:D hmm I went to cultural anthropology class today,
and the professor pointed out some really interesting,
like the word "holiday," which is made by a combination of the words
"holy" and "day." And how holidays are different according to culture,
such as, people livin in the united states celebrate the forth of July,
and Thanksgiving, yet other countries do not neccesarily
celebrate these "holidays" on the same day for the same reasons.
[even though a few cultures have an independance day and a havest festival of some sort]
In interest of the different perspectives highlighted in cultural anthropology, I thought it'd be interesting to observe the vairity of cultures displayed on keenspace. Keenspace being the most diverse and inexplicable group of people I've read about et :'D ahaha. (that's a compliment. Feel good about it! :'D)
Please leave your name, your location, the year you are born and maybe a photo of yourself, or a visual description of yourself too :D (for example, I'd be an asian girl with dyed dark red hair that is about sholder length and always died up in a pony tail, low or high; about 160cm/5'4" tall, not very skinney but rarely considered fat by others. I tend to dress rather poorly of a mixture of run down pants, long skirts and XL T-shirts to a better batch of clothing consisting of a few button up shirts and sweaters.)
Describe your room, and any objects with significance. (poster of a person, idol of your god, paddle from fraternity, etc)
How many people live in the same household as you? Who do you consider family, and what is your relationship with them? Are they related to you by blood? Are they related to you by religion?
Describe an average day. Explain why you do some of the things you do. (going to school, going online, taking medecine, working out)
What verbal or non-verbal language is used in your community(where you live)? What particular terms, jargon, slang do you hear? What gestures, facial-expressions, body postures do you observe?
What cultural rules are being followed? What rules are followed that demonstrate appropriate behavior for that particular event? (for example, in the states, some people greet each other "Merry Christmas" in december instead of hello. Also in the states, people believe braking a mirror is bad luck)
What is your history? What is your home of origin? Why did you/your family settle where they are now?
What is your work?
What are some of your family customs and roles of members within your family? What is your role in your family?
How closely do you identify with and affiliate with your culture? How assimilated into the mainstream culture are members of your family and how well is that accepted by the rest of the family?
What are the gender roles in your culture? And in you family?
What religious or spiritual beliefs are influential in your culture and for your family?
What are your family beliefs about around child rearing and discipline?
What would be the characteristics and practices of people who are considered to be excellent parents in your culture?
What are the power structure in your family? Is age a factor in who has power? How are decisions made at the family and community level?
Who holds positions of formal power in your culture? Who are the most powerful informal leaders in your community? Who held positions of power in the past?
What is your concept of health? What are customary health practices and beliefs? Who is responsible for and influences health care? Do you use home or folk remedies, a healer, shaman or some other traditional or spiritual healer?
What is your concept of time? Is this the same as others in your culture? (an odd example, in Japan and Korea, when a baby is born, he or she is one year old. However, in the US , when a baby is born, he or she is zero year old. a better example is how certain cultures use the moon to keep track of the months)
What is your concept of personal space? What is considered appropriate touch between people of various relationships? (Consider how people greet each other when they are first introduced, when they greet friends, when they greet relatives)
How can you communicate effectively in your culture? Consider the meaning of tone of voice, gestures, eye-contact, overall body language, terminology used to describe health, face-saving behaviors.
Identify and verify customs, beliefs, and practices that might be misinterpreted by established institutions within your community e.g. schools, law enforcement, social services, health care providers (this includes such beliefs around certain body parts such as the head, male and female circumcision, cutting or puncturing the skin, transfusions, autopsies)
Feel free to answer as many or as few questions as you want.
And you are most welcome to go off in tangents while answering a question
cultural diversity class
cultural diversity class
I'M MAKING A GAME | GALLERY | The old webcomic:http://www.skimlines.com | [url=irc://irc.esper.net/keenspace]irc://irc.esper.net/keenspace[/url]
Lessee here ...
Caucasian (white) male (Heritage 3/4s British of varying nationalities, 1/4 Italian), 18 yrs. old, shortish brown hair and blue eyes. Usually found wearing long pants and some kind of T-shirt; watch and keychain lanyard hanging off of the belt. I think of myself as short at 5'10", but then I grew up around a bunch of 6'+ people. I'm also probably thinner than I think, but growing up with the nickname Tubbalard and being in a class of tall thin athletes kinda ruined my self image permanently.
My room is in a constant state of disarray, with inspirational posters, pictures from the computer, and important notices sharing wall space. Clothing everywhere. A wolf calendar, 'cuz wolves are cool. Usually several pictures of Jesus and temples scattered around just to prove to myself that I actually am a Mormon and that there's still hope for me, no matter what I think in my worse moods.
I'm off at school, so I live with a roommate from Texas (cocky sonofagun); at home in Ohio, I live with my parents, who are empty-nesters at the moment - I'm the youngest of five, with three sisters (hence my feeling more comfortable around girls - go figure). My family includes my three sisters, their husbands and children, my brother and his wife (I'm the only single guy left!), my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, spread all over the country.
Average day ... alarm goes off at 6:30 so I can wake up by 7:30, shower, and sprint to class with some portable breakfast. Then classes through the day and evening, interspersed with meals at the Cannon Center and time on my computer (which everyone mocks but is good enough for me). And then I'm on my computer until all hours of the night RPing on IRC.
A big Ohioism is when something "needs done." You don't say, "Hey, Simon, I'd like you to cut the grass." Well, you can, but more often, you'd say, "Hey, Simon, the grass needs cut. Would you do it, please?"
My parents started in San Diego after my dad was moved there with the Navy, then moved to the Cleveland area after he left so as to be closer to Dad's parents. They settled first in Claridon, then moved to a bigger house in Burton when the family got too big for the house - this is the home I've known since birth.
My work right now is to be a student and crank out a webcomic on occasion.
And a bunch of what I was typing suddenly disappeared and I don't feel like retyping it, so I'll finish there.
--Sij
Caucasian (white) male (Heritage 3/4s British of varying nationalities, 1/4 Italian), 18 yrs. old, shortish brown hair and blue eyes. Usually found wearing long pants and some kind of T-shirt; watch and keychain lanyard hanging off of the belt. I think of myself as short at 5'10", but then I grew up around a bunch of 6'+ people. I'm also probably thinner than I think, but growing up with the nickname Tubbalard and being in a class of tall thin athletes kinda ruined my self image permanently.
My room is in a constant state of disarray, with inspirational posters, pictures from the computer, and important notices sharing wall space. Clothing everywhere. A wolf calendar, 'cuz wolves are cool. Usually several pictures of Jesus and temples scattered around just to prove to myself that I actually am a Mormon and that there's still hope for me, no matter what I think in my worse moods.
