Time to talk about “Cross-culture challenge”: a contest created by @itchyfeetdonica

Hi Dear community,

Today my post focus on a sensational contest created by @itchyfeetdonica the link you find here. A stemmians who travelled in many countries and lived in different continents too. If she did not mind she is a travel addicted as I am on the way to live in the fourth continent. Well let me focus on such contest.

When people says to me how was living in Poland, India and Australia. First of all I should contextualize: in Poland I was student, the cost of life was cheaper than my country, I did not know Polish language at all and basically it was my first experience living over my native country, and another important thing: the cold winter.

(Rondo Kaponiera Poznan saw from my university dormitory named Jowita)

What about India? Completely different situation,country and the climate. What do I mean? I was not student but did an internship as travel agent for Italian customer who travelled to India. May and June 50 degrees dry in New Delhi. July and August 35 with massive humid. (To dry my clothes I required the hairdryer of my flatmate). About the country India I love to say: the one who made up the logo for the tourism industry “Incredible India” is a genius (in my opinion) with a simple one adjective he was able to summarize the whole subcontinent. Australia is completely another matter. In those two years I earned, saved money and travel around the continent as much as possible. I did not mind to have done jobs which are not related with my subject of studies. I still were able somehow to combine the language improvement and travelling. Working with people of different origin result a further improvement.

(Taj Mahal Agra)

When people says to me how was living in Poland, India and Australia. First of all I should contextualize in Poland I was student, the cost of life was cheaper than my country, I did not know Polish language at all and basically it was my first experience living over my native country, and another important thing: the cold climate. What about India? Completely different situation,country and the climate. What do I mean? I was not student but did an internship as travel agent for Italian customer who travelled to India. May and June 50 degrees dry in New Delhi. July and August 35 with massive humidity. (To dry my clothes I required the hairdryer of my flatmate). About the country India I love to say: the one who made up the logo for the tourism industry “Incredible India” is a genius (in my opinion) with a simple one adjective he was able to summarize the whole subcontinent. Australia is completely another matter. In those two years I earned, saved money and travel around the continent as much as possible. I did not mind to have done jobs which are not related with my subject of studies. I still were able somehow to combine the language improvement and travelling. Working with people of different origin result as a further improvement.

(Thar desert Indian side)

It does not matter which experience was the best. After this not short introduction I would focus on the main topic, And I would start with a question many people asked me: To Compare India and Australia! It is a common but is a good question isn't it? My answer is they are inversely proportional. Actually it is not a very “conformist” answer isn't it? but If you simply think that India and Australia have more or less the same territorial dimension but the first has around more than one billion inhabitants and the second around 24 millions. Adminstrate or manage 24 millions is easier than more than1 billion. Well in my opinion we found an important difference. I would just say that the quality of life not always it is a matter of religion and culture. A quality of life which for sure depend also on these subjects especially in India where many local people has a sense of belonging related to religion. Actually for any European is easier to “absorb” the culture of local people in Australia than the one in India so the second one is a much more well-said cross -culture challenge. When it is not easy to find the pros about a location, habit,culture etc. but it is definitely possible.

(A road in Sultanpur Colony New Delhi)

Personally talking nothing but me. I was very surprised when on the road I saw people burn the garbage including plastic and recycle the glass bottles. Having an ancient culture of meditation, chatras, ayurveda or yoga and then you see the Indian cities completely overcrowed. Then I realized that from my perspective they were contraddictions but for local people mean simply something opposite. Actually I lost weight around 6 -7 kilos by living in New Delhi during the summer season. But I did my best to understand the difference and the perspective of local people.

(Delhi Haat close to I.N.A market New Delhi)

As I was saying it is very difficult provide a specific comparison among different culture, however I could for example say that the Polish people I met when I lived in Poland were different than the ones I met in India and Australia or in my country. But any of them contribute to further realize the Polish culture. And see Poland from different corners or perspective. Remind that in India were temporary residents some of them were my flatmates. In Australia they were permanent resident or even second generation immigrants. Another example I could provide about Brazilian people who studied in my hometown (they had Italian passport) they told me that in Brazil they eat a lot of meat. In India I worked with another Brazilian guy could you imagine we both lost weight because we did not eat meat probably because we have a different metabolism (it was not the only reason of course). Another reminder from him. Impressive for me it was his comparison of what Brazilian people call Favelas compared to the one we saw in New Delhi. According to him they are better positioned (in Brazil because of their position they risk large flooding during the wet season) but they look poorer. Honestly I do not know I have not been to Brazil yet I just report what impressivily he said to me.

Please do not misunderstand it is not a matter of someone is better and someone is worse they are simply different and the situation when I met should be contextualized. In other words we are also as result of our previous experience. I think you got my point.

(Northern side of Harbour bridge Sydney)

A comparison between the country I was born and Poland were also asked me many times. Or even why did you choose Poland for Erasmus exchange student programme ? Because I did not want to stay with people of my same nationality, I would experience a country with a different history. (Many people from my country go through this university project to “Western Europe” countries) As matter of fact if you check the last 60 years in Poland, were completely different than the one in Italy and this has been a different influence and consequences to both countries. (In my opinion still nowadays). Then the climate has an influence in particular the hour of sun during the day for example in Italy we usually have dinner between 7.30 and 8.30 pm (well someone sometimes in the southern Italy have dinner later) indeed in Poland they have dinner 6pm. Not specifically related to climate In Italy we have sweet breakfast with milk and croissants. In Poland the breakfast is salty often with eggs and bacon. About this comparison I agree with Polish people (not only them of course they are not the only ones) the breakfast should be the largest meal during the day.

(Byron Bay New South Wales Australia)

I would conclude this post with two quotations the first one of Cheng Yen

When we view the world from a different perspective, the world becomes vast and wide. If we shift our perspective in everything we do, we will feel at ease with everything and everyone.

The second one from Henry Miller

One's destination is never a place but a new way to seeing things

Thanks a lot for your attention

And again thanks a lot to @itchyfeetdonica for such idea.