What aspects of your culture do you NOT like and like?

[Hotteok]

Let me start (please take it with a grain of salt, I'm writing this with a smile) 

 

(1) I hate that

I have to use a different type of Korean to people older than me and to ones who I've never met before. (Korean honorifics.. similar to those in Japanese language)

I have to think about who's paying this time after each time we eat together at a restaurant.. There's this 'let me pay for you guys this time' culture.. (the problem is that only certain people end up paying more often.. This culture is getting weaker especially in Seoul and among young people.

Human network in Korea tends to be a bit.... how can I say, in-tending(?) whereas I remember in Australia I was invited to lots of parties and there I could meet people from other congs, so it was more ex-tending. 

It's very rare in Korea something like that, it's more like a slow building up and extension of human network (is there a better word for this) you are close to... feels more like a fraternity. 

People are too pragmatic. I think this might be an Asian thing. People are too realistic. They don't have more crazy, abstract, creative imaginations than they are created (by Jehovah) to or supposed to. (Could be my bias) 

People-including JWs- spend too much stupid money for weddings. It has to be luxurious, memorable and grandiose. 

Males have to OWN houses(real estate) to be able to qualify as husbands. Girls bring home appliances and maybe a new car. (this made sense in the past when a house was cheap)

Young girls don't want to grow up together economically with husbands from zero base, living in humble houses. (Maybe also like this in western countries) 

Brothers with not much money have to be at least super brave and bold when they ask a girl out. Many brothers older than me I've seen give up on marrying in this system at all. (of course, I'm not saying all brothers who marry are rich. But it's harder) 

Maybe only in my city (Busan) but JWs date secretly. And one day, tada, they show up together and slap your faces with their wedding invitations asking for money. (starting from approx. 45 dollars. Give them less than that, they'll not remember you that long.)  They (almost) never have weddings in kingdom halls because they invite almost every one, every associate they've ever known into this huge hall and make it big. (MUCH less extravagant than non-JW weddings, but still~)

I've seen that western JWs come to meetings together if they are officially seeing each other. It's very open. 

 

 

(2) I like that

people are not very aggressive. Yes, Satan's evil spirit is still in operation (especially among young people, I think) and they still can be fierce but according to the low crime rate and the statistics, at least they're not acting out their thoughts (Maybe during GT they will) But at least my opinion is that Koreans are less 'ferocious', comparatively. (one time a brother said that Demons living in Korea are a bit more docile. made me laugh and makes me wonder why he said that but anyway.- there's no docile demon) 

Older people are more respected. (This is a two-edged sword. Old people tend to ACT old because of how they are expected to behave according to their current age status, so to speak, as if they are getting really old mentally. When I talk to westerners, I feel they are just biologically old young people, maybe this is my prejudice) 

Don't have to make lots of eye contact or gestures. Korean language is way too subtle so a slight change of intonation or tone is enough to tell you 'I like you and I'm not offending you.'

It's almost homogeneous ethnically so it's a very high-context society. You don't have to say a lot to explain how you feel. 

Someone almost always buys me a meal if I eat together with a big group, at least where I live. ( I know that I said I hate it, but you know what I mean) 

People are a lot more like family members (even in congregations) and a lot less individualistic than how I've seen it with other people from other nations. I can feel a bit more attached to one another. Also a two-edged sword, they can be a bit meddling and gossiping. 

 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2022 by VisualizeUrParadise

[jps]

living in sweden,

im not surprised by the fact that sweden is placed top leftmost on this map;

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglehart–Welzel_cultural_map_of_the_world

[BlaqueCalalilly]

Interesting...I've always been interested in the different Asian cultures...  

 

As far your question is ...Are you referring to my racial culture (African-American) or The country's culture (American) ?... there are MAJOR differences in each  and big issues with each...LOL 

Edited April 7, 2022 by BlaqueCalalilly
I didn't finish my thought

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

On my map Sweden was in the top right corner.
Have you ever been to Qatar? How did it feel?

Old (Downunder) Tone

[jps]

7 minutes ago, ➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone said:

On my map Sweden was in the top right corner.
Have you ever been to Qatar? How did it feel?

