something i have dreamt off... going to different parts of the world and experiencing different cultures, get to know new people with vastly different backgrounds, amazed by similarities between human beings from one corner of the world & another corner, and observing differences/variations between pepole from same locality.
globe trotting may seem like an adventure, its not an easy thing to digest. the cultural variations hit you hard... try their best to make you judgemental, flare up anger / hatred at illogical things of 'others'... and really test you.
of course, whatever that doesnt kill me makes me stronger... is a quote that might help to deal with such situations. (The irony is that even Niettze's quote can be used to bring solace).
well.. keep commenting.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Surging Ahead?
The global economy is surging ahead. roughly speaking, if compared with earlier decades, the amount of materials produced or procured in the last 2 decades would be equal to what humans did in a century earlier... just to give an idea of the jump in growth. (Despite current share market fall, increasing prices & inflation).
multiculturalism and global interchange i believe has a big impact on this growth. more than ever we, humans are now trying to develop techniques to make us more efficient - may it be indegenous technology or borrowed / bought from another country.
our working styles (read management styles) also are becoming more eclectical. Management systems which became popular in Japan in the 70's & 80's have now been adopted in many other countries to such an extent that its impossible to identify them as Japanese now. Of course, a management Guru who came out with such management systems Dr. Deming was an American.
But then, why do opposition for using foreign techniques and styles exist so much even today? why often it flares up into xenophobia even? Change is a stressor... regardless of what it brings. Every change brings positives and negatives... or advantages & dis-advantages. (just as Crisis can be read as danger & opportunity in one language script).
Thus often in the initial stage of change, the negatives or dis-advantages loom large. Often exploitative wanna be leaders spread fear by exaggerating the negatives of forthcoming change to group people together. In the last few decades the rationality of human mind has won over such fear mongering. The 2nd world war was the last time when falsly generated hatred lead to world wide damage.
But can we rest on the laurals of the last 6-7 decades? The need to re-assert that we all are one, and need to work together as a team to develop remains. Often such fundamental reminders are neglected by popular media, as entertainment seems to takes over information dissemination.
multiculturalism and global interchange i believe has a big impact on this growth. more than ever we, humans are now trying to develop techniques to make us more efficient - may it be indegenous technology or borrowed / bought from another country.
our working styles (read management styles) also are becoming more eclectical. Management systems which became popular in Japan in the 70's & 80's have now been adopted in many other countries to such an extent that its impossible to identify them as Japanese now. Of course, a management Guru who came out with such management systems Dr. Deming was an American.
But then, why do opposition for using foreign techniques and styles exist so much even today? why often it flares up into xenophobia even? Change is a stressor... regardless of what it brings. Every change brings positives and negatives... or advantages & dis-advantages. (just as Crisis can be read as danger & opportunity in one language script).
Thus often in the initial stage of change, the negatives or dis-advantages loom large. Often exploitative wanna be leaders spread fear by exaggerating the negatives of forthcoming change to group people together. In the last few decades the rationality of human mind has won over such fear mongering. The 2nd world war was the last time when falsly generated hatred lead to world wide damage.
But can we rest on the laurals of the last 6-7 decades? The need to re-assert that we all are one, and need to work together as a team to develop remains. Often such fundamental reminders are neglected by popular media, as entertainment seems to takes over information dissemination.
Friday, April 04, 2008
new country
going to a new country, which is radically different in many aspects...
brings its own versions of goods and bads.
cultural shocks, linguistic shocks too...
- for example, how confusing a totally new language sounds like, and that all others around you seem totally comfortable with those sounds;
- also, how for example, a global language like English is twisted around (accent wise and grammar wise) according to that country population... and how funny and riduculous it seems to you... but at the same time, realizing you are the minority, and thus cannot really laugh at it.
the difference could be in the level of development.
a person moving from a developed country to 3rd world country... or
going from 3rd world to developed world.
lack of systematic or obsessively systematic transportion... train / road / walking / jaywalking.
- for example, going from a chaotic traffic system, where pedestrians walk around vehicles, jaywalking is non-existent concept, honking and shouting at each other at every turn is as common as spitting or throwing litter on the road... CHANGED into... strict systems, where one has to wait for the light to be green to go ahead everywhere, where cars swish past at 100 kilometer speed, which makes you actually think before crossing a road... buses and trains where the doors remain closed (and no hanging out is possible)... pushing others in public transport is rare and frowned upon...
100's of differences... often small ones, but acculturation is not easy anyway.
what's the world coming to?
i remember, a friend of mine telling me: "ohh... look at that house... what's that square thing on the wall?"
i: hmm.. its a window man... is that what you are asking? its an ordinary window".
friend: "ohh!! what will science come up with next?".
hastalavista baby...
brings its own versions of goods and bads.
cultural shocks, linguistic shocks too...
- for example, how confusing a totally new language sounds like, and that all others around you seem totally comfortable with those sounds;
- also, how for example, a global language like English is twisted around (accent wise and grammar wise) according to that country population... and how funny and riduculous it seems to you... but at the same time, realizing you are the minority, and thus cannot really laugh at it.
the difference could be in the level of development.
a person moving from a developed country to 3rd world country... or
going from 3rd world to developed world.
lack of systematic or obsessively systematic transportion... train / road / walking / jaywalking.
- for example, going from a chaotic traffic system, where pedestrians walk around vehicles, jaywalking is non-existent concept, honking and shouting at each other at every turn is as common as spitting or throwing litter on the road... CHANGED into... strict systems, where one has to wait for the light to be green to go ahead everywhere, where cars swish past at 100 kilometer speed, which makes you actually think before crossing a road... buses and trains where the doors remain closed (and no hanging out is possible)... pushing others in public transport is rare and frowned upon...
100's of differences... often small ones, but acculturation is not easy anyway.
what's the world coming to?
i remember, a friend of mine telling me: "ohh... look at that house... what's that square thing on the wall?"
i: hmm.. its a window man... is that what you are asking? its an ordinary window".
friend: "ohh!! what will science come up with next?".
hastalavista baby...
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