This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Because I was forced to take this Cultural Communications class online, the tuition came up to about $650. The 'text' is online material that cost another $60. Keep this in mind as I quote from the World Explorer, an online flash tool for exploring countries and reading about their histories, culture, and basic statistics like population and literacy rates.
India, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
Of Bollywood films: "Imagine Rambo crossed with The Sound of Music and a Cecil B De Mille biblical epic, and you're halfway there. It's cheap operatic escapism, often rough around the edges, and should not be missed."
Iraq, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
There is no 'Culture' heading for this country.
Canada, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
"Canada has a deliciously rich culture if you take the time to explore it and view it as distinct from its louder neighbor."
Italy, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
"Dubbed the world's 'living art gallery', Italy has more culture than you can shake a paintbrush at. In fact it's fair to say that if something can be painted, played, eaten, sang, sculpted or written about, the Italian's had a hand in elevating its appreciation to the highest art form. The world has much to thank the Italians for."
"Coffee, beer and wine are of course magnificent countrywide."
Switzerland, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
"Switzerland does not have a strong artistic heritage,"
"Switzerland doesn't have a great indigenous gastronomic tradition."
"Swiss folk culture includes yodeling, playing the alp horn and Swiss wrestling. We suggest you don't indulge in any of these after a night in a Swiss tavern."
Russian, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
A four line long paragraph, compared to most countries, who have at least four or five paragraphs.
Saved the best for last.
Japan, under the heading 'Culture' wrote:
"Pop music is massive in Japan: indigenous groups usually feature a gorgeous lead singer of irrelevant talents."
"Drinking is the glue that holds Japanese society together."
"Japan is frequently cast as an environmental vandal, slaughtering whales and dolphins, hacking down rainforests and polluting the ocean and atmosphere, all in the name of the rising yen. There's more than a little truth to it."
Of Prime Minister Koizumi: "Promising to end the culture of high-level nepotism that had in part led to the deflation, he distinguishes himself with his charisma and dashing haircut."
That's enough of that, I could be working on the gallery.
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Wow. Your textbook makes racist comments and assumptions.
Go Florida!
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Worth every fucking penny you French wannabe cheese-sniffing trash Canadian.
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I totally lol'd. I'm a horrible person.
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Sad huh? I'm really pissed off given this is supposed to TEACH students about cultures, not grossly stereotype or generalize them. The hour long 'Glimpse of the World' video I had to watch for this lesson had three minutes on India that were basically 'It's crowded and there's pollution also castes and they worship cows.'
Grr.
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Lol, we all are.
Was there anything about the US in there? XD
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...it's hard for me to reconcile you as Yasha's louder neighbor somehow...
And I have to admit I do like the way they characterize Bollywood.
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Stormcrow wrote:
And I have to admit I do like the way they characterize Bollywood.
In a sense, it is a bit accurate. Bollywood is the most wonderful conflagration of cliche and originality.
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Stormcrow wrote:
...it's hard for me to reconcile you as Yasha's louder neighbor somehow...
Are you saying I'm loud, bitch?
What's that, you wanna fight? Huh? Do you feel lucky or something?
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Yasha wrote:
Stormcrow wrote:
...it's hard for me to reconcile you as Yasha's louder neighbor somehow...
Are you saying I'm loud, bitch?
What's that, you wanna fight? Huh? Do you feel lucky or something?
Yasha will one day make a most excellent New Yorker.
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I second that emotion.
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Now I feel embrassed because I don't know nothing from Canadian culture (one exeption: Maple Syrup).
Last edited by dlaire (01-22-2008 02:25:43 AM)
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You forgot mounties and mooses.
Amd kicking the US's ass in mock military battles.
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"Dubbed the world's 'living art gallery', Italy has more culture than you can shake a paintbrush at. In fact it's fair to say that if something can be painted, played, eaten, sang, sculpted or written about, the Italian's had a hand in elevating its appreciation to the highest art form. The world has much to thank the Italians for."
"Coffee, beer and wine are of course magnificent countrywide."
I must say... LOL!
Everyone talk about what Italy was, not what Italy actually is...
I'm sure you know about the problem of rubbish in Campania... what a mess... poor, poor Italy
Last edited by Sey (01-22-2008 05:59:59 AM)
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Yasha wrote:
Stormcrow wrote:
...it's hard for me to reconcile you as Yasha's louder neighbor somehow...
Are you saying I'm loud, bitch?
What's that, you wanna fight? Huh? Do you feel lucky or something?
Bet you won't come down here and say that.
(And it's not just mock military battles where Canada mopped the floor with us. Back in the day when we were enemies, they regularly embarrassed us. But that's OK, because...um...they're loud! )
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dlaire wrote:
Now I feel embrassed because I don't know nothing from Canadian culture (one exeption: Maple Syrup).
