1089. Cultural clash

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(First, a housekeeping notice! From now on there will be no daily story posted on the days there is a music or a poetry posting. All I’m really trying to say is: there will be only one posting a day! The music is posted on a Wednesday (New Zealand time) and the poem(s) on the first of the month and then at whim throughout the month. This is to prevent a gluttonous overkill! Thanks – Bruce)

(* By way of explanation for today’s story:
In parts of Polynesian it is insulting to stand higher than a person of greater status.
In parts of Polynesia it is insulting to look at a person in authority when being spoken to.
The list could go on… and on…)

European Teacher (seated): Makafalani ’Oto’ota, stand up. Look at me when you’re being spoken to. Look me in the eye like a man. I said stand up. I never told you that you could sit down again. LOOK AT ME. You’ll never get on in the world with that attitude. STAND UP AND LOOK AT ME. Oh God! You’re on detention. You’re utterly, utterly disrespectful. It’s impossibly trying to teach common courtesy to some people.

8 thoughts on “1089. Cultural clash”

  3. umashankar

    But for the preface, both meaning and purport of the story will be lost. We have a bewildering diversity of cultures out here. Visual gestures such as shaking your head in a ‘No’ might be easily mistaken for a ‘Yes’ in many parts of the world, or vice versa. You may very well imagine the consequences.

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    1. Bruce Goodman Post author

      That is true re the preface and the necessary information should have been included in the story itself. I once did a play in which the students had to nod/shake their heads the opposite to what they were saying. None of them could do it!

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