After this impolite act, I had to exit and asked to myself what I did so wrong to be treated in that way, having in mind that I was in the right bus. Just after the bus start to move, it stopped again, in the bus stop that I was before. In that moment I reentered and got the same seat that I was before, and realized that my mistake was enter in the bus in a station that people are allowed just to leave the bus, even this station is just 20 meters before the right one.
In the beginning I've became very upset, complaining a lot about this event, but after a while I understood that is just a cultural matter, and for them is more important to follow all the rules, even the not so important ones. This is the way that they have to keep a healthy relationship beetwen all the member of society.
Luciano.
A friend of mine said that in France the people are very rude, they don't like to speak in english neither have patience with tourists.
ReplyDeleteIn Brazil is very different we have patience to hear and if we don't understand we draw or make some gestures for try to help the tourist.
I think France and others coutries that don't threat well the tourists will change, because with the mundial crisis they need money and the most easy way to earn money is tourism, so the tendency is investiment in hotels, in people who works in hotels and convince the polulation in general that they need threat well the tourist for win money.
Rosângela