Posted September 17, 2019
Have you ever had a preconceived notion of a culture but when you visited the culture, it was completely different than what you had learned about it or assumed?
I'd love to hear about your experiences.
I got the idea from an article I read a while ago written by a European complaining about America (I'm American) and without noticing the contradiction, said at one point that fat Americans have massive soda drinks (like Coca-Cola) and then she later complains that she bought a drink and it was so full of ice there was hardly any beverage in it at all.
We just like them cold is all. Same stomach sizes, roughly. (Though there are crazy exceptions) All of my friends I've had from other countries were surprised by how polite Americans are, how not violent and racist everyone is, and how they can make friends relatively easy (I recall one roommate from Lebanon suspecting he couldn't make friends because people would view him as an enemy).
From my own experiences, I visited a very primitive Mayan culture twice. The first time I was shocked to see the conditions people lived in, but even more shocked that they existed at all. As a child, I was taught that the Mayan people were long gone. They're not. Still there. Still speak Mayan. We brought a Spanish translator with our team (we were building houses and providing healthcare villages near Chichen Itza under the work of one of the bigger villages' hospital) and had to hire another translator for Mayan to Spanish translation because almost nobody spoke Spanish.
The second time I went, I learned that many people were there by choice. Almost like the Amish in America. Though not quite. Some weren't educated enough to get out, but those that were often just loved their community and chose to stay. The man I was speaking to said he left, took up some jobs and got an apartment. He said it was worth it for Wi-Fi.
My last story is all in America. I was raised with the understanding that Southerners were racist, stupid, and mostly useless. Then I moved to the South and learned what most people learn when they hold prejudices. People are people. There were some dumb racists, but I'd venture to say there were more where I came from and not where I was going. I met plenty of intelligent, kind people in the South. I found I liked their company more than the North and stayed down here.
So what about you? Have you visited another culture or country and been surprised by what you learned?
I'd love to hear about your experiences.
I got the idea from an article I read a while ago written by a European complaining about America (I'm American) and without noticing the contradiction, said at one point that fat Americans have massive soda drinks (like Coca-Cola) and then she later complains that she bought a drink and it was so full of ice there was hardly any beverage in it at all.
We just like them cold is all. Same stomach sizes, roughly. (Though there are crazy exceptions) All of my friends I've had from other countries were surprised by how polite Americans are, how not violent and racist everyone is, and how they can make friends relatively easy (I recall one roommate from Lebanon suspecting he couldn't make friends because people would view him as an enemy).
From my own experiences, I visited a very primitive Mayan culture twice. The first time I was shocked to see the conditions people lived in, but even more shocked that they existed at all. As a child, I was taught that the Mayan people were long gone. They're not. Still there. Still speak Mayan. We brought a Spanish translator with our team (we were building houses and providing healthcare villages near Chichen Itza under the work of one of the bigger villages' hospital) and had to hire another translator for Mayan to Spanish translation because almost nobody spoke Spanish.
The second time I went, I learned that many people were there by choice. Almost like the Amish in America. Though not quite. Some weren't educated enough to get out, but those that were often just loved their community and chose to stay. The man I was speaking to said he left, took up some jobs and got an apartment. He said it was worth it for Wi-Fi.
My last story is all in America. I was raised with the understanding that Southerners were racist, stupid, and mostly useless. Then I moved to the South and learned what most people learn when they hold prejudices. People are people. There were some dumb racists, but I'd venture to say there were more where I came from and not where I was going. I met plenty of intelligent, kind people in the South. I found I liked their company more than the North and stayed down here.
So what about you? Have you visited another culture or country and been surprised by what you learned?