I'm off at school, so I live with a roommate from Texas (cocky sonofagun); at home in Ohio, I live with my parents, who are empty-nesters at the moment - I'm the youngest of five, with three sisters (hence my feeling more comfortable around girls - go figure). My family includes my three sisters, their husbands and children, my brother and his wife (I'm the only single guy left!), my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents, spread all over the country.
Average day ... alarm goes off at 6:30 so I can wake up by 7:30, shower, and sprint to class with some portable breakfast. Then classes through the day and evening, interspersed with meals at the Cannon Center and time on my computer (which everyone mocks but is good enough for me). And then I'm on my computer until all hours of the night RPing on IRC.
A big Ohioism is when something "needs done." You don't say, "Hey, Simon, I'd like you to cut the grass." Well, you can, but more often, you'd say, "Hey, Simon, the grass needs cut. Would you do it, please?"
My parents started in San Diego after my dad was moved there with the Navy, then moved to the Cleveland area after he left so as to be closer to Dad's parents. They settled first in Claridon, then moved to a bigger house in Burton when the family got too big for the house - this is the home I've known since birth.
My work right now is to be a student and crank out a webcomic on occasion.
And a bunch of what I was typing suddenly disappeared and I don't feel like retyping it, so I'll finish there.
--Sij
-
Superlance
- Regular Poster
- Posts: 974
- Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2003 11:12 am
- Location: ASMS, Mobile
- Contact:
*blows bubblegum bubble*
*pop*
Now, in one breath!:
I am white, and female, 1/4 American Indian (Cherokee), 1/4th English, 1/4th German, and 1/4th Scottish and Irish.
I have brown hair that is so curly and thick that I could permanentally entangle a hairbrush in it.
I'm 5' 7", and everybody says I would have a perfect figure if I didn't eat so much pizza. I love pizza. Pizza with Tabasco sauce.
I like black and red clothes, military fatigues, and leather jackets and coats.
I look great in copper makeup, but I'm too lazy to ever put any on.
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.
Hate me because I can whip your butt in the paintball field.
My room is pristine.
I cannot live with a pile of laundry on the floor; it drives me to within the brink of insanity.
Every spare inch of my walls and shelves, though; are covered with posters and model airplanes; watch your head when entering.
I also have several huge Ferrari banners in my room, a flag and a poster, that clash horribly with everything else; but I don't care.
I have two younger siblings, a brother and a sister; and, not to be mean, but I think I got all the brains.
My brother is obsessed with sports, so does poorly in school; and my sister makes C's.
I'm so ashamed.
I'm pretty sharp when talking to someone, except on the phone or computer; I read off people's faces when I talk to know what they say, which is hard to do when you can't see them.
*did his eye twitch? HAH! I knew he was lying... now I have him!*
Average day:
Do I have to go to school?
...
But it's a waste of time!
...
Big deal.
...
*gets home*
*gets on the computer*
*goes to softball practice*
*comes home*
*gets back on the computer, and stays there until 2AM*
Unless it's Saturday, then we go to the paintball field!!
We live on the Gulf of Mexico, a mythical place where you think 50 degree fahrenhiet is unbelivably cold; and there really are alligators in the sewer.
We eat those horribly toxic things called oysters all the time, and have fish twice a week.
I also lived in the Cariibean, where you thought 65 degrees was an artic chill.
I'm not very cold tolerant.
I either draw fanatically, or get into an art block were I can't draw anything for weeks.
My definition of personal space is that nobody is allowed to touch my stuff.
If you are given the mere honor of entering my room, it will be a sigh of how much I trust you.
Stay out of my stuff though.
Touch my computer and you die.
All that other stuff...
I live in the United States, and I am a Bush-loving Republican.
Live with it.
After all, I am saving you from listening to my seven page long pro-war, pro-Bush speech.
I don't understand the greeting speech thing, actually.
I go up to somebody and say something really funny; and volia.
We talk.
But usually I just ignore everybody.
Depends on which way my mood has swung.
OK; ran out of breath.
I have a pic somehwere.
Ah.
You should be familiar with this one, but I don't want to find another right now.
My eyes are not green, BTW, they are gold, I used to have colored contacts.
*pop*
Now, in one breath!:
I am white, and female, 1/4 American Indian (Cherokee), 1/4th English, 1/4th German, and 1/4th Scottish and Irish.
I have brown hair that is so curly and thick that I could permanentally entangle a hairbrush in it.
I'm 5' 7", and everybody says I would have a perfect figure if I didn't eat so much pizza. I love pizza. Pizza with Tabasco sauce.
I like black and red clothes, military fatigues, and leather jackets and coats.
I look great in copper makeup, but I'm too lazy to ever put any on.
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful.
Hate me because I can whip your butt in the paintball field.
My room is pristine.
I cannot live with a pile of laundry on the floor; it drives me to within the brink of insanity.
Every spare inch of my walls and shelves, though; are covered with posters and model airplanes; watch your head when entering.
I also have several huge Ferrari banners in my room, a flag and a poster, that clash horribly with everything else; but I don't care.
I have two younger siblings, a brother and a sister; and, not to be mean, but I think I got all the brains.
My brother is obsessed with sports, so does poorly in school; and my sister makes C's.
I'm so ashamed.
I'm pretty sharp when talking to someone, except on the phone or computer; I read off people's faces when I talk to know what they say, which is hard to do when you can't see them.
*did his eye twitch? HAH! I knew he was lying... now I have him!*
Average day:
Do I have to go to school?
...
But it's a waste of time!
...
Big deal.
...
*gets home*
*gets on the computer*
*goes to softball practice*
*comes home*
*gets back on the computer, and stays there until 2AM*
Unless it's Saturday, then we go to the paintball field!!
We live on the Gulf of Mexico, a mythical place where you think 50 degree fahrenhiet is unbelivably cold; and there really are alligators in the sewer.
We eat those horribly toxic things called oysters all the time, and have fish twice a week.
I also lived in the Cariibean, where you thought 65 degrees was an artic chill.
I'm not very cold tolerant.
I either draw fanatically, or get into an art block were I can't draw anything for weeks.
My definition of personal space is that nobody is allowed to touch my stuff.
If you are given the mere honor of entering my room, it will be a sigh of how much I trust you.
Stay out of my stuff though.
Touch my computer and you die.
All that other stuff...
I live in the United States, and I am a Bush-loving Republican.
Live with it.
After all, I am saving you from listening to my seven page long pro-war, pro-Bush speech.
I don't understand the greeting speech thing, actually.
I go up to somebody and say something really funny; and volia.
We talk.
But usually I just ignore everybody.
Depends on which way my mood has swung.
OK; ran out of breath.
I have a pic somehwere.
Ah.
You should be familiar with this one, but I don't want to find another right now.
My eyes are not green, BTW, they are gold, I used to have colored contacts.
ASMS: The school for the criminally insane.
They put us here to keep up away from the normal people.
You feared Algebra in high school? Integral Calculus is a required class here.
