In China, high school is much different than it is here in America. Here, high school is a fairly loosely regimented time of a young adult's life (of course there are exceptions) in which socializing and finding out who you are seem to be most important. High schoolers here participate in a lot of sports and extra-curricular activities.
However, in China, the focus is almost all education. Many students may not have the time to socialize, or any time for themselves at all.
Summer vacation is something that American high schoolers look forward to each year. Many Chinese students go to summer school, and skip any vacation altogether.
Also, bullying seems to be less of a problem in China than in America (possibly because students in China have no time to pick on people?). America has developed numerous programs because of the high rate of bullying here.
So, where does fun and leisure time fit into Chinese student's lives? One student believes that "having fun is just a small part of life". Could that be any further from what American students believe? American students spend most of their time having fun, even in school.
In America, what you wear can mean a lot in high school. Some students will compete with each other to wear the latest fashions, and spend a large amount of time worrying about their appearances. What about China? Yeah, they wear uniforms. There are still trends, but it is not focused on as much as it is here.
I think that high school in America and China are very different. Students in China have more of a focus on their future careers and just eduction in general.
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6172558.stm
11.24.2008
Food in Mexico
Mexican food. When you think of it, you probably don't think of actual Mexican food. You probably think of America's take on Mexican food.
Authentic Mexican food consists mainly of three things: beans, tortillas, and chili peppers. American-Mexican food consists of three entirely different things: beef, cheese, and deep-fried everything. Yes, these things are found in Mexican food, but nowhere near as much as in America.
America relies on fatty foods and beef, whereas Mexican food includes many varities of foods including fish, vegetables, and fruit.
A perfect example: Tacos.
Here is an American taco
As you can see it is filled to the brim with beef, which has been stuffed into a deep-fried tortilla.
Here is an authentic Mexican taco:
This taco looks a lot different, right? It still has some meat in it and the tortilla is still deep fried, but there is much less meat and the focus seems to be more on the vegetables in the taco.
Overall, I think that Mexican cuisine is completely different from American cuisine. Even worse is America's idea of Mexican food. The dishes that we all think of as Mexican (quesedillas, tacos, burritos) are made much different here than in Mexico.
Sources:
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/cuisines/mexico.htm
http://www.languagecrossing.com/Destinations/Mexico/Food_of_Mexico/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco
Authentic Mexican food consists mainly of three things: beans, tortillas, and chili peppers. American-Mexican food consists of three entirely different things: beef, cheese, and deep-fried everything. Yes, these things are found in Mexican food, but nowhere near as much as in America.
America relies on fatty foods and beef, whereas Mexican food includes many varities of foods including fish, vegetables, and fruit.
A perfect example: Tacos.
Here is an American taco
As you can see it is filled to the brim with beef, which has been stuffed into a deep-fried tortilla.
Here is an authentic Mexican taco:
This taco looks a lot different, right? It still has some meat in it and the tortilla is still deep fried, but there is much less meat and the focus seems to be more on the vegetables in the taco.
Overall, I think that Mexican cuisine is completely different from American cuisine. Even worse is America's idea of Mexican food. The dishes that we all think of as Mexican (quesedillas, tacos, burritos) are made much different here than in Mexico.
Sources:
http://www.sallys-place.com/food/cuisines/mexico.htm
http://www.languagecrossing.com/Destinations/Mexico/Food_of_Mexico/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_cuisine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taco
Religion in France
America is known as a predominantly Christian country. With around 77% of people identifying themselves as Christian, America is seen as "one of the most religious".
France is less religious than America, but the majority of French people are Roman Catholic. There is more freedom of religion in France, and the French government "doesn't even keep statistics on religious adherence".
Religion in France is considered private, and it is not something used to gain social respect. America is the total opposite; people advertise their religion constantly and use it to relate to people and get further in life.
