Example 1: I had a co-worker who is the same age as my dad (57?) who has never left the country. Barring aside her fear of planes (which I don't think is a factor since she's never been in one at all, period, so who knows, this was something she could've overcome), she has never left the eastern half of the U.S. She has never heard of dimsum, never tried Japanese food, thinks Orange Chicken is exotic, has never wanted to go travel outside the country, and has never experienced a lot of things. Once, I told her I was going to the city (as in NYC) to go shopping after work (at the time, I was working in NJ), and she said, and I quote: "You are? Are you going with somebody? New York is so dangerous! Are you sure you're going to be alright? When we were growing up, we were taught never to go to the city by ourselves!" This lady is very nice and sweet and was genuinely concerned about my well-being, but they way she said it made it seem like I was doing something out of the ordinary and that NYC was this far-away place. My point is, she has lived next to New York all her life, not even 30 minutes away, and she has not explored what her country has to offer outside of her own town. Why?! I really feel bad for her in that she seems so close-minded, but nonetheless, I still respect her and adore her. I just feel like man...she's missing out!
Example 2: I have very little tolerance for people who don't bother to learn about other cultures. Granted, I know you can't force someone to do something they're not interested in, but I just feel that since you're in a country full of a gazillion different cultures, you could at least pick something up and be mindful about it. I told someone once that I was Filipino, and they were like "What do you guys eat? Bamboo?" I know they were just joking around, but at the same time, I was very annoyed. This person is a like a no-frills, meat and potatoes, likes U.S. History-kind of guy. He's very passionate about being a full-blooded American, and knows little about anything else.
Example 3: I think Paris Hilton is stupid. And I think her parents are even dumber for letting her grow up and act that way. Okay, I don't know the girl, but I do hear her talk and act. Sure, you can argue that the footage we see is edited and we don't know the whole story, but from what I've seen, this girl is stupid and doesn't know anything about manners and the like. She has everything going for her --looks, money, a trust fund, stardom, fame --but she has no education, no culture, no common-sense. I would be surprised to learn if she has ever read a book in its entirety. And no, I'm not just playa-hating. She just seems like such a waste.
Example 4: I know a lot of people who have never seen an indie film and thinks I'm "so-cultured" because I like going to musuems, watching plays, trying different restaurants, etc. It's not that I'm trying to come off as this cultured-type --it's what I like to do when I get a chance. I don't think what I do is out of the ordinary, but apparently to some, it's something that's so different from their norm. I.m not saying what I do is the "right thing" to do versus what they do for fun. All I'm saying is you got all these cool things in front of your face! Take advantage! Heck, if I was living in the Philippines, I know for sure I would have never seen half of the movies I love because they just wouldn't have gotten there for one reason or another. And I know for sure, I wouldn't have the same job opportunities either. All I'm saying is, expand your horizons and do something you haven't done before.
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