-
Sortelli
- Cartoon Villain
- Posts: 6334
- Joined: Sat Aug 10, 2002 7:15 pm
- Location: in your grandpa's clothes, I look incredible
- Contact:
Joshua Ner Sortelli
Tucson, Arizona
5'8", 200lbs, waist length brown hair
Around my computer I've got my Gris-Gris doll from Hotel Grim, some Bionicle toys, Shannon's cat figurines, a Japanese tea set, family photos, some Egyptian trinkets; I have some of my drawings of Anubis, Thoth and Serket on my wall, among some pictures sent to us by a dear Canadian friend (The Egyptian stuff is there because I think it's cool, not for any remotely religious purpose). There's also a messy little Woot figurine made out of polymer clay smiling vacantly at me right now.
In my household there's me, my fiance Shannon and her 22 year old son Daniel. They're family 'cause I love them. My direct relations all live here in town and I see them from time to time. My brother recently registered sortelli.com -- There aren't any other Sortellis outside of my family.
Average day: I work from 3pm to 12am. Usually in bed by 2am, up around 10 in the morning. Spend a few hours each day working on the comic and catching up on the internet. Spend the rest of my free time playing video games. I try to do something special with Shannon once a week, but we don't leave the house often. Hanging out indoors is good enough.
We speak English 'round here. I live in the southwest, so Spanish is a common language in the community at large but I don't speak it. I don't think it's unfair to expect people to speak English to assimilate into our culture; but whenever I talk to a customer who complains that we have Spanish-speaking employees dedicated to servicing Spanish-speaking customers who shop with us, I make them feel like idiots for being bothered by such a thing.
I was born in this town, my mother came to Arizona as a child with her parents, my father was born here. His parents were from France and Italy.
I'm a "coach" in a call center. I tell inbound telemarketers how to do their jobs. At home, I tell outbound telemarketers to die gruesomely as I hang up on them and imagine tears running down their faces.
Shannon and I both work full time, but Shannon is the organized one who keeps track of the bills and keeps everything running while I draw.
It's hard to pin an American down on culture, because we're so diverse. A lot of our personal culture has a lot to do with our individual heritages. Belonging to that bigger American Dream means you're a cowboy patriot knucklehead among some other Americans.
But I like this country very much.
My parents and siblings are Christian, but I no longer consider myself one. I still tend to be defensive of my old religion, though. I'm agnostic but not atheist. My father didn't convert until after I had moved out, so now I'm the only black sheep, I guess. Don't tell my mom.
The concept of health in my family is pretty mainstream. No alternative/holistic quackery in my home, if I was seriously hurt or sick I'd go to a real doctor, and I avoid needing to do that.
Time keeps on slipping into the future.
People who are touching me are violating my personal space. People with poor hygene who get within a few feet of me are violating my personal space.
Tucson, Arizona
5'8", 200lbs, waist length brown hair
Around my computer I've got my Gris-Gris doll from Hotel Grim, some Bionicle toys, Shannon's cat figurines, a Japanese tea set, family photos, some Egyptian trinkets; I have some of my drawings of Anubis, Thoth and Serket on my wall, among some pictures sent to us by a dear Canadian friend (The Egyptian stuff is there because I think it's cool, not for any remotely religious purpose). There's also a messy little Woot figurine made out of polymer clay smiling vacantly at me right now.
In my household there's me, my fiance Shannon and her 22 year old son Daniel. They're family 'cause I love them. My direct relations all live here in town and I see them from time to time. My brother recently registered sortelli.com -- There aren't any other Sortellis outside of my family.
Average day: I work from 3pm to 12am. Usually in bed by 2am, up around 10 in the morning. Spend a few hours each day working on the comic and catching up on the internet. Spend the rest of my free time playing video games. I try to do something special with Shannon once a week, but we don't leave the house often. Hanging out indoors is good enough.
We speak English 'round here. I live in the southwest, so Spanish is a common language in the community at large but I don't speak it. I don't think it's unfair to expect people to speak English to assimilate into our culture; but whenever I talk to a customer who complains that we have Spanish-speaking employees dedicated to servicing Spanish-speaking customers who shop with us, I make them feel like idiots for being bothered by such a thing.
I was born in this town, my mother came to Arizona as a child with her parents, my father was born here. His parents were from France and Italy.
I'm a "coach" in a call center. I tell inbound telemarketers how to do their jobs. At home, I tell outbound telemarketers to die gruesomely as I hang up on them and imagine tears running down their faces.
Shannon and I both work full time, but Shannon is the organized one who keeps track of the bills and keeps everything running while I draw.
It's hard to pin an American down on culture, because we're so diverse. A lot of our personal culture has a lot to do with our individual heritages. Belonging to that bigger American Dream means you're a cowboy patriot knucklehead among some other Americans.
But I like this country very much.My parents and siblings are Christian, but I no longer consider myself one. I still tend to be defensive of my old religion, though. I'm agnostic but not atheist. My father didn't convert until after I had moved out, so now I'm the only black sheep, I guess. Don't tell my mom.
The concept of health in my family is pretty mainstream. No alternative/holistic quackery in my home, if I was seriously hurt or sick I'd go to a real doctor, and I avoid needing to do that.
Time keeps on slipping into the future.
People who are touching me are violating my personal space. People with poor hygene who get within a few feet of me are violating my personal space.
-
Evil Jamie!
- Cartoon Hero
- Posts: 1408
- Joined: Wed Mar 05, 2003 1:19 am
- Location: Tasmania
-
Rkolter
- Destroyer of Words (Moderator)
- Posts: 16399
- Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2003 4:34 am
- Location: It's equally probable that I'm everywhere.
- Contact:
Re: cultural diversity class
I second Mr. Bob. Are we doing your homework?
Ryan Kolter, St. Louis, MO. Born in 1971. No photo, but I'm 5'9", 220 (so I'm pudgy, but not really, really fat). I'm told that I have "Rich brown eyes" even by women who aren't interested in me. Brown hair, short. I'm covered in fur. No, I'm not a furry... I'm just very hairy. White, Male, and 100% American. If you want my heritage, I look like a cross between English and German people, with some Hungarian. Usually dress business casual, except on weekends, when I'll wear shorts unless it's 30 degrees or below out, and always wear t-shirts that are designed to upset people.
I wear t-shirts that upset people because I think that the population has become much too touchy. When someone explodes at me for wearing a T-shirt that says, "Abortions tickle" for example, I laugh and explain that I wore it specifically to get that kind of response from an easily tweaked person.
My bedroom is actually our bedroom - my Fiance' and I. There's nothing interesting in it, at all. It's a BEDroom - we use it to sleep and stuff. So I'll tell you about "my" area of the house instead - basement. There are pictures of buildings my grandfather built, but the least obvious/most important picture is of a very sick baby shedding it's skin and a new baby crawling out. It's gross, but I spent most of the first six years of my life in a hospital, so to me, it has a special meaning.
