Multicultarism - The Experience

After coming to Finland I have been encountering more and more people from different cultural backgrounds.

This seems mainly because they gather together in a tight knit group, they all know each other or know someone that does. There is the occasional Finn that infiltrates the group, but usually they are quickly spotted and fade away after a few interactions.

This is not from any intentional actions on party of the Multicultural group (let's call them MCs) but more that they seem to feel uncomfortable around the boisterious and loud group that isn't even intoxicated yet.

There are also Finns that have various MC backgrounds or have lived outside of Finland for a few years and absorbed different cultures in that time. They blend in magnificently.

It is interesting that all the MCs I meet have similar reactions to all non-MCs, be they from Finland, Canada, China, India, Africa or anywhere else. 

MCs find it difficult to view the world the same way non-MCs do. MCs often observe that non-mcs believe their cultures to be superior to others, (unconsciously for the most part) and often don't think of global perspectives. It is all local.

I guess it is hard to imagine the size of their world if you live on one street your whole life.

Not all people that travel are MCs. You have to actually live with people from a different culture and let it touch you. Take down the barriers and be willing to see through anothers eyes.

All this I hear again and again from people. I know people from single-cultural backgrounds might take offence, none is intended. I am not implying lack of intelligence, skill or anything else.

It is just a different perspective when you walk in anothers shoes.

I believe you can probably acquire it even in your home country if you go out of your town/village/city/state or province. Or simply living with a different family.

The thing is, and here I think is where it gets tricky, you have to OPEN yourself up to it.

Moving Blogs?

I’ve been thinking about moving this blog. 

Funny isn’t it how you can’t always say what you need first thing? I’m sure with experience it gets easier, you know the first steps you have to take before you can start a particular task. 

This blogspot experience has taught me that in some ways I’m a neat freak, not that you can tell by my desk. I like things to be practical, easily accessible and nicely organized.

So, I think I will move to wordpress or some other site… not sure yet, I am going  to have to see if Wordpress will let me do what I want.

For one I don’t like that Blogspot limits subscribers to Gmail accounts. Gag stupid.

For another I want subpages so they aren’t all on the same page. I want a section for Ramblings, Rantings, Review, Short Stories, Journals, etc and etc.

On the first page I want it to have like little excerpts of the new posts in each of the sections.

I want people to be able to subscribe with whatever comments they like.

Well, that’s as much as I’ve determined that I need for my blog, maybe when I have that I’ll find that I still don’t like it, needing more or perhaps maybe the simple blog format is best.

Hm, it’s not really a blog with multiple pages, in the end I want a website I guess.

You learn and acquire new skills every time you do something. 

A part of me knew, going in to this whole blog business that I was testing the waters. Could I write everyday? Was a single page enough for me? Do I have something to write everyday?

I don’t know about the few readers, but I know I just enjoy writing about whatever.

So any suggestions about a new site or host that can give me the capabilities I am asking about above for free would be fantastic!

Well, shhh back to work.

Oh yeah, I will keep posting here until I figure out an alternative.