I feel that culture plays a huge part in our lives; influencing our views, values, hopes and fears. People who are exposed to different cultures are also brought up differently since culture affects the way we live--how we speak, eat etc etc. Without culture, life would be somewhat different and we would see the world differently.
Every country has a different culture. We are similar yet different in how we live. I think that it is fun, interesting and cool at the same time to explore new cultures since they are mostly different from my own. Some cultures are really interesting and they practice a certain belief.
Singapore Culture
Singapore is a multi-racial country. The three religions commonly practiced are Bhuddism, Christianity and Islamic. These three religions have their own beliefs as well. We have our own beliefs, attitudes and we celebrate different festivals as well. Examples include Racial Harmony Day, celebrated on 21st of July annually to impart the racial harmony knowledge to us, youths. I remember my school celebrating racial harmony every year by encouraging students to come to school dressed in different ethnic costumes, preparing performances regarding different countries and traditional goodies and games over the past 8 years. I feel that this experience has allowed me to understand and appreciate the culture of different countries. Although Singapore might have made it mandatory for all schools to do this every year, we would probably not see these in other countries since this is uniquely Singapore's practice (social and religious harmony).
Since every country has different cultures, it might be difficult to get along with people of different cultures sometimes due to culture differences. Certain culturual behaviors might appear funny or unusual to some of us since we are not exposed to that kind of culture. However, we should try to get along with people of different cultures and respect their culture even if we find it weird since it is their culture after all and we should show the respect given to their culture.
"We are all human beings. We all love deeply, want to learn, have hopes and dreams, and have experienced pain and fear." I found this quote on a cultural website and I found it really meaningful. I feel that culture really allows us to learn and appreciate not only our own culture, but other cultures as well.
Taiwanese culture
The culture in Taiwan is a mix of America, Chinese, Japanese, European and of course, Taiwan aborigines. Most people are Taoists, Buddhists or worship ancestors. The food and sports are heavily influenced by the west. The people there speak mostly Mandarin or Taiwanese. Slang language consists of commonly used Japanese phrases. Taiwan is known for having many cram schools. Most C-Pop, Hokkien-Pop and Mando-Pop artists are Taiwanese too.
I enjoy living in this multi-racial country. The diverse culture allows me to be able to eat very different kinds of food. Singspore to me is something like a one stop shop. Everything can be found. Well, almost everything. Also, the harmony in Singapore allows everyone to freely bond. Singapore is like a place where anyone and everyone can congregate and live together. Despite the fact that the country consists of mainly of Chinese, many people of different races can be found in a HDB block. I for one live an aromatic scent of curry once in a while. Different languages spoken gives a more vibrant mood, I am very very excited to experience the Taiwanese cultures. They have many tribes which I have not seen before. In Singapore, different races live together, I wonder how the tribes live in moordern day Taiwan. I sort iof recall the Disney movie Enchanted where a princess travels to New York City by accident. She stuck out like a sore thumb there. I know it is not like that in Taiwan but I can't seem to think of any other possibility. Definitely can't wait to find out how they blend in. The culture over there intrigues me very much.
I wonder if the culture in Taiwan is very much like ours since we are also Chinese. I hope that I would be able to gain exposure from visiting other countries to learn more about the place and their culture. Although we might not fit in at first, I believe that we will adapt quickly to the difference and remember the similarities we bear as well.


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