There are also keys from an english castle (sorry guys, my mom stole them in the 1980's. They really -are- from a castle). There's my photo studio for my side-business, and lots and lots and lots of book shelves lining the walls.
How many people? Two people, three cats.
Family? I'm an only child, but my blood relations on either side are very close, so they're all considered family. Beth is my Fiance', she's related by love (ya ya ya...). Her family is rapidly adopting me... they're just cool people.
I am not related to anyone above by religion. I am the black sheep of my blood family, and Beth's family just doesn't know (they are very bible thumping).
Wake up at 5:30. Shower, take meds, Leave for work at 6. Work from 7-3:30. College T/Th 'till 8. M/W/F come home, work on my side business, do errands, etcetera. Snuggle with Fiance' until next day. Repeat. Weekends are much, much more fun.
In St. Louis, Street names are either unpronouncable, or very long. For example, Saint Charles Rock Road is a famous road around here. It's called Charlie Rock Road, SCRR, and The Rock Road. I know nobody who calls it by it's proper name. As for Spoede, if you can't prounounce it, don't move here (Spade-E).
People here are generally friendlier than other places I've lived; it's not improper to be rude at times, it's just unusual. St. Louis is massively Christian - for example, many businesses advertise specifically that they are closed on Sundays because they care about families. Oddly, there's a place here called "Dirt Cheap Beer, Wine, and Liquour", and it's slogan is, "The more you drink, the better she looks." Kind of a contrast.
My history?
Born in Mesa, Arizona, before it was a big town. Moved to Moline, then East Moline, Illinois. Moved to Rochester, MN. Moved to Cincinnati, OH, then Cleveland, OH, and now to St. Louis, MO. Plus a few in-town moves in there. Cleveland still feels like "home", but St. Louis is starting to take over that position. My family is in Florida; eventually I'll probably end up there too - you can't shovel sunshine.
I work for IBM, Inc. as a network admin at one of our client sites.
Family customs? Well, there's a few. We put $500 in the center of the Monopoly board; if you land on Free Parking, you keep it. We play "31" at family reunions (it's a variant of 21). Uhm...
As for family roles; on my Mom's side it's a matriarchy. My grandmother is in charge and don't you dare say otherwise. The women in the family do all the cooking; the men do all the cleaning after the cooking (oddly it's reversed in my parent's home and my home). I have some concerns if there will be any family reunions on that side of the family after my Grandmother passes away.
My roll in the family is "religious black sheep" and "computer guy".
I don't much identify with any religious aspects of the culture; I damn near perfectly meet the stereotype of a computer geek. The first isn't accepted, the second is.
Gender roles? Beth and I are equals. My mom and my dad are equals. In the culture? I'm biased - I don't see much other than equality, but then again, two of my four bosses are powerful women.
Religious beliefs? Woah, Christianity, the bible-thumping type is big here. I've been invited by total strangers to no less than four different churches. Nice of them, but I'm not Christian so I don't identify with their beliefs. My family is odd. My Father's side is "live and let live" Be whatever you are. My grandmother on my mom's side (the matriarch) is happy so long as I'm spiritual (which I am). Everyone else sans my family dislikes my religious faith, and have gone so far as to say that my lack of being Christian is killing my grandmother.
Child rearing and discipline? Kids are kids, but parents have to be parents, not just friends. Parents have to be the bad guy sometimes, in their kids eyes. Discipline is important when there's some real danger. It's harmful when applied to make a kid think like you.
Power structure of my family:
Father's side: None really. Very independant.
Mother's side: Matriarchy, age is critical. I'm just now old enough at 32 to participate in what I consider "Adult" conversations.
Health? I have too many medical people in my family to be anything but pro-medicine and pro-doctors. If I'm sick, I go get drugs. My Fiance' will only take drugs if she's VERY ill. Her family believes in working through being sick.
Personal space? Gods, get your ass out of my personal space, please. I like it. I neeeeeeeeed it. I don't need it always, but I must have an area that is -mine- and -mine- alone to do with, or escape to, as I please.
Ryan Kolter, St. Louis, MO. Born in 1971. No photo, but I'm 5'9", 220 (so I'm pudgy, but not really, really fat). I'm told that I have "Rich brown eyes" even by women who aren't interested in me. Brown hair, short. I'm covered in fur. No, I'm not a furry... I'm just very hairy. White, Male, and 100% American. If you want my heritage, I look like a cross between English and German people, with some Hungarian. Usually dress business casual, except on weekends, when I'll wear shorts unless it's 30 degrees or below out, and always wear t-shirts that are designed to upset people.
I wear t-shirts that upset people because I think that the population has become much too touchy. When someone explodes at me for wearing a T-shirt that says, "Abortions tickle" for example, I laugh and explain that I wore it specifically to get that kind of response from an easily tweaked person.
My bedroom is actually our bedroom - my Fiance' and I. There's nothing interesting in it, at all. It's a BEDroom - we use it to sleep and stuff. So I'll tell you about "my" area of the house instead - basement. There are pictures of buildings my grandfather built, but the least obvious/most important picture is of a very sick baby shedding it's skin and a new baby crawling out. It's gross, but I spent most of the first six years of my life in a hospital, so to me, it has a special meaning.
There are also keys from an english castle (sorry guys, my mom stole them in the 1980's. They really -are- from a castle). There's my photo studio for my side-business, and lots and lots and lots of book shelves lining the walls.
How many people? Two people, three cats.
Family? I'm an only child, but my blood relations on either side are very close, so they're all considered family. Beth is my Fiance', she's related by love (ya ya ya...). Her family is rapidly adopting me... they're just cool people.
I am not related to anyone above by religion. I am the black sheep of my blood family, and Beth's family just doesn't know (they are very bible thumping).
Wake up at 5:30. Shower, take meds, Leave for work at 6. Work from 7-3:30. College T/Th 'till 8. M/W/F come home, work on my side business, do errands, etcetera. Snuggle with Fiance' until next day. Repeat. Weekends are much, much more fun.
In St. Louis, Street names are either unpronouncable, or very long. For example, Saint Charles Rock Road is a famous road around here. It's called Charlie Rock Road, SCRR, and The Rock Road. I know nobody who calls it by it's proper name. As for Spoede, if you can't prounounce it, don't move here (Spade-E).
People here are generally friendlier than other places I've lived; it's not improper to be rude at times, it's just unusual. St. Louis is massively Christian - for example, many businesses advertise specifically that they are closed on Sundays because they care about families. Oddly, there's a place here called "Dirt Cheap Beer, Wine, and Liquour", and it's slogan is, "The more you drink, the better she looks." Kind of a contrast.
My history?