In the 2007 election in France, candidates were asked for the first time to disclose their religious beliefs. Out of the 12 candidates, 11 agreed to share their beliefs. On the other hand, America's presidential candidates have always shared their religious beliefs and only one president was not raised in a household affiliated with Christianity.
America and France are not very similar in the way they handle religion. Both are very religious countries, but France is more discreet and sees religion as a private matter. America puts all beliefs on display, and often uses religion as a way to get ahead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States#Religion_and_politics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_France
France is less religious than America, but the majority of French people are Roman Catholic. There is more freedom of religion in France, and the French government "doesn't even keep statistics on religious adherence".
Religion in France is considered private, and it is not something used to gain social respect. America is the total opposite; people advertise their religion constantly and use it to relate to people and get further in life.
In the 2007 election in France, candidates were asked for the first time to disclose their religious beliefs. Out of the 12 candidates, 11 agreed to share their beliefs. On the other hand, America's presidential candidates have always shared their religious beliefs and only one president was not raised in a household affiliated with Christianity.
America and France are not very similar in the way they handle religion. Both are very religious countries, but France is more discreet and sees religion as a private matter. America puts all beliefs on display, and often uses religion as a way to get ahead.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_the_United_States#Religion_and_politics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_France
Television in Sri Lanka
America has many different types of television shows, the most popular being reality shows such as Survivor and American Idol.
Sri Lanka has evolved a lot in the past few years, and they now have many shows that are very similar to the shows here.
One of the most popular shows in America is American Idol, a singing competition. In Sri Lanka, there is a show titled 'Derana Dream Star', which is almost identical to American Idol (right down to the teasing contestants who are less than talented). Here is a clip of a man trying out and getting mocked by one of the judges. I presume the judge says something witty at the end.
The channel that hosts 'Derana Dream Star' is apparently 'Sri Lanka's Premium Entertainment Channel'. I'm not sure how that compares to America's entertainment channels, but it seems they have a lot in common.
Another favorite in America is Survivor. I found a Sri Lankan show that seems very similar, called 'Derana Real Leader'. People compete and perform various tasks that test their physical agility. The prize? "A Star class job opportunity as a management trainee in one of Sri Lanka's blu chip companies." Sound familiar? Yeah, it sounds like The Apprentice to me. This show seems to be a mix of the two.
Here is a commercial:
Overall, Sri Lanka has many of the same types of television shows as America. There is less of a market for it, considering the percentage of homes in Sri Lanka that actally have a television.
Sources:
http://www.derana.lk/show.php?prid=30
http://www.youtube.com/v/CWojY0hPkjQ&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/v/SBymjdkuSew&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
Sri Lanka has evolved a lot in the past few years, and they now have many shows that are very similar to the shows here.
One of the most popular shows in America is American Idol, a singing competition. In Sri Lanka, there is a show titled 'Derana Dream Star', which is almost identical to American Idol (right down to the teasing contestants who are less than talented). Here is a clip of a man trying out and getting mocked by one of the judges. I presume the judge says something witty at the end.
The channel that hosts 'Derana Dream Star' is apparently 'Sri Lanka's Premium Entertainment Channel'. I'm not sure how that compares to America's entertainment channels, but it seems they have a lot in common.
Another favorite in America is Survivor. I found a Sri Lankan show that seems very similar, called 'Derana Real Leader'. People compete and perform various tasks that test their physical agility. The prize? "A Star class job opportunity as a management trainee in one of Sri Lanka's blu chip companies." Sound familiar? Yeah, it sounds like The Apprentice to me. This show seems to be a mix of the two.
Here is a commercial:
Overall, Sri Lanka has many of the same types of television shows as America. There is less of a market for it, considering the percentage of homes in Sri Lanka that actally have a television.
Sources:
http://www.derana.lk/show.php?prid=30
http://www.youtube.com/v/CWojY0hPkjQ&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.youtube.com/v/SBymjdkuSew&hl=en&fs=1
http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tv&health.html
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