Don't forget hockey and Canadian bacon!
Oh, and Canada's primary export: ACTORS!
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Maarika wrote:
They...teach that?
Unfortunately, the more I hear about American schooling, the more I can recognize as misinformation and flat-out propaganda, serving only the interests of whoever is in power. I disagree with the use of the school system to spread misinformation like this, but there is nothing I can do about it.
Gio and I have compared our schooling extensively, and the education I got in small-town primary, junior high, and high schools has far outmatched anything she's gotten in those, and in some cases, even what she's received in college education. For example, the high school math course I took last summer went beyond the maths that she learned in her college classes.
Maarika wrote:
Also, does it say anything about Estonia?
I would guess not. Sorry, sweetie. America doesn't concern itself much with smaller European countries... or larger ones, for that matter. The only reason I have to believe that some Americans know Estonia exists is because of that awful movie a few years back with Brendan Fraser playing a stone-age man who thawed out in modern day. In the movie, the excuse for his odd behavior was that he was from Estonia.
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Maarika wrote:
Also, does it say anything about Estonia?
It mentions vana tallinn and then how quirky your language is and that you guys eat blood sausage.
Yasha wrote:
Gio and I have compared our schooling extensively, and the education I got in small-town primary, junior high, and high schools has far outmatched anything she's gotten in those, and in some cases, even what she's received in college education. For example, the high school math course I took last summer went beyond the maths that she learned in her college classes.
It really makes me embarrassed to try and toot my horn about having a 4.0. It's not like it proves my intelligence or anything. If anything it proves how capable I am at faking stupidity to answer questions in a manner that would suit such course material. I really want to believe that college opens peoples' eyes, especially to culture in this world, but it doesn't. Thus far this class has done nothing to expand my knowledge of other cultures. I've learned more watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. A lot more. And without the flippant sarcasm about how barbaric or dirty or backwards a country is.
Over 700bux. Worth every fucking penny.
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"Swiss folk culture includes yodeling, playing the alp horn and Swiss wrestling. We suggest you don't indulge in any of these after a night in a Swiss tavern."
I wish you had an emoticon armed with a gun. That might definitely come in handy right about now. And if this is the characterization of Switzerland, I'd love to read what they say about Ireland. I bet it's like...
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1hbd5WO3chg& … re=related
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Fuck American education. Also, Gio, you need to get schooled up here. We actually learn things here.
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Yasha wrote:
I would guess not. Sorry, sweetie. America doesn't concern itself much with smaller European countries... or larger ones, for that matter. The only reason I have to believe that some Americans know Estonia exists is because of that awful movie a few years back with Brendan Fraser playing a stone-age man who thawed out in modern day. In the movie, the excuse for his odd behavior was that he was from Estonia.
Hahaha, I heard somewhere that when an American was asked to tell something about Estonia then all they knew was that movie. So it's a true story, sadly. But I suppose most of them don't even know this country exists.
...Still, I had heard that the higher education in the US was quite good, so it's kind of hard for me to believe they teach things like that.
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Maarika wrote:
...Still, I had heard that the higher education in the US was quite good, so it's kind of hard for me to believe they teach things like that.
I would imagine that in some universities, it is. But after the ridiculous trash I've heard about Gio's schooling (sex ed involving condoms was only for gifted kids, no cultural studies whatsoever, maths and sciences dumbed down to the point that you could sleep through them and pass) and the stuff that's still ongoing, I know that either Florida is more of a shithole than I thought, or the level of education in the states is pathetically low.
I was expected to argue Peter Singer's viewpoints in my Philosophy 101 class in an essay, for the final. Yes, written onsite with a time limit. We were given study questions, but a lot of them weren't on the final at all. Gio was expected to identify Bentham's categorization as Utilitarian in a multiple choice test. This is not right, folks. And all it's done so far is give Gio the idea that she's uneducated.
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I know off the top of my head that Estonia is an Eastern European country, a bit south of Scandinavia and bordered to the south by Latvia, that used to be a Soviet satellite state -- so the American education system must not suck quite so much as everyone says. I have to admit, though, that I know almost nothing else about it; I don't know the capital, and I can't name a single cultural achievement by an Estonian. So the American education system obviously isn't as good as it should be.
ETA: Oh, and hey, as long as I'm on this kick, let me add that the best American universities are some of the best universities in the world. We also have a lot of crummy colleges, as well as scads of crummy high schools. I have heard Americans excuse ourselves by saying "well, but it's not important that everyone grow up to be smart; it's only important that the smartest of us grow up to be smart, and that's what the good colleges are for." This argument would be more convincing if a majority of us had the reasoning and literacy skills to understand it.
Last edited by satyreyes (01-23-2008 12:22:39 AM)
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