First off I have to apologize for the late entry as my adventures in Ottawa have been keeping me busy. I think that this blog will be an amazing diary of all our adventures in the summer. Culture according to my definition consists of norms and actions that are created and accepted by a certain group of people. Cultures does not necessarily have to do with ethnic background or the geographical location of birth. So for me to define my own culture, I'll have to look at what I have created and accepted growing up in Canada. I am ethnically Chinese but my parents were both born in Vietnam. The situation is quite simple, World War 2 happened and my grandparents on both sides went to Vietnam to seek refuge. So both my parents are culturally very influenced by Vietnam, but they are ethnically Chinese. My story is similar as my parents escaped Vietnam because of the war in the 1970's and ended up in Canada. Here is where I was born. Ethnically I am Chinese, influenced by Vietnam and born in Canada. What is my culture? Well let's start with the languages. I speak fluent Cantonese, Mandarin and English so I am able to relate to both Asian and North American cultures. I tend to enjoy the family oriented ideology of Asia and the Liberal sense of self in North America. Not to generalize but from what I've witnessed I try to take the best elements of both cultures and combine it to create my own. I do not forget traditions, but I also invent new ones. I do not like to box in myself and say that I'm part of this culture and that culture. Let's try and think of culture and use food as an analogy. East Asian food and western food have always been great on their own. I love to eat fried noodles and rice, yet I can't resist a tender steak. Both meals are great but they have their flaws. Too much fried noodles becomes generic and bland and too much steak will lead to an unbalanced diet. So now the top chefs of the world have come up with fusion cuisine and this type of cooking style is taking the world by storm. Using that analogy to explain my culture shouldn't be too radical as the thought of combining the best qualities of each culture and creating something new and great is what I enjoy. What is my culture? My culture is me ; )
1 comment:
Interesting perspective - What is my culture? I am culture. So with the never ending question of what is Canadian culture, would you say you embody the definition of being definitionless? (my new word) Perhaps the answer lies in what others define as your culture. This projection is usually quickly apparent when you leave Canada. Seeing as how your placement is in Ottawa, it might be a bit trickier to locate. I would be interested to hear how your Toronto culture works in Ottawa. Can you see a difference? Do others see a difference? Have you been judged being from big, bad Toronto?
How are the tulips?
Post a Comment