NW-Bound
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2008
- Messages
- 35,712
Oh boy, China. Or any former country in the Soviet block. Or in the Middle East. Or in Bangladesh, etc...
I have not visited China, not even Hong Kong, but cannot imagine a place where people had to march to Mao Zedong's drumbeat would have much cultural similarity to people in the free world.
A phrase that is often heard is that "people are the same everywhere". It's true and it's not. When you first talk to people, you see that they appear the same, having the same aspirations, desires for a better life, a sense of wanting fairness, honesty, etc... But stay for a while, and you will see the deeper cultural differences. Some differences are just a matter of style, but some can be quite significant.
For example, here in the US, bribery is more than frowned upon. It is regarded as highly illegal, and unethical. It is not a simple infraction like speeding or jaywalking. In many countries, that's just smart, and expedient to "get things done".
I have not visited China, not even Hong Kong, but cannot imagine a place where people had to march to Mao Zedong's drumbeat would have much cultural similarity to people in the free world.
A phrase that is often heard is that "people are the same everywhere". It's true and it's not. When you first talk to people, you see that they appear the same, having the same aspirations, desires for a better life, a sense of wanting fairness, honesty, etc... But stay for a while, and you will see the deeper cultural differences. Some differences are just a matter of style, but some can be quite significant.
For example, here in the US, bribery is more than frowned upon. It is regarded as highly illegal, and unethical. It is not a simple infraction like speeding or jaywalking. In many countries, that's just smart, and expedient to "get things done".
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