Culture is a wide topic and an important part in each country because it can vary on traditions, customs, beliefs and other specific aspects which are related only to each country. According to Cambridge dictionary culture is "the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time: youth/working-class culture." As we jus read, culture is related to many different topics, and our porfessor of Contemporary US Culture and Society took the advantage of it and gave us the opportunity to share about Costa Rican Culture with foreign students who were coming to our university last Thursday, July 22nd. The cultural activity began at 5pm in the lobby 2, a group with folklore dancing opened the activity; they danced traditional Costa Rican songs with our typical dress. As soon as they finished, we started with our activity. It was to make a description about our quilt piece which had a specific topic related to Costa Rican culture. I thought our activity was more formal because we had to talk in front of all students about our quilt piece, but it was not we only had to describe our quilt piece to another student, and she had to guess my piece. I met Kerstin, she was from Austria. Then, I described my patch, and it was easier for her to guess mine because it was about family. After that, we started talking about different characteristics of Costa Rican families and Austrian families as relation of family members, teenager's way of life and traditions
We started talking about family members. I explained her Costa Rican family relates many people as mother, father, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, grandchildren, daughter in law, son in law, brother in law and sister in law. In some families the relation is closer because some members lives together for example a son's family or sister's family can live with their grandparents. Then, Kerstin explained me that in Austrian families the common members are mother, father, children and grandparents; they do not have a closer relation with all the family like us. It was very interesting because in many countries family is only mother, father and children, and they do not have a closer relation with other members of the family.
Then, we continued talking about the teenager's way of life. I explained her that in Costa Rica, children do not have an specific age for leaving parents house, when they take the decision is because they have financial resource to be responsible and paid their bills. On the other hand, other people married, but they bring their new family into their parents' house. When I said that to her, she got surprise because that is normal in her country too, and she told me as an example my parents and me live with my grandparents, and she added that there is also normal children stayed with their parents, they do not have an specific age either.
After that, I told her another characteristic of us that for some families are common to visit the relatives' houses on weekends or do familiar trips, in this case all family members rent a bus, and go to an specific place. This was the only characteristic which was different because she said they visit their relatives once in a while. Also they never do familiar trips or an similar activity. In that aspect they have different traditions or customs.
Finally, for me the activity was excellent because we could exchange knowledge about our cultures, at the same time we practiced English. I think university can do this kind of activities more frequently. It is something different, and we can learn more from people who are native of different countries. In my case, we started talking a lot about different topics related to people or family because both of us were interested to learn more and more about the other country.
Then, we continued talking about the teenager's way of life. I explained her that in Costa Rica, children do not have an specific age for leaving parents house, when they take the decision is because they have financial resource to be responsible and paid their bills. On the other hand, other people married, but they bring their new family into their parents' house. When I said that to her, she got surprise because that is normal in her country too, and she told me as an example my parents and me live with my grandparents, and she added that there is also normal children stayed with their parents, they do not have an specific age either.
After that, I told her another characteristic of us that for some families are common to visit the relatives' houses on weekends or do familiar trips, in this case all family members rent a bus, and go to an specific place. This was the only characteristic which was different because she said they visit their relatives once in a while. Also they never do familiar trips or an similar activity. In that aspect they have different traditions or customs.
Finally, for me the activity was excellent because we could exchange knowledge about our cultures, at the same time we practiced English. I think university can do this kind of activities more frequently. It is something different, and we can learn more from people who are native of different countries. In my case, we started talking a lot about different topics related to people or family because both of us were interested to learn more and more about the other country.
