My Experience With Foreign Culture (w/ reference to Three Cups of Tea)
Posted by: Imran in Interesting, School Stuff“Culture clash is terrific drama.” Ken Follett is a renowned British author; many of his books have ideas of culture clash present. But the clashes of cultures bring more than just drama; they allow us to compare different lifestyles and open our minds to growth. This clash does not have to be strictly between two totally different cultures. There can just as easily be a clash between the generations; sometimes referred to as “Old School vs. New School”. The schools mentioned here are referring to the evolutions in thought processes and lifestyles of one generation to the next. Though people still migrate to different lands, they seem more open to accepting and understanding and adopting the culture of where they are; as well as bringing their own knowledge, beliefs, and values. But the bigger concern in culture clash at this point in time seems to be more of the generational collide: between mother and daughter, grandfather and grandson, etc.
To provide a personal experience with foreign culture, there is no need to think of a time where I was in an unfamiliar land; the land beyond the front gates of The Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring can, at times, be just as foreign. In the grand halls of the mosque the speakers vibrate with the words of God, yet ten feet away the joyous voices of children laughing and playing warm the heart. But what happens when the prayer is over? All the old ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’ run out and begin to yell, scream in rough, arrogant, unloving voices. The sounds that were of once joy and delight, are now transformed into cries of pain and distress. Why? With such bliss are the words of God recited; but does God not enjoy the laughter of the children that He so dearly created? Then why do those same lovers of God deafen the giggles of the children?
The youth of those ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’ were in many ways different than those of our own. They were taught that the mosque is a place for worship and nothing more; they were forced to spend hours there just reading and praying, nothing else was allowed. Now they wish to impress those same ideas upon the youth of today; when in fact the mosque is actually supposed to be a place of community and togetherness. The activities are not what make the togetherness, actually being there does. The youth now want to go to the mosque to ‘chill’ with their homies. Whether they are praying, playing football, or just sitting around eating; the point is that the youth are at the mosque. The elders of the community seem to miss that fact and only scrutinize them. Though all the people, the elders and the youth, may be from the same country/region, with similar cultural identities, the ways that their minds have adapted to the forever evolving culture is quite different.
Of course, “proper” mosque behavior is not the only difference in the Old School vs. New School battle. Even small things whose roots are one-hundred percent cultural are thought of in totally different manners by the youth of the 1950s and the youth of today. Back in India where my grandfather grew up, body language was a HUGE deal. Placement of hands, feet, the arc in their backs, etc. all had certain implications. Now a days I can speak to my teacher with my hands in my pocket, no problem, but 60 years ago in India my grandfather could not talk to his own father with his hands in his pocket. I realize that 60 years ago in India is going to be very different than now in America; but the point is that those who did grow up 60 years ago in India and have migrated to America, still believe that those little things have the same meaning today, in a totally different world as they did 60 years ago in a third world country.
Even though many of the Old School beliefs may be outdated by today’s standards, there is much that can be learned from it. After all, it is the basis for our own culture. Every new culture is a step on the previous one; culture is a forever adapting creature that continues to change and develop until new generations stop coming. One of the most amazing things about this ongoing adaption process is that there is no set time interval for it to follow; looking back after graduating high school, members of my graduating class looked with disgust at the behavior of some of the younger classes; we wondered how they could ever think that their actions are acceptable? Cultural adapts to our lifestyle, yet our lifestyle stems from the culture we live in; it is a never ending cycle of adaption.
Many times, cultural change can be so drastic that at times, it is hard to know what is appropriate. This is where many people make mistakes that may offend someone of a different culture or an older generation. When I was about 11 years old, I visited the country where my parents were born, Pakistan. Their daily life was very much different than what I was used to living here in the United States. When we would go and visit the houses of our relatives, they always offered us snacks, if not an entire meal. What I was unaware of was the fact that no matter how much I had already eaten that day, never was I to refuse their kindness. If someone comes to visit their house and leaves without eating, they seem to take it as a personal insult. I was so used to just saying “Nah, I’m not hungry. But thanks.” In Pakistan, that is not how it works. Another example is that of shopping. In most other countries around the world, the consumer bargains with the seller when buying a product. Usually the seller starts out with a high price and slowly, it is negotiated down to a much more reasonable price. This I learned the hard way; I got ripped off time and time again, before I finally noticed what other shoppers were doing. Subtle lifestyle changes amount for a lot when we are out of our own comfort zones.
With the above given examples, it would be a fair statement to say that the cultural challenges that Mortenson faces are quite different. Unlike me, Mortenson was going diving into a culture he had virtually no knowledge about; his own culture differed in great detail. In my case it was simple mistakes that I did not realize I was making. In Afghanistan and Pakistan, Mortenson dealt with several challenges that he did not expect. When he first began his mission of building schools for the young children, he went in with the mindset of how helpful he was going to be and what a great thing it would be for the village. I am in no way saying that his thoughts were selfish, but let’s face it, when we do good things for other people it does make us feel better. And usually, not always, the person who is financing the project and is in charge believes that the way they are doing it is the correct way to do it; but what Mortenson did not realize was that as great of an effort as this undertaking was, the village had its own ideas of how they wanted it done. This was one of the difficulties Mortenson had to go through; adjusting his plans to suit the needs of those he is attempting to assist. Of all the things he had to deal with while in Southeast Asia, I feel like his biggest battle was during his captivity with the terrorists. Even though being captured by terrorists doesn’t count as a real “foreign culture experience”, but the fact that it was in a foreign land and the terrorists were of a different cultural background, the imprisonment had implications of what values are held in high regard in that culture. Overall, I feel like his entire trip was a huge lesson in diversity; filled with difficulties and challenges, yet in the end resulting in an open mind and an open heart.
I enjoyed reading about the great humanitarian undertaking of this generous man. He came across the village on a hike up Mt. K2; he had lost his way and the villagers had helped him and nursed him back to health. His efforts to educate the children of the village were in turn his show of gratitude to the people of the village. Mortenson is a good man and I am glad that he decided to publish this book; it is a good resource for others that wish to aid in the betterment of mankind. I personally believe that all people, especially those who are physically and financially stable, have a responsibility to do their best to help those who cannot help themselves. Mortenson has supplied the world with a great example of gratitude and generosity; and it deserves to be repeated.
Good luck to Mr. Mortenson on any of his future endevours.
