Culture

Before going to the topic, let me introduce myself - I am a Chinese come from Hong Kong (It's not hard to figure out owing to previous entries). I am studying journalism in Hong Kong Baptist University, and currently I am in an exchange programme to Edith Cowan University in Perth, Western Australia.

This gives a little hint why I start to think about culture.

What do you know about Hong Kong? I went to Cambodia in May and stayed there for almost two months, and then I come here. During these days outside my city, I was asked for many times about the handover of Hong Kong sovereignty from Britain to China.

It happened in 1997, which was almost ten years ago. British rule is very far away from me. I was 12 in 1997, not very little that I could remember most things, but ten-year is a long time for most people I think.

Whatsoever. My city's history gives a special feature of many people here - ambiguous identity. After ten years the condition is improved, particularly the new generation. The matter is, we often say we are Chinese, but we would also say we come from Hong Kong instead of China. Simultaneously Hong Kong is part of China. We actually come from China.

The feature, at least for me, leads to another point. We don't very much care about the others' identity. I may know where you are from, but it doesn't very much matter for me. I don't stress on what nationality you are of. I want to know about your country, but I don't regard your origin as very important. I don't always say "a Chinese girl is ...."

I do not often catergorize people as well.

Our culture may bring us certain characters, such as my ambiguity about my identity. However our childhood, our family, our education and our life experience construct our disposition. I guess I ought not to easily think people from a certain origin always do the same thing.

Hong Kong has less wide range of origins than Singapore I think, but still there are many people from various countries. Our history also leads this city to mix up western and eastern culture. Some say Hong Kong is a cultural desert, yet in other way blank means something as well. Desert is also a kind of cultures. Anyway.

People in Hong Kong tend to be easier to accept different things. I enjoy various cuisines, various musics or art. This is an advantage.

Some people stick to their own culture. They probably accept the others, but they may not want to try, may not want to understand and may not even want to know. There may be numerous reasons. They may think themselves superior. They may not be able to understand as they do not have the curiosity. They may not be very adaptive and have inertia. They may not dare to try. Whatsoever, they probably miss the chance to experience some interesting or exciting things.

Last time when I had dinner in a restaurant with the others international students living in the student village, some people talked about the music they have in radio in their countries. Some told the others how wide the music they have in radio, like coming from America or other countries. They are proud of playing American music because it probably means they have a boarder horizon on music.

Sure I understand as it is not a bad thing. I did not join that topic very much that I told only a girl about my city. When they have American and certain European music, in Hong Kong there are musics from all over the world - America, Britain, Europe, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, Singapore and local music.

I don't know if I am proud of this, but I didn't try to tell everyone. I have been living in such a city for 21 years, and so I cannot think of any special with this. When people or I think something is already good enough, there must be something better elsewhere. I could never know how wide the world or the view could be.

When we are adapting the others' culture, shouldn't the others adapt ours as well? It may not be compulsory, nevertheless we should confront the others. I am not stressing, but isn't it fair that before we ask for something we need to do something first?

An adaptive quality is a merit, isn't it?

Additionally, there are many cultures. It is always good to know and experience the others on one hand and keep our own culture on the other hand.