Culture Envy

I love going to international presentations. Absolutely love it. I have been privileged enough to hear an Indian graduate student talk about her country's marriage ceremonies, to hear a very dear Honduran friend discuss traditional dance garb while his roommate discussed the political setting in their country, and most recently, to listen to K-Pop boy bands and stare at delicious-looking Korean food under the guidance of an amazing Korea artis. They're all amazing- the cultures and the students. I can't fathom doing what they are. (I'm a total home-body, if you will).

Then after the presentations, when I begin to reflect on everything I have heard, I start to ponder American culture, and I come up short. America is the melting pot, the place where cultures blend and mix, and I am beyond thankful for that. I love being in a land where you can find new culture everywhere you look, even within a small city like my college town. But with that said, do we have anything that is actually ours? The "musical" genre began here, but musicals are entirely ignored or abhorred by a good portion of our nation. Our weddings range as widely as our inhabitants do, food changes from region to region [though I must say I love living in the barbecue region of the country ;) ], and movies and music are just as wide spread. I kind of start to ponder who we are as a nation, and I vaguely wonder what I would write if I ever had a presentation of that nature.

It is also weird to think that I don't know how America is viewed in the modern world. I've learned that in some countries, our accents are portrayed as being nasally, and you constantly hear cheeseburger jokes on XBox Live, but what else do you think of? I can't even begin to guess.

To me, America is this eclectic melting pot and a blessing, but wouldn't it be amazing to have something that ties us to BEING American or ties us together? 


Maybe there are things... Talk to me, blogosphere. I'd love to hear from you.