Born in Mesa, Arizona, before it was a big town. Moved to Moline, then East Moline, Illinois. Moved to Rochester, MN. Moved to Cincinnati, OH, then Cleveland, OH, and now to St. Louis, MO. Plus a few in-town moves in there. Cleveland still feels like "home", but St. Louis is starting to take over that position. My family is in Florida; eventually I'll probably end up there too - you can't shovel sunshine.
I work for IBM, Inc. as a network admin at one of our client sites.
Family customs? Well, there's a few. We put $500 in the center of the Monopoly board; if you land on Free Parking, you keep it. We play "31" at family reunions (it's a variant of 21). Uhm...
As for family roles; on my Mom's side it's a matriarchy. My grandmother is in charge and don't you dare say otherwise. The women in the family do all the cooking; the men do all the cleaning after the cooking (oddly it's reversed in my parent's home and my home). I have some concerns if there will be any family reunions on that side of the family after my Grandmother passes away.
My roll in the family is "religious black sheep" and "computer guy".
I don't much identify with any religious aspects of the culture; I damn near perfectly meet the stereotype of a computer geek. The first isn't accepted, the second is.
Gender roles? Beth and I are equals. My mom and my dad are equals. In the culture? I'm biased - I don't see much other than equality, but then again, two of my four bosses are powerful women.
Religious beliefs? Woah, Christianity, the bible-thumping type is big here. I've been invited by total strangers to no less than four different churches. Nice of them, but I'm not Christian so I don't identify with their beliefs. My family is odd. My Father's side is "live and let live" Be whatever you are. My grandmother on my mom's side (the matriarch) is happy so long as I'm spiritual (which I am). Everyone else sans my family dislikes my religious faith, and have gone so far as to say that my lack of being Christian is killing my grandmother.
Child rearing and discipline? Kids are kids, but parents have to be parents, not just friends. Parents have to be the bad guy sometimes, in their kids eyes. Discipline is important when there's some real danger. It's harmful when applied to make a kid think like you.
Power structure of my family:
Father's side: None really. Very independant.
Mother's side: Matriarchy, age is critical. I'm just now old enough at 32 to participate in what I consider "Adult" conversations.
Health? I have too many medical people in my family to be anything but pro-medicine and pro-doctors. If I'm sick, I go get drugs. My Fiance' will only take drugs if she's VERY ill. Her family believes in working through being sick.
Personal space? Gods, get your ass out of my personal space, please. I like it. I neeeeeeeeed it. I don't need it always, but I must have an area that is -mine- and -mine- alone to do with, or escape to, as I please.
Crossfire: "Thank you! That explains it very nicely, and in a language that someone other than a physicist can understand..."
Denial is not falsification. You can't avoid a fact just because you don't like it.
"Data" is not the plural of "anecdote"
Re: cultural diversity class
Even though this is probably homework, I'll help you anyway just because you are asian and have red hair.
My name is... Durandal Brytting... I live in Sweden... I am 19 years old... Near 20... I'm tall... 6 feet, 4 inches...
In my room I have my computer...
4 people live in my household... Me, mom, my brother and sister... I also have a dad...
I wake up and sit at the computer...then in the evening I eat, and watch TV...and then I take some pills and go to sleep...
I have observed that people around here use really freaky words and expressions that don't seem to make any sense in English at all! It's very strange!! They talk like this! "Idag gick jag till aff
My name is... Durandal Brytting... I live in Sweden... I am 19 years old... Near 20... I'm tall... 6 feet, 4 inches...
In my room I have my computer...
4 people live in my household... Me, mom, my brother and sister... I also have a dad...
I wake up and sit at the computer...then in the evening I eat, and watch TV...and then I take some pills and go to sleep...
I have observed that people around here use really freaky words and expressions that don't seem to make any sense in English at all! It's very strange!! They talk like this! "Idag gick jag till aff
I'm italian, male, 22yo, 175cm tall and weighting only 55 kg, dark brown eyes and hairs (cut short) and 3-days long beard that gets a reddish tone.
I normally wear large cargo pants, t-shirt and a jacket with lots, lots of pockets (the one i've been using for the last 6 years had almost 30 of them: i can't go round without pockets, i'd feel naked). I never wear shorts or (assuming i'm wearing formal clothes) a tie, i hate them.
I may have a little vampiric heritage 'cause my eyes can hardly stand sunlight, so i always have sunglasses with me.
My room is always in order, with the only exception of my desk, wich is quite messy (paper , sketches, CDs, dices... and various stuff all over the place). My bookshelf shows mainly dictionaries of various languages and several RPG handbooks, since novels and other books are shared with the rest of the family. On the walls I have a few posters of planes and helicopters and a UN flag, part of a collection of military stuff my cousin gave to me when he got married. The rest of said collection is exposed on shelves around the room... I guess the most interesting item from it is an early 90s russian cosmonaut helmet.
I'm still living in the same house of my parents. Since here getting a new home is unreasonably expensive, it's normal that people don't move out until they get a real job. Hopefully i should be ok in a couple of years (nobody wants to stay with mom and dad for too long). At the moment there's only my brother (younger than me) who's living in here, but we often have guests who stay for a long time (last who came what an aussie girl who lived here for one year).
I tend to consider "family" only my parents, my brother and a very close japanese friend of mine (we refer to each other as bro and sis), even if she lives in Fukuoka.
Then i have lots of uncles and cousins, but they're just "relatives".
Supposing my day begins when i wake up (and not at 0:00), the 1st thing i have is a late morning breakfast-lunch 'cause it's 11:00 if not later. Then i have the whole afternoon for studying, drawing, house-working, gaming,etc... at about 18:00 (but only twice a week) i've to go to the airport for my pilot-lessons (wich is like going to school: no actual flying... flying lessons are scheduled differently every week). After a couple of hours i'm home again, i have a dinner, spend some time at the computer and go to work, where i stay until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning.
I move a lot my hands when i talk but i'm doing it without thinking, so i never pay attention to it.
I grew up a bit everywhere, from Sydney to Vancouver passing by Cape Town, so there are no particular rules rooted in me, nor i feel to conform to any of the place i live. I just follow my common sense and try to respect the others, that's all.
My place of origin is Siena, a medieval city in the cental-italy, but due to my father's work my family had to follow him around the world. All this travelling and living in different countries helped me in growing an open mind. I've had a good time in every place i've been with the only exception of Singapore. I think the strict rules and the control over people they have there is what made me turn into an anarchist and value freedom above any other thing. BTW, that's where i met my japanese "sister".
When i was 14, my dad finally ended in Milano and never moved to any other place, while I joined and finished high school here. Anyway, when i was 16, my parents, believing that seing the world would be good for me, decided to save money in order to send me (alone) somewhere on this planet every summer (wich turned to be winter in South Africa and Indonesia).
This went on until i joined university... Computer Science.
