Remembered this morning a conversation with Nick the first weekend that he was here. We were discussing the comment we had both received, that travel broadens the mind - and how that was entirely contrary to own experience!
Yes, there are lots of differences between London and Sydney or Adelaide, and Nick told me Canada again had its own individual character.
Two thoughts we had on this were:
a) That the superficial differences, as they'll generally be expected, can tend to reinforce stereotypes, and so actually narrow your worldview. Eg visitors to Canada expect Canadians to be like their neighbours in the USA, with some small differences; Canadians put a lot of effort into fighting this idea, which in turn only emphasises the similarity.
b) What struck both of us was the essential same-ness everywhere you go. The physical city of London, buildings and infrastructure, is very different from Australian cities. The people will use different words and eat (some) different brands of food, but otherwise are just like people back home, will act and react in the same way.
Though maybe that's just us...and maybe I need my morning coffee more badly than I thought!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Blog Archive
-
▼
2008
(58)
-
▼
July
(21)
- A new discovery
- Travel
- Last night and today
- A blast from the past
- Two events in a night - becoming the social butter...
- Tower Bridge
- A funny event on the weekend
- Last Weekend
- One random thing I love about the UK
- Novena to St Anne
- Friars
- St Philip Neri
- Update
- Poetry Cafe
- St Patrick's
- Nick and I in London
- This time it's 'My Room' for real!
- My room...
- Picadilly Circus
- No title
- Prologue
-
▼
July
(21)
4 comments:
It sounds like you've forgotten your Huxley! He argued that travel wouldn't be at all broadening once lots of people did it, since the increase in travel will tend to homogenise societies around the world.
Given the title of your blog, I'm shocked!
But I only sort of agree with you - while people tend to be fundamentally similar (probably a species thing), there do seem to be differences in worldview based on historical experience. Eg, the US belief in Manifest Destiny - most Americans tend to believe in it, even if they feel the country has strayed from its Destiny. Australia still has the colonial cultural cringe, etc.
I'd think that seeing these different experiences and cultural backgrounds influence people's thinking would at least have the potential to make one more aware of alternative perspectives in life? Or are you finding being in London reinforces your previously-held views?
Very philosophical - and there is some element of truth in both broadenng and narrowing. People are the same and yet there are differences. Contradictory, I know. But I see differences and similarities just in my moves around Australia..Sorry I missed your phone calls this week, dad told us about the freelancing job, good luck!
I had forgotten my Huxley I'm afraid. Though not that argument - it's also put forward by Waugh in 'The Loved One', when he talks about the Desiree attracting Denis because she's the first (apparently) different girl he's seen in the whole of America. That otherwise you travelled coast-to-coast (he meant 'New York to East California!) and saw exactly the same everywhere.
Re your comment Mum about seing differences and similarities around Australia...you're right, there are differences, but it's interesting that Australia as a whole is more homogenous than the US or UK, eg there's less difference between a Queenslander and an Adelaide person than between someone from Tennessee and someone from St Louis, or, here, a Londoner and a Scot.
I had forgotten my Huxley I'm afraid. Though not that argument - it's also put forward by Waugh in 'The Loved One', when he talks about the Desiree attracting Denis because she's the first (apparently) different girl he's seen in the whole of America. That otherwise you travelled coast-to-coast (he meant 'New York to East California!) and saw exactly the same everywhere.
Re your comment Mum about seing differences and similarities around Australia...you're right, there are differences, but it's interesting that Australia as a whole is more homogenous than the US or UK, eg there's less difference between a Queenslander and an Adelaide person than between someone from Tennessee and someone from St Louis, or, here, a Londoner and a Scot.
Post a Comment