Intercultural Communication
Few lessons learnt over the last few weeks...
1. Irish people can drink.
2. Do not refer to the Arabian Sea as, hmmm well, the Arabian Sea. That is, if you are talking to an Iranian person. During a presentation by a Pakistani classmate, an Iranian friend walked out of class, since the map seemed to call the alleged Persian sea the Arabian Sea. Shakespeare turned in his grave, and my mind turned in a direction it often turns to, as to why we are the most tolerant (that’s not the word, neither is dispassionate) people in the world. The map in question, after all, also showed the Pakistan occupied Kashmir as being a comfortably integrated part of Pakistan and the Indian side as the disputed region. Possessing an incontrollable sense of neutrality, I insisted in my mind, that it would be fair to call both sides of Kashmir as disputed. But then, Shakespeare (whom I have never read) spoke with equal measure of banality and authority.
3. There are real Chinese people who think that the Tienanmen Square was a figment of the Western media’s imagination. (Could it well be? Are there pictures of the lone man getting actually crushed by the tanks? I am not saying anything, just let me know what happened after he stood there, in case you know)
4. No, I mean Irish people can really drink.
5. No such thing as the Bulgarian Mafia. Period. (Although I do know the daughter of the big boss, if there is one…)
6. Germans, well I don’t know many yet.
1. Irish people can drink.
2. Do not refer to the Arabian Sea as, hmmm well, the Arabian Sea. That is, if you are talking to an Iranian person. During a presentation by a Pakistani classmate, an Iranian friend walked out of class, since the map seemed to call the alleged Persian sea the Arabian Sea. Shakespeare turned in his grave, and my mind turned in a direction it often turns to, as to why we are the most tolerant (that’s not the word, neither is dispassionate) people in the world. The map in question, after all, also showed the Pakistan occupied Kashmir as being a comfortably integrated part of Pakistan and the Indian side as the disputed region. Possessing an incontrollable sense of neutrality, I insisted in my mind, that it would be fair to call both sides of Kashmir as disputed. But then, Shakespeare (whom I have never read) spoke with equal measure of banality and authority.
3. There are real Chinese people who think that the Tienanmen Square was a figment of the Western media’s imagination. (Could it well be? Are there pictures of the lone man getting actually crushed by the tanks? I am not saying anything, just let me know what happened after he stood there, in case you know)
4. No, I mean Irish people can really drink.
5. No such thing as the Bulgarian Mafia. Period. (Although I do know the daughter of the big boss, if there is one…)
6. Germans, well I don’t know many yet.
posted by Winterborne at 3:34 AM
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