Cross-cultural issues - long and rambly

[dfrankis at dial.pipex.com]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., "Tabouli" <tabouli at u...> wrote:

<much fascinating stuff in danger of getting a written bonding 
response snipped>

>Anyone on the list who has interesting observations or comments 
about the differences between people in different English speaking 
regions, both international and intranational (e.g. Southern US vs 
East Coast US, etc.), feel free to send 'em on to me!  I promise 
lavish acknowledgments and footnotes in my book...
> 
Here's one that has puzzled me for some years - it may be the 
individual concerned rather than his culture.  During the former Bush 
Administration we were asked to look at the prospects for a 
particular aspect of East West affairs and prepare some technical 
mateiral.  Our (UK govt) customer also wanted an American view of the 
issue, so we hired a guy who wrote a lengthy treatise.

One of the things of interest to our customer was the medium to long 
term view of the issue.  Our American just could not provide it.  He 
gave a brilliant and detailed analysis of the way the Bush 
Administration worked, but when we pointed out that in a year or so 
there might be a new president, and could he identify trends in 
American thinking, he couldn't cope.  A new president would bring his 
own way of doing things, and it was impossible to say anything about 
what that might be.  In a conversation I remember remarking that over 
time we could expect China to replace Japan as the main rival to the 
US in the Far East, and he just boggled at the idea.

He defined himself culturally as a New Yorker (with increasing 
frequency as he fell foul of the wingeing customer syndrome I 
described in the previous post) and regarded himself as being faster 
on the social uptake than others because of it (you have to, in NY, 
according to him).  A Catholic and a lifelong Democrat, he went back 
to the States to join the Perot campaign when the Clinton/Bush choice 
became clear.

I felt this did illustrate a cultural issue that (generalising 
dangerously) Americans think in terms of individuals when it comes to 
politics, while Europeans (and in matters like this Brits are deeply 
European, whatever you might hear) think in terms of impersonal 
forces and trends.  So we look for alignments of interests; they for 
good guys and bad guys.  I wonder if the notion of the 'rogue state' 
(which I as an old worlder think largely nonsense) is related?

Oops, I realise I have rambled deeply into the politics of one of the 
hottest issues across the Atlantic right now.

Anyway, to change the subject rapidly to the reason this is a post 
not a personal e-mail to Tabouli, is that on the main list she 
mentioned the Chinese week.  What is the relationship of this to the 
Western (ie Middle Eastern) week?  Does the Sky/Heaven/Sun day fall 
on Sunday?   Do they share a common origin or is it the coincidence 
of conveniently chopping the month in four?

Finally, what book? and what does Fff. mean?

Oh BTW, I looked at my Lupin reference and realised it's a bad 
example - Harry says You're the best DADA we've ever had and Lupin 
says it's been a pleasure teaching Harry.  Teach me to go On Topic 
here.

David, really with too little to do at work right now