Then i met an indian girl who become my GF. Unluckily we soon started having troubles with her family who didn't seem to like me a bit (even tought they never actually knew me). The situation was getting on the nerves of the both of us and the distance between Italy and India was making things far more difficult. For many reasons i don't tell 'cause pretty personal, but still concerning my relationship with her, i decided to quit university (also 'cause i realized i didn't like it so much) and go for an other kind of school: the pilot school
And in order to face the expenses of the flight lessons, i got a job as a security guard (that's why i work at night).
Well, this last part happened 2-3 months ago, so this is all for now.
There are no roles in my family: we all believe that everyone is free and not bound to a certain role.
We're also all non-religious.
Health?? If i feel bad i just take a rest, a sleep and it's normally enough to set me up. If it's not, I see a doctor. My mom is a lot into medicine herself, so i may just ask her, but sometimes (often) she exaggerates gives me more that what i actually need, so i prefer to keep her as my last resource.
Well, one hour is 60 minutes and one minute is 60 sec... this is the same for everyone, i guess. I often pay attention to GMT time-zones 'cause of all the travelling and due to having friends, sister and girlfriend living in other parts of the world.
I normally wear large cargo pants, t-shirt and a jacket with lots, lots of pockets (the one i've been using for the last 6 years had almost 30 of them: i can't go round without pockets, i'd feel naked). I never wear shorts or (assuming i'm wearing formal clothes) a tie, i hate them.
I may have a little vampiric heritage 'cause my eyes can hardly stand sunlight, so i always have sunglasses with me.
My room is always in order, with the only exception of my desk, wich is quite messy (paper , sketches, CDs, dices... and various stuff all over the place). My bookshelf shows mainly dictionaries of various languages and several RPG handbooks, since novels and other books are shared with the rest of the family. On the walls I have a few posters of planes and helicopters and a UN flag, part of a collection of military stuff my cousin gave to me when he got married. The rest of said collection is exposed on shelves around the room... I guess the most interesting item from it is an early 90s russian cosmonaut helmet.
I'm still living in the same house of my parents. Since here getting a new home is unreasonably expensive, it's normal that people don't move out until they get a real job. Hopefully i should be ok in a couple of years (nobody wants to stay with mom and dad for too long). At the moment there's only my brother (younger than me) who's living in here, but we often have guests who stay for a long time (last who came what an aussie girl who lived here for one year).
I tend to consider "family" only my parents, my brother and a very close japanese friend of mine (we refer to each other as bro and sis), even if she lives in Fukuoka.
Then i have lots of uncles and cousins, but they're just "relatives".
Supposing my day begins when i wake up (and not at 0:00), the 1st thing i have is a late morning breakfast-lunch 'cause it's 11:00 if not later. Then i have the whole afternoon for studying, drawing, house-working, gaming,etc... at about 18:00 (but only twice a week) i've to go to the airport for my pilot-lessons (wich is like going to school: no actual flying... flying lessons are scheduled differently every week). After a couple of hours i'm home again, i have a dinner, spend some time at the computer and go to work, where i stay until 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning.
I move a lot my hands when i talk but i'm doing it without thinking, so i never pay attention to it.
I grew up a bit everywhere, from Sydney to Vancouver passing by Cape Town, so there are no particular rules rooted in me, nor i feel to conform to any of the place i live. I just follow my common sense and try to respect the others, that's all.
My place of origin is Siena, a medieval city in the cental-italy, but due to my father's work my family had to follow him around the world. All this travelling and living in different countries helped me in growing an open mind. I've had a good time in every place i've been with the only exception of Singapore. I think the strict rules and the control over people they have there is what made me turn into an anarchist and value freedom above any other thing. BTW, that's where i met my japanese "sister".
When i was 14, my dad finally ended in Milano and never moved to any other place, while I joined and finished high school here. Anyway, when i was 16, my parents, believing that seing the world would be good for me, decided to save money in order to send me (alone) somewhere on this planet every summer (wich turned to be winter in South Africa and Indonesia).
This went on until i joined university... Computer Science.
Then i met an indian girl who become my GF. Unluckily we soon started having troubles with her family who didn't seem to like me a bit (even tought they never actually knew me). The situation was getting on the nerves of the both of us and the distance between Italy and India was making things far more difficult. For many reasons i don't tell 'cause pretty personal, but still concerning my relationship with her, i decided to quit university (also 'cause i realized i didn't like it so much) and go for an other kind of school: the pilot school
And in order to face the expenses of the flight lessons, i got a job as a security guard (that's why i work at night).
Well, this last part happened 2-3 months ago, so this is all for now.
There are no roles in my family: we all believe that everyone is free and not bound to a certain role.
We're also all non-religious.
Health?? If i feel bad i just take a rest, a sleep and it's normally enough to set me up. If it's not, I see a doctor. My mom is a lot into medicine herself, so i may just ask her, but sometimes (often) she exaggerates gives me more that what i actually need, so i prefer to keep her as my last resource.
Well, one hour is 60 minutes and one minute is 60 sec... this is the same for everyone, i guess. I often pay attention to GMT time-zones 'cause of all the travelling and due to having friends, sister and girlfriend living in other parts of the world.
Last edited by Jops on Wed Feb 18, 2004 9:02 am, edited 3 times in total.
Jops
I'm a fairly typical British person. I'm Scottish, lived in England all my life though.
Brown hair that is usually kept pretty short (around grade 4) and sported a beard for the last year. Gets trimmed down to a grade one every now and again, have never let it get longer than about an inch.
I'm 5'11" and 185 lbs. Not in quite as good shape as I used to be, I must be losing muscle to make up for fat increase but I would say I am probably at about 12-13% bodyfat now (I was 9%).
I typically wear combats in either black, creme, or a strange greeny colour. I wear t-shirts, mostly plain or from rowing competitions I've competed at (and usually won).
As you may have guessed, I used to be a bit of a sportsman. Me and my crew (3 others) hold the British junior rowing marathon record, 50 kilometres (31 miles) in just over 3 and a half hours. I've won 4 National medals and could have gone International, but decided not to in favour of comics and academics.
My room isn't usually too bad. Not too untidy, it's generally just big piles of paper everywhere because I doodle so much. My computer is the most important thing in my room, it takes up most of the space. I also love my anime wallscrolls, I had to order those from the US as they're damn near impossible to get over here.
I have a younger brother and sister. My little sister is pretty much like me. Good at the academics and sport. She does lack the arty bit though. My brother is nothing like either of us. There's also my mum and dad.
However I don't live at home most of the year being at uni and all. My kitchen group consists of 10 others, all pretty good friends.
I get up as late as possible, brush teeth and go to first lecture. I come back, get breakfast/lunch then go to next lecture. When I'm not in lectures I'll generally be doodling/on computer/doing something with friends. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the usual nights out. Fridays start at 3pm, seeing as that's when happy hour starts downstairs
.
