Monday, March 1, 2010
Isn't culture the same anywhere you go?
Cultural shock is a funny thing. Some people live their entire life without realizing that not everyone is like them. My first cultural shock was when I first moved to United States, but since I was relatively young, it did not impact me very much. However, when I want to Australia 4 years ago, I was very pleasantly surprised. People there are much more laid back than in New York. Sydney is a big metropolis just like NYC, but there is just no rush. No one pushes you on the streets or metro, store clerks are eager to spend 5 minutes talking to the customer. Being "American," I had to take a step back and relax. I realized that what I thought was normal pace of life, was only normal for NYC.
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I find it funny how NYC has become this prime example of how things should be. So many come here for acceptance or to see if they have what it takes. I was raised here since i was 2 and after going to other american cities or even other countries, that i wouldn't make there. You always hear people say if you can make it in NYC you can make it anywhere, but the truth is, you take anyone out of their element and they'll also have a hard time making it in other places. Lord only knows i could not survive on a farm feeding animals and milking cows...lol
ReplyDeleteciao,
Candice
After reading other entries, I think there's a pattern here. Apparently EVERYWHERE ELSE is more relaxed than New York! One of the first things I learned when I arrived to the U.S was "time is money". My aunt tried to teach me the concept that every minute that you spend doing nothing, you could've spent it doing something productive, and if you weren't being productive, you were wasting time. I get that feeling a lot during finals and lose sleep but after resting and relaxing, I tend to do way better in exams. I'm a big fan of naps.
ReplyDeleteIt is true, most other places do seem to be much more laid back than New York. New York is known as, "the city that never sleeps." In New York time is of the essence. When on vacation, its always good to visit a country that is much more laid back and relaxed. So that you can enjoy your vacation stress free. I would like to travel to Australia someday.
ReplyDeleteThough i agree New York is pretty fast paced and we all have the "get things done" mentality,I disagree with the premise that New York is the only motivated city in the world. I deal with many European clients and in my personal experience I would actually say that there are many determined cities in the world. When I call a vendor in the states between the hours of 12-1 I can bet my life that I will be either forwarded to a voicemail or a secretary telling me that "Mr.Johnson is out to lunch". Furthermore, I receive many e-mails from Europeans clients throughout my entire workday which often translates to 9 or even 10 o'clock PM their time; and when they are not reachable via e-mail they stress their availability anytime on their mobile phone. I believe this work ethic drastically contrasts that of America's in which many people shut down their work related world at 5pm sharp. To summarize, I do agree that New York is fast paced and determined, however I still believe that we have something to learn from fellow 1st class countries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the statement that says the culture is everywhere is much more relaxed from personal experiences and things I've heard from numerous people. I think as NYers we often take this for granted.
ReplyDeleteThis is something I always say to other people: "There's something else than NYC out there". A lot of my friends have never been outside USA or even outside NY. I consider myself somewhat "lucky" in that aspect just because I had opportunities to travel to other countries and be able to see different cultures and how societies work. I will definitely would do the same with my children and even more nowadays that we have a lot more opportunities!
ReplyDeleteI think too often people get so caught up in the fact that NYC is so big, that they forget there is a world outside of here. Just because every culture, race, religion, etc reside here, doesn't mean you are experienced in the ways of the world.
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