Culture

 

I find different cultures to be one of the most interesting things to learn about. And it is a very importing thing everyone should learn in today's world. Culture clashes are a major problem. Possibly one of the biggest examples is in religion: Athiests v. Buddhism v. Christian v. Hindu v. Muslim. I think it is important that we learn about one another beliefs, and ways of life -- not necessarily adopting them as our own, but at least understanding. It all goes back to LOVE.

One of my favorite things about Arkansas State is our international population. I found at the end of last semester, at least half of my friends are international students from all over the world. Students come from Turkey, Pakistan, China, Taiwan, Japan, and many other places.

That is my favorite way to learn about culture: first hand. I like to talk with people from that culture. I like to go to the countries and immerse in it. But today, after touring the white house, I did the next best thing. I went to Makiykumanta. It is a festival put on by the Embassy of Peru, showcasing music, dance, crafts, food, movies and speakers. 

I am planning to get my second major in Spanish. This was a perfect opportunity for me. I got to be around a lot of Spanish speakers. I got to learn about culture and I got to see some amazing dancing and hear some amazing music. The scissor dance was probably my favorite, but they had some other performances too.

At the end I was forced to use my Spanish skills. I went to a person working the event and asked if it would be different tomorrow. His response was that he didn't speak English. So I speak Spanish and ask again. He tells me it will change and then I ask if there is a schedule. Not getting the exact answer I wanted, he told me the hours. But I did get to use the language which made me happy.

The video at the top of the page is not the complete dance performed today but it is a lot of it.