Melting pot is so called when people say about a country where a lot of people from all over the world emigrate and live together. Irrespective of what the purpose is to move, now people tend not to hesitate to accept the forien customs. Even in this situation, people have to choose which culture or custom to live with. If people who decide to change their own custems might be able to insert themselves into the new society. However, people who persist to have their own customs will have troubles some time later even though neighbors like their customs.
In daily lives, the laws are always around us and we have to keep them for a society. However, when we move to another country, we need to behave different because of different laws. Singapore by law banned a lot of things that are allowed in another countries because the central government has a strong power. For example, in Singapore, people can not chew gum, and also the government prohibited to import the gum from other countries. However, imagine that if one who really likes to chew gum when he starts a day persists to continue to chew a gum just like when he was in another country, he is going to be in big trouble. He not only goes to jail, but also will be beaten with big bar which is called chul-tae in Singapore language.
Another example can show that in Asian countries the hierarchical structure among people depending on their age is very important to keep. That is, many countries in Asia have the two different forms of languages according to ages. One is from lower age to higher age, and the other is vice versa or among same ages. They believe that this is how we express respect to older people. However, in western countries, there is no such kind of language discrimination. So, some Asians have hard time to call their professor's name directly. If people who keep this kind of mind, they would have problems when they get into a company because the company has a hierarchy but usually ages can be reversed between senior and junior depending on when they come in the company.
There is an old aphorism, "If you go to Rome, follow the rules in Rome". Like it says, if we move to another country, it is good chance to accept their customs and to live with them. Otherwise, people who persist their own customs will suffer some troubles one way or another. |