I don't mind the cold, I hate it when it's very hot/humid though. I can happily frolick around wearing a tshirt in temperatures down to about zero (celsius), but stick me in anything above 30 (celsius again) and I'll expire if I move too much.
The cold reminds me I'm alive.
I don't worry about personal space too much, my door is always open. My computer is my computer, I'll let people use it, but I have a tendency of hanging around and watching to see what they do.
The family has never really been religious, we never go to church or express any belief or anything. Personally, I'm an atheist.
Brown hair that is usually kept pretty short (around grade 4) and sported a beard for the last year. Gets trimmed down to a grade one every now and again, have never let it get longer than about an inch.
I'm 5'11" and 185 lbs. Not in quite as good shape as I used to be, I must be losing muscle to make up for fat increase but I would say I am probably at about 12-13% bodyfat now (I was 9%).
I typically wear combats in either black, creme, or a strange greeny colour. I wear t-shirts, mostly plain or from rowing competitions I've competed at (and usually won
).As you may have guessed, I used to be a bit of a sportsman. Me and my crew (3 others) hold the British junior rowing marathon record, 50 kilometres (31 miles) in just over 3 and a half hours. I've won 4 National medals and could have gone International, but decided not to in favour of comics and academics.
My room isn't usually too bad. Not too untidy, it's generally just big piles of paper everywhere because I doodle so much. My computer is the most important thing in my room, it takes up most of the space. I also love my anime wallscrolls, I had to order those from the US as they're damn near impossible to get over here.
I have a younger brother and sister. My little sister is pretty much like me. Good at the academics and sport. She does lack the arty bit though. My brother is nothing like either of us. There's also my mum and dad.
However I don't live at home most of the year being at uni and all. My kitchen group consists of 10 others, all pretty good friends.
I get up as late as possible, brush teeth and go to first lecture. I come back, get breakfast/lunch then go to next lecture. When I'm not in lectures I'll generally be doodling/on computer/doing something with friends. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are the usual nights out. Fridays start at 3pm, seeing as that's when happy hour starts downstairs
. I don't mind the cold, I hate it when it's very hot/humid though. I can happily frolick around wearing a tshirt in temperatures down to about zero (celsius), but stick me in anything above 30 (celsius again) and I'll expire if I move too much.
The cold reminds me I'm alive.
I don't worry about personal space too much, my door is always open. My computer is my computer, I'll let people use it, but I have a tendency of hanging around and watching to see what they do.
The family has never really been religious, we never go to church or express any belief or anything. Personally, I'm an atheist.
I'm 20, 5'9", 180lbs. Half philippino, half caucasion. Brown hair, brown eyes, nice perenial tan.
I live in a dorm here at Tulane in New Orleans.
My room is in horrible disrepair right now. There are about 11 1 gallon water jugs all over the floor. I don't put up posters, although I have my shinai mounted on my wall. I've got a 29g aquarium, a 10g aquarium, and a 1g aquarium in here.
I was born in the philippines, lived their till I was 2. We came back when my dad got transferred or something from the Philippines back to Texas. Lived there till I was 10, then we moved to Panama when my dad got a job there. Moved back to Texas when I was like 14 or so. We were going to move to Australia (Melbourne actually, I think a few people here are from that area) but my dad got tired of moving and we stayed here since everyone liked being back. Then I got accepted here in New Orleans, and I go to school here now.
I usually wear silvertab jeans (I just like the way they feel) and generic colored t's. I don't really like dressing up too much (I actually wore khakis and a blue short sleeve button up unbuttoned with a black T undershirt to prom.)
I am fairly conservative, I'm a member of the college republicans here at school, and the army rotc program.
My day: I wake up at 5am, do pt for rotc, get back 7. Take a shower, eat breakfast, and go online here to post for an hour or so. Go to class from 9-12. Lunch break. Work from 1-5. Come back to my dorm, watch tv and post here. Maybe do homework.
I can't remember any of the other questions, so thats it for now.
I live in a dorm here at Tulane in New Orleans.
My room is in horrible disrepair right now. There are about 11 1 gallon water jugs all over the floor. I don't put up posters, although I have my shinai mounted on my wall. I've got a 29g aquarium, a 10g aquarium, and a 1g aquarium in here.
I was born in the philippines, lived their till I was 2. We came back when my dad got transferred or something from the Philippines back to Texas. Lived there till I was 10, then we moved to Panama when my dad got a job there. Moved back to Texas when I was like 14 or so. We were going to move to Australia (Melbourne actually, I think a few people here are from that area) but my dad got tired of moving and we stayed here since everyone liked being back. Then I got accepted here in New Orleans, and I go to school here now.
I usually wear silvertab jeans (I just like the way they feel) and generic colored t's. I don't really like dressing up too much (I actually wore khakis and a blue short sleeve button up unbuttoned with a black T undershirt to prom.)
I am fairly conservative, I'm a member of the college republicans here at school, and the army rotc program.
My day: I wake up at 5am, do pt for rotc, get back 7. Take a shower, eat breakfast, and go online here to post for an hour or so. Go to class from 9-12. Lunch break. Work from 1-5. Come back to my dorm, watch tv and post here. Maybe do homework.
I can't remember any of the other questions, so thats it for now.
-
K-Dawg
- I wanna LIVE
- Posts: 4844
- Joined: Fri Jan 01, 1999 4:00 pm
- Location: Yes, let us check!
- Contact:
My name is Keon Brown, I'm black (Heritage is Jamaican). Black hair that I usually keep almost to the point I look bald, otherwise it's a small afro, brown eyes. I'm 20 (turning 21 in 2 months), I wear baggy pants, long big t-shirts, anything stereotypically black 
. I live in Ontario and I'm 5'8".
In my house there is my mom, dad, and little brother. I have a sister who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Family is anyone you are really close to, I have a couple godparents and none of them are blood related but to me they are family.
Umm the language used in this house is english, but I've had friends who speak english not ablet o understand my parents on some occassions because of their accents (I don't notice this).
Argh I can't write anymore.
. I live in Ontario and I'm 5'8".In my house there is my mom, dad, and little brother. I have a sister who lives in Brooklyn, New York. Family is anyone you are really close to, I have a couple godparents and none of them are blood related but to me they are family.
Umm the language used in this house is english, but I've had friends who speak english not ablet o understand my parents on some occassions because of their accents (I don't notice this).
Argh I can't write anymore.
Lets see... I'm white, Scottish/Canadian on my dad's side and Russian on my mom's side. I'm 6' and 135 lbs (skinny white boy). I live in San Francisco, and I was also born here, but I used to live in Chicago.
I'm 17, still in High School, as for college I'm aiming for NYU, but I'll probably be going to either San Francisco State of San Jose State.
I usually wear the same clothes, dickies pants and a t-shirt with converse all stars, I usually stick to grey and black clothes. My hair is a dark blondeish color and my eyes are really blue.
