Last week we had the opportunity to hear two presentations on different cultures from around the World. The first presentation that we had was on China and South East Asia, and I think that the presentation was very informative and well researched. The group told us about the religious views of China, some of their traditions, some of the challenges that their culture faces, their values, and forms of education. The group also touched on verbal communication, nonverbal communication, and some of the taboos of China and other South Eastern cultures. For my Cultural Awareness Assignment, I went to “China Town” in Scarborough and I found that this presentation helped to reinforce a great deal of the learning that I gained while on that trip. While eating lunch in “China Town,” I noticed a few things while observing some the Chinese people interacting while eating. It did not take long to notice that no one was thanking their servers at the restaurant. Along with not thanking their servers, I also noticed that eye contact was hardly ever made between those who were eating and those who were serving the food. I found this very interesting, and then after hearing this group’s presentation, I learned that eye contact is not respected by many Chinese cultures, and that thanking a server, or even a friend, is also a sign of disrespect. I learned that it is custom that the person being served something tap the table three (3) times as a way of saying “Thank You” for the food or service, and that this is one of the oldest traditions in China. I researched this tradition and discovered that the noble people of China in the past used to never thank their servants, but would simply knock on the table three times to show thanks. I also enjoyed learning that being thankful towards a friend is a cultural standard, and that you would actually offend a friend if you thanked them for anything. The Chinese believe that if someone is really their friend then it is an expectation that they would help you, and that they do not need to be thanked for their services. 
The second presentation that we had was on Mediterranean cultures, and the group focused their project on Greece specifically. The group educated the class on traditional family relationships, gender roles, the ways that they resolve conflict, their religion, and some of the festivals that they have. One of the points that I found interesting in terms of the group’s assignment was on how some Greek people resolve conflicts with their children. I found it rather ridiculous that some of the children who misbehave would receive “The strap,” and also have to complete double the work around the house. Studying in Child and Youth Worker program here at Loyalist, I see so many wrong doings in any kind of physical punishment towards children that the thought of this makes me sick. I understand that some cultures deal with punishment and consequences in their own unique way, but child abuse is child abuse. On a more positive note, I found this presentation very informative and exciting and when I got home, I decided to research a bit about Greek Mythology. The idea of worshiping a different kind of “God or Goddess” than most of us are accustomed too was interesting to me. In researching, I read that modern Greek scholars look to the myths and study them in the hopes of learning more about religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece. In researching some of the Gods that the Greek people worship, I found out that Apollo was the God of music, healing, plague and poetry, among other things. Apollo is the son of Zeus, who was known as the “Father of Gods and men,” and ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus. I also researched a bit about Ares, who was the God of war, bloodlust, violence, and civil order. Ares was also a son of Zeus, and is thought to have been a warrior dressed in battle gear who carried a spear. Eros was another God that interested me, as he was the God of love, sexual intercourse, desire and pleasure. He was the son of the goddess Aphrodite, who was the goodness of love, and oddly enough the wife of Ares (the God of war). There are a variety of different Gods and Goddesses worshipped by the Greek people, and I love the idea of a World where these superior entities could have once controlled Greece and its people.
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