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What makes a good culture story?
By ted, Section Culture Posted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 08:39:21 PM PST

I decided to add some Sections to our website. "Quick Links" and "Diaries" were just too boring. They were OK while we learned how to use the site, but I think we need something more interesting to discuss. New Sections should give a place for more interesting and detailed writing about things we are interested in.

So, I ask again- "What makes a good culture story?"

I have some ideas of my own, but I'm curious what you think. You all read magazines, books, and newspapers. What's a good story? What have you read recently in a magazine that was really interesting? What do you want to know about?

Are these things culture?

Movies
Books
Fashion
Music
Traditions
Personal Relationships

How about these things?

Food
Sports
Politics
Clubs/Circle
Ideas
???

Talk to a friend. Think a little bit. Maybe look at a newspaper or magazine. What is culture? I'm not exactly sure. Culture can mean so many different things in different situations. But, I do have a pretty good idea what should go in a culture story.

At least one interesting idea or opinion
Some information that will be new for many people
A link or links
Something for people to discuss, like a question
A poll

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What makes a good culture story? | 24 comments (24 topical)

cultures ( Comment #1)
by rotta on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 08:54:06 PM PST

I think many things around us are cultures. Food, fashion, idea, movie and so on. And it's in teresting to find differences between some cultures. The most interesting one for me is characteristics of the people. People from different cultures often respond differently even if they are in the same situation. It's interesting.

Breaking the cups ( Comment #17)
by audrey rose on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:43:51 PM PST

I have met the interesting situation about a different way of thinking. It happened at the restaurant I worked. One day, one of my fellow workers broke many cups on the tray. She was depressed very much. Then, the other of them who was Chinese said, "Don't worry. In my country, it is said that breaking cups leaves us from bad things!" She smiled. I was surprised at this situation. It is a different of culture, isn't it?

[ Parent ]

Really? ( Comment #18)
by rotta on Thu Nov 06, 2003 at 05:26:31 AM PST

It's an interesting story. I didn't know that Chinese respond in such way.
I don't remember well, but I heard the story which is similar to yours. It is said that not all of the peoples apolpgize when they break glass or something like that because some peoples think it's natural that glasses are broken. So they don't apologize. It's interesting, isn't it?

[ Parent ]

Everyday life ( Comment #2)
by akko on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 08:56:04 PM PST

I think there are many differences in different countries. And these differences are culture.

For example, Japanese do the laundry in the morning but I heard that Americans do it at night. I guess that is because they use the dryer, and not the sunshine.

Another example is that Japanese take a ^long _bath at night but Americans take a shower in the morning. I don't know why they do that??

Does anybody knows why?

Bath vs Shower ( Comment #5)
by ted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:04:46 PM PST

People in America used to take baths more often, but changed to showers in the 20th century. Especially after World War II, showers started to become more popular. Many men experienced showers when they were in the military and wanted them at home.

One good thing about showers is that they can be cheaper, I think. At least I think that was one reason why the military used them. Of course they are only cheaper than a bath if you take a short shower.

These days I like both. Sometimes I take a bath, but often I take a shower. It's faster because you don't have to wait for the tub to fill up. I like a bath when I have more time. Sometimes I even go to the public bath. I have a bath at home, but the sento is so big and has really hot water.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

Loving Bath ( Comment #21)
by Jewel on Thu Nov 06, 2003 at 06:58:08 PM PST

i really like taking bath since it gives me relaxiation. i pour some powder thing in it which is called Onsen kona it helps our hurted body to decrease and it smells good by the way i love Onsen but if we take too much we will feel dizzy when i was in junior high i went Atami and i took Onsen for about 40 minutes and i felt very sick and dizzy but i don`t still hate it. talking about Sento, after you get out from the big bath, you should try drinking coffee milk with putting your arm to your waist most of japanese people do it it`s kind of funny tradition you should try it it really feels cool and great!!!!!

[ Parent ]

I am interested in... ( Comment #3)
by porky pie on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 08:56:52 PM PST

I agree with you.
I am interested in the differences of the culture.
I want to know many customs of foreign countries.

I went England during this summer vacation,
and I was surprised at many differences, for example, shops.
There are also "STAR BUCKS COFFEE" in U.K, but I found the differnces there.
To my surprise, people who finished eating or drinking left their cups or leftovers!
In Japan, we have to clear off, on the other hand, in U.K. they don't.

I found more differnces in U.K.
To learn differnces of cultures is interesting for me!

Starbucks ( Comment #8)
by ted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:06:39 PM PST

Thanks for the information. I thought that Starbucks was the same everywhere. I clear my own table at Starbucks in the US too.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

Really? ( Comment #15)
by porky pie on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:25:57 PM PST

But, at McDonald's people didin't clear their own table.
My frinds in U.K told me they don't clear except restaurants.
Maybe British people have worse-mannered than us!??

[ Parent ]

Worse or different? ( Comment #19)
by ted on Thu Nov 06, 2003 at 05:30:07 PM PST

I've heard European and American people complain about Japanese manners being worse than their own manners at home. When people don't get what they expect, they are often disappointed.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

funny things about culture ( Comment #4)
by Jewel on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 08:58:44 PM PST

when i was in america, me and my wore as japanese girls did such as mini skirt with loose socks and dy hair to light yellow so some people stared us since in highshcool students in america don`t wear those things they wear simple cloth such as jeans and T shirt. majority people in america tend to think mini skirt equals to prostitute but i didn`t care besides some girls told me that it is cute and fashionable and some korean girls immitated our japanese girls fashion.

