What’s a cultural tradition from another country that you wish existed in yours?
At an anthropology elective, we studied inculturation. This implies the gradual acquisition of cultural traits by another race, nation, or ethnic group. Jovan, an excellent professor, showed us a clip where various nationals fight over this dish’s origin. Turks, Greeks, Kurds, Macedonians, and Cypriots vied for the honour. Cultural traits and idiosyncrasies are rigid and relative. So pliant are they that their genesis gets blurred. They become intertwined in time and tradition.
‘Tokyo Drift’
I met this atheist guy at a Christmas party. In Japan, the trains are never late or early. They arrive on the dot. He wished Sydney’s trains were as spot-on. You could turn up every day at the same time and expect the usual. He left out that those same trains in Tokyo are packed to the rafters. It’s a miracle that they can run on time with all those passengers. The children are very disciplined, unlike other countries. You need not tell them twice. Excellent listeners, they have impeccable manners.
He doesn’t get The Catcher in the Rye. Yes, it’s so famous and studied in schools but what was the point? Dead Russian writers are the world’s best. He mocked the Catholic Church and its beliefs. I wanted to contradict him, but he was in the zone. ‘Christmas is originally a pagan tradition, now embraced by Christians and atheists alike.’
All of the above
I’d like to see these in our country. Imagine all trains, buses, and the metro running like clockwork. No delays, limited track work, and zero cancellations. Whether in commute or weekend, you could count on Sydney Trains and buses to show up. A headache-free network and very proactive. One train mayhem won’t affect others.
If Japan can do it with much more commuters, then so can Sydney. We must gauge and learn HOW they operate and follow their lead. We don’t need to emulate other Western systems. We should go with the best.
Blanket revamps
Through the years, our public transport has overhauled its system. No more singe, return, and weekly tickets. Previously, I got the latter to save, since phased out. Enter the Opal card, the new normal for the state’s transport network. Fares are calculated by distance, with daily and weekly caps. Use your bank card to tap on and off.
While I appreciate the changes, toeing the system’s line is a hassle. I sometimes carry lots of stuff. Tapping on off seems daunting, with a small window and a queue behind you. Phone cases are RFID, meaning you’ll have to remove your Opal. Before, scanning to the reader was painless as my phone case wasn’t RFID. Those were the days. While technology safeguards our cards, things are more inconvenient.
The moth and the flame
Speaking of discipline, I recalled this news report. A kid treated the QVB balcony as his personal slide and fell to his death. It was like the moth and the fire. The mini moth disobeyed his parent, treading too close to the flame. It doomed him and sent him to kingdom come. That imp never listened to his elders, bringing him to his final destination.
My friends admitted that they were given tough love growing up. As the Bible says, ‘Spare the rod and spoil the child.’
I’ve discussed these sentiments in a prior post. If we could recreate Japan and have model kids, we would be developing tomorrow’s leaders. Success starts from within. We need skippers from the grassroots level. In order to cultivate the future, we must train them from the get-go. We shouldn’t wait for high school educators to tame these gung-ho operators. Mould our kids’ listening and reading. They must get limited screen time and more outdoors spells. Introducing them to sports is a good first step. As is embracing new languages. To be true torchbearers, we must inculcate the right attitude. Respect for elders. Being serious with both studies and other activities. Soaking new learning like a sponge. Taking up music and being proactive. Thinking on their feet. Becoming team players. Knowing technology’s pros and cons. Maintaining the right diet. Following their passion and mission.
‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’
Change isn’t overnight. Progress, is a step at a time. True advancement cannot be done in a snap. It must be earned gradually. You can’t return from Tokyo and expect the same from Sydney pronto. Seeing the difference, a concerted effort is required. As a movie poster once read, ‘The greatest battle comes from within’.
