Culture.. baggage or not?

The diverse cultures abound in this world often conflict, even in the smallest of way. In this globalised world which sees both confluence and clashes of cultures ever so often, I am starting to wonder if culture is also a burden.

In class we were asked to give our opinions on 2 situations. One involved a Thai student rushing to the aid of an old woman. In the other, an Australian student simply stood watching the old woman go pass. I noticed how quickly my group, all Asians, were quick in judging the Australian as having a lack of respect for the elderly. His actions could have meant many different things. In his individualistic culture, it probably meant that he was respecting the elderly woman's space and self respect. Imagine if a Thai, whose culture is collectivist, were living amongst Australians. Wouldn't the Thai be seen as notoriously intrusive?

Now if the Thai were to understand Australian culture, should he adopt Australian practice, and momentarily forget about his culture to blend in? In Asian culture, the power distance index between the elderly and the young is generally pretty high. Given the cultural setting in which the Thai were brought up, this would be probably be going against his morals.

Of course, adapting to a new culture and environment is never a black and white issue of forgetting one's original culture to make way for a whole new culture. There are always certain areas of cultural contention where one makes a compromise. Then there are other more instrinsic areas, usually involving moral values, where one's culture becomes so ingrained in one's basic personality that one simply has to stand firm. For example, despite my American professors' insistence that I call them by their last name, I still address them by their title and first name. I can't help feeling disrespectful by using their last names.

Despite the differences that surface when cultures meet, it is still enthralling to meet someone from a different culture. Despite the difficulties that first arise, the process of getting to know the person and the mutual appreciation and respect that eventually grows for the differences is what truly makes the world a celebration of diversity.

In the musical The King and I, the song "Getting to Know You" captures so aptly the situation when 2 cultures meet. Lines like "Getting to know you, saying it my way but nicely" and "getting to know you, getting to know what to say around you" cannot hold more true.

You can watch it at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aVbJhg23Ao. Do enjoy!