Old (Downunder) Tone


 

my bad

right is right😀

 

havent been to qatar,

a friend said the mauls was nice and western-alike

2 hours ago, jps said:

living in sweden,

im not surprised by the fact that sweden is placed top leftmost on this map;

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglehart–Welzel_cultural_map_of_the_world

rightmost, sorry..

[➕👇 ꓤꓱꓷꓠꓵ🎵Tone]

Australia is not far from Sweden in this map.
I was trying to guess what the 'opposite' of Australia would be on the map. I'm looking at Moldavia to the far left.
Interesting, I have not been to any (or had the inclination to visit any) in the 'Red Zone' [Orthodox Europe].
I wonder if my disinterest is cultural?
Maybe I should broaden my horizons? (But not right now.)

Who would have thought, the 2 countries I have lived in ( 🪃 + ) are so close on this map!
I'm well inside my comfort zone!

Old (Downunder) Tone

[coony77]

Timothy, would you like my comment on German or Greek culture? 😄

(I´m a Greek in Germany)

[Hotteok]

On 4/8/2022 at 12:24 AM, BlaqueCalalilly said:

Interesting...I've always been interested in the different Asian cultures...  

 

As far your question is ...Are you referring to my racial culture (African-American) or The country's culture (American) ?... there are MAJOR differences in each  and big issues with each...LOL 

Yes both please ! 🙂 

9 hours ago, coony77 said:

Timothy, would you like my comment on German or Greek culture? 😄

(I´m a Greek in Germany)

Both? 😃

[coony77]

9 hours ago, VisualizeUrParadise said:

Yes both please ! 🙂 

Both? 😃

Haha....okay.

 

What I love about my Greek culture is the spirit of hospitality and that Greeks in general are very open hearted people who approach others easily.

What I don't like at all is the tendency to be unpunctual and to interfere too much in the affairs of others.

Unlike the Greeks, the Germans are a very punctual people. I like that, because in my oppinion, to be in time is a sign of politeness and respect.

What I don't like about German culture is the excessive bureaucracy and that Germans are generally rather distant and formal.

Germans are very fussy in many areas of life. I don't like that. If you borrow a small amount of money from a German, they will expect you to pay them all back to the very cent as soon as possible. The Greek, on the other hand, will say "oh well, forget it, you don't have to pay it back".

[surfergirl]

There's not too much I don't like. We are abit more layed back here. We've become very much multicultural. 

I

9 hours ago, coony77 said:

Haha....okay.

 

What I love about my Greek culture is the spirit of hospitality and that Greeks in general are very open hearted people who approach others easily.

What I don't like at all is the tendency to be unpunctual and to interfere too much in the affairs of others.

Unlike the Greeks, the Germans are a very punctual people. I like that, because in my oppinion, to be in time is a sign of politeness and respect.

What I don't like about German culture is the excessive bureaucracy and that Germans are generally rather distant and formal.

Germans are very fussy in many areas of life. I don't like that. If you borrow a small amount of money from a German, they will expect you to pay them all back to the very cent as soon as possible. The Greek, on the other hand, will say "oh well, forget it, you don't have to pay it back".

I came from a very multicultural congregation. Greetings  were always hugs and kisses.

The Cong I moved to was very eye opening.

Mostly Dutch and German. My great-grandfather was German.

I found him to be nice. And a few of my great aunties beautiful people. But the Cong was different. I went to do the greetings I was brought up with to see no. You didn't do that. But that was a while ago. Things change. Now with social distancing that's changed everything again. 

 

I enjoy mixing with different people . Having ago at learning different languages. At least the greetings. 

[coony77]

8 hours ago, surfergirl said:

There's not too much I don't like. We are abit more layed back here. We've become very much multicultural. 

I

I came from a very multicultural congregation. Greetings  were always hugs and kisses.

The Cong I moved to was very eye opening.

Mostly Dutch and German. My great-grandfather was German.

I found him to be nice. And a few of my great aunties beautiful people. But the Cong was different. I went to do the greetings I was brought up with to see no. You didn't do that. But that was a while ago. Things change. Now with social distancing that's changed everything again. 

 

I enjoy mixing with different people . Having ago at learning different languages. At least the greetings. 

Yes, Gabe, it´s different within the brotherhood. I was talking generally. In my German congregation hugs and kisses were very common before the pandemic.