American Values ( Comment #11)
by ted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:13:19 PM PST

Many people are very conservative. They think short or revealing clothes on women are not right for everyday wear. On the other hand, it seems to be changing. Because I only go back to the US about once a year, I really notice the changes. It seems like Japanese styles are becoming more popular with some Americans.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

Hard question to answer! ( Comment #6)
by magna on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:05:58 PM PST

I think culture represent each countrie's itself. These elements you picked up above are all cultures I think. For example, in Japan we use chopsticks when dining. Sumo is a typical sport for Japanese. We eat rice, soba and udon. These foods include Japanese culture. When we have a opportunity to talk foreigner,(he does not know our culture at all.)We should talk about our culture. I think it is important for culture represents our couontry.

FOOD ( Comment #7)
by mikki on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:06:09 PM PST

I think FOOD is one of the interesting culture.People eat to live, but they are very different. I heard that Japanese foods are very popular now in many other countries.It got popular because it's healthy.
People have different sense of taste.Even in this small country, people in the west prefer weak taste and people in the east prefer strong taste.
Please tell me some interesting thing about foreign food!!

What kind? ( Comment #9)
by ted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:10:45 PM PST

American food is hard to define. Many foods in the US come from somewhere else. There are some truly Americanfoods, but even they change from place to place.

For example, pizza is basically Italian food, but what most people think of as "pizza" is more American. American style pizza is what people usually eat. But in the US, people fight about which is better: New York style, or Chicago style.

And, almost nobody puts corn on pizza!

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

a hard word to define! ( Comment #10)
by love child on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:11:07 PM PST

culture is the things around us,
maybe some other things we don't recognize is also culture.
As for me, I love surfing the Net.
It tells about all over the world.
we could make deposits on the web!
how wonderful it is!

Making deposits ( Comment #12)
by ted on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:20:06 PM PST

I like that idea. That's a perfect metaphor. I guess it means the web is like a culture bank. We put culture in, save it, it grows, and we can take it out again and use it. The nice part is, the account never gets empty.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

according to TV program, ( Comment #16)
by love child on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:40:40 PM PST

internet banking has another merit.
when I draw money from banks at night or from ATM from other banks,
we have to pay extra charges for almost all Japanese banks.
It takes 105yen or 210yen!!!!!!
little bit expensive, isn't it?
but but but, we don't have to pay that for internet banking.

[ Parent ]

ATM charges are high here ( Comment #23)
by ted on Fri Nov 07, 2003 at 04:22:42 PM PST

You often have to pay a lot of fees for using an ATM or for other bank services in Japan. I hope it will start to get cheaper soon. It might change. I remember when the business hours for ATMs were much shorter justa few years ago.

~~~Ted~~~
[ Parent ]

Culture is important! ( Comment #13)
by yuri on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:24:57 PM PST

I think culture have a broad meaning. Sometime it could be the hard problem when you go abroad.
There is a lot of differnce between countries, but I think the fastest way to know other country is food. In Japan, I think we can eat many different countries foods.
I really think sharing culture is very good and important thing.

How to eat rice ( Comment #14)
by etoile on Wed Nov 05, 2003 at 09:25:45 PM PST

Japanese staple diet is rice. When eating rice in Japan, we boil the rice in a rice-cooker and serve it in a bowl as it is. Of course there are some other ways to eat it. For example, eating as a rice ball, sushi, pouring green tea on the rice and etc. On the other hand, in some european countries, they eat rice with milk. Japanese never eat with it at meals. when I stayed with a family in France, I ate rice with milk and peach at meal. It was so sweet and I couldn't eat all.

rice with milk?!!!! ( Comment #20)
by Jewel on Thu Nov 06, 2003 at 06:48:42 PM PST

well, rice with milk sounds very weird and WOW?!!!
but in other hand it could be a desert ha ha ha.... oh i heard that in japan some people eat rice with yogurt and other eat with melted chocolate....... how interesting isn`t it????? recent people`s tongue is getting weird....... talking about culture, i can`t blame those european people since they have their own style of eating rice so....... but i don`t want to eat it if i eat it i would have a stomach trouble......

[ Parent ]

I heard another story. ( Comment #22)
by love child on Fri Nov 07, 2003 at 01:50:40 AM PST

japanese think of rice as the staple food,
but Europian think it as one of the vegetables.
so they eat rice with milk,
or sometimes they put it on the salad.
I think it is amazing!! but very interesting, isn't it?

[ Parent ]

How about the cost of food? ( Comment #24)
by porky pie on Sat Nov 08, 2003 at 04:09:44 AM PST

When I went to K.F.C in Korea, it cost really cheep even the same menu in Japan! On the other hand, when I went to England, it cost me really expensive! Can you imagine that the normal set menu of Mac'Donald cost us about 700 yen!! (the size of food is the same as that of Japan...)

[ Parent ]

What makes a good culture story? | 24 comments (24 topical)

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