Age being what it is I cannot exactly place where I came across an article that compared the benefits and disadvantages of having an open mindset vs. being closed off from other ideas and cultures.
While America has had a long and capitalism based tradition of inviting the minds from outside its borders to make a home in this country same cannot be said for many nations across the planet. What makes Switzerland a Switzerland or Japan Japan is fundamentally based on the idea that they are essentially a monocultural and monotheistic walled off society.
It is therefore unusual to smell Desi Ghee in Switzerland housing as it will be to hear Bollywood music in Osaka.
There is a rare individual who I know that has migrated to the above mentioned countries in the last couple of decades to make a permanent residence (as permanent as permanent gets these days). Marrying an incumbent citizen is a path to do it but then again its not something I have encountered much of.
It also means that in America you have to be prepared to see mean people from all parts of the globe at the checkout line cutting in front of you while pinching their kids who have just spilled a bottle of gummi vitamins along with yakking Asians on their cell phones that push past you at the local train station.
America though has definitely benefitted from the diversity that makes for a richer perspective on life and yet there are pockets even within this melting pot where you run into a situation of 'to be in' or 'not to be'. I refer to the clubs - whether golf, wine, shopping or entire communities where the predominant race is white and you can feel the disconnect as you walk or drive through.
If you think that the towns these people inhabit look quaint and their lifestyle glam then you have to conciously decide if that is for you. Because clearly you will be miles from the nearest plate lunch stall or bibimbap or a masala chai service.
Your milk comes from some exclusive dairy that costs five times as much as what a generic national grocery chain will sell for but you then do not worry about your gardner running into you in the yogurt aisle. This walled off culture certainly appeals to some who have not had a chance to step out of that comfort zone and that is fine with me.
So if micro brewing in your garage and cozy get together with the same people at the club sipping the local wines is your thing then I would say lets keep it that way. More vadas for me.
While America has had a long and capitalism based tradition of inviting the minds from outside its borders to make a home in this country same cannot be said for many nations across the planet. What makes Switzerland a Switzerland or Japan Japan is fundamentally based on the idea that they are essentially a monocultural and monotheistic walled off society.
It is therefore unusual to smell Desi Ghee in Switzerland housing as it will be to hear Bollywood music in Osaka.
There is a rare individual who I know that has migrated to the above mentioned countries in the last couple of decades to make a permanent residence (as permanent as permanent gets these days). Marrying an incumbent citizen is a path to do it but then again its not something I have encountered much of.
It also means that in America you have to be prepared to see mean people from all parts of the globe at the checkout line cutting in front of you while pinching their kids who have just spilled a bottle of gummi vitamins along with yakking Asians on their cell phones that push past you at the local train station.
America though has definitely benefitted from the diversity that makes for a richer perspective on life and yet there are pockets even within this melting pot where you run into a situation of 'to be in' or 'not to be'. I refer to the clubs - whether golf, wine, shopping or entire communities where the predominant race is white and you can feel the disconnect as you walk or drive through.
If you think that the towns these people inhabit look quaint and their lifestyle glam then you have to conciously decide if that is for you. Because clearly you will be miles from the nearest plate lunch stall or bibimbap or a masala chai service.
Your milk comes from some exclusive dairy that costs five times as much as what a generic national grocery chain will sell for but you then do not worry about your gardner running into you in the yogurt aisle. This walled off culture certainly appeals to some who have not had a chance to step out of that comfort zone and that is fine with me.
So if micro brewing in your garage and cozy get together with the same people at the club sipping the local wines is your thing then I would say lets keep it that way. More vadas for me.
Comments
Post a Comment