My parents have been divorced since I was four, I stay with my dad during the week and my mom on weekends. I have no 1st cousins, my 2nd cousins live in Rhode Island and are 20 years older than me. My dad was an only child and my mom's brother died of MS after serving in Vietnam. My family doesn't have that many people in it because we're all the bitter artistic type who refuse to get married and conform to family roles. My dad refers to me and my sibling as 'anchors' I can see why.
Both my parents are college graduates, but currently I am the first in my generation (about 8 siblings, cousins, etc. older than me) to get into 4 year college, all of my older siblings and cousins either didn't go or go or dropped out.
My role in family is the misunderstood middle child (of 3, 5 if including half siblings) . I do most of the laundry and cooking.
I don't have any (living) aunts or uncles, but I refer to my mom's best friend as my aunt, since she's the closest thing I have to one.
We're not very religious, my dad makes us all go to church on Christmas but thats's mostly it. My mom is Russian orthodox so we celebrate Christmas a week later.
We're all liberal democrats, we hate George W. Bush and are against war in Iraq. My mom and I are both vegetarians, don't drink or smoke, and try to avoid driving becuase we're clean air activists. Yes, we are boring eco-freaks. I don't even have my driver's license yet, I don't really care about getting one.
As for decorations, I have an autographed Wayne Gretzky poster, mostly because I'm related to him (2nd cousin once removed) and I'm not that big of a sports fan, but I am an okay hockey player.
Language: I communicate mostly using a system of grunts (I'm not joking) at home.
Jargon: We all hate USC (Michigan fans) and refer to it as the University of Spoiled Children.
No, I'm not gay, I just want to be.
As for culture, mostly avoiding it. I do know some words and phrases in Russian, since my grandparents spoke Russian as their first language. I do speak Spanish well enough to communicate.
History... My grandpa movied here from Russia to Los Angeles in the 1940s, as for my dad's side, they've been living in Rhode Island as long as I know.
I'm 17, still in High School, as for college I'm aiming for NYU, but I'll probably be going to either San Francisco State of San Jose State.
I usually wear the same clothes, dickies pants and a t-shirt with converse all stars, I usually stick to grey and black clothes. My hair is a dark blondeish color and my eyes are really blue.
My parents have been divorced since I was four, I stay with my dad during the week and my mom on weekends. I have no 1st cousins, my 2nd cousins live in Rhode Island and are 20 years older than me. My dad was an only child and my mom's brother died of MS after serving in Vietnam. My family doesn't have that many people in it because we're all the bitter artistic type who refuse to get married and conform to family roles. My dad refers to me and my sibling as 'anchors' I can see why.
Both my parents are college graduates, but currently I am the first in my generation (about 8 siblings, cousins, etc. older than me) to get into 4 year college, all of my older siblings and cousins either didn't go or go or dropped out.
My role in family is the misunderstood middle child (of 3, 5 if including half siblings) . I do most of the laundry and cooking.
I don't have any (living) aunts or uncles, but I refer to my mom's best friend as my aunt, since she's the closest thing I have to one.
We're not very religious, my dad makes us all go to church on Christmas but thats's mostly it. My mom is Russian orthodox so we celebrate Christmas a week later.
We're all liberal democrats, we hate George W. Bush and are against war in Iraq. My mom and I are both vegetarians, don't drink or smoke, and try to avoid driving becuase we're clean air activists. Yes, we are boring eco-freaks. I don't even have my driver's license yet, I don't really care about getting one.
As for decorations, I have an autographed Wayne Gretzky poster, mostly because I'm related to him (2nd cousin once removed) and I'm not that big of a sports fan, but I am an okay hockey player.
Language: I communicate mostly using a system of grunts (I'm not joking) at home.
Jargon: We all hate USC (Michigan fans) and refer to it as the University of Spoiled Children.
No, I'm not gay, I just want to be.
As for culture, mostly avoiding it. I do know some words and phrases in Russian, since my grandparents spoke Russian as their first language. I do speak Spanish well enough to communicate.
History... My grandpa movied here from Russia to Los Angeles in the 1940s, as for my dad's side, they've been living in Rhode Island as long as I know.
Last edited by Toxic on Fri Feb 27, 2004 5:49 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Make Comic Genesis Keenspace Again!
variety?vairity
Umm... I'm kinda antisocial, apathetic and agnostic, I don't care about holidays ect.,
but as one of the few people from the actual europe here I feel kinda obliged to help, so I'll try...
Location: Poland.
Holidays: I don't keep a track of these.
I'll describe a couple (I'm not sure how it is at your place, so don't laugh...)
Easter: you prepare some foodstuffs (usualy: hard boiled eggs, bread, salt, and whatever) to be blessed.
The eggs are actually "pisanki" ("pisać"="write")- they are decorated. Usualy with semi-random patterns, that don't mean anything, just "this is not an egg, but a pisanka"
Traditional way of decorating an egg is painting on it with wax, and then putting it in a dying mixture- the dye doesn't stick to waxed places (natural brown dye is often obtained from onion peels)
Anyways, the stuff gets taken to church to be blessed.
Later when it's time to eat it, we play "egg war"- you pick one egg (I mean pisanke), and then you hit it with someone elses egg. The one that cracks loses. You eliminate eggs untill there is one left, and that person is a winned... I suspect there used to be some follow up, like it bringing luck or something, but I don't know for sure.
28.XI- st. Andrew's day- this day you can forsee the future with some rituals. For example pouring liquid wax, through a ring in a key, into cold water. The wax will form a shape, that will tell you of your future.
5.XII- Santa Clauss' day. kids get's presents in the morning. Sometimes the gifts are placed under the pillows.
On christmass you eat a big supper. It's supposed to have 12 dishes. And then, when it gets dark outside so you can see stars, you give gifts.
Actually christmass is also called "Gwiazdka"-"[little]star", (as opposed to gwiazda=star)
and it's kinda believed the gifts are brought by "a star" and placed under the cristmass tree.
Some explain that the star is in fact an angel.
name: Paul, surname is a secret. I can tell you it sounds almost like one kind of food, in Polish.
born: 1980, gemini(twin) (the exact date is a secret)
photo: secret
description: about 180cm, about 70kg, rather skinny. Blue eyes. Black hair, short to medium, beard, moustache (too lazy to shave). I wear clothes as plain as they get:bluejeans, T-shirt and jumper (it's usualy too cold for just T-Shirt)
"objects with significance.", umm, a computer. Box with rapidographs. A pile of mixed lecture notes, drawings and old magazines. A rubix cube...
No posters, one painting by my brother, and a couple of religious icons, but we keep them because they were made by family members, not because they are icons.
How many people live in the same household as you?
Me, my brothers, and parents. All my grantparents are dead.
We have very little close relatives, beacuse both mother and father have no sibblings.
"oficially" we are all christians, but in fact only my mother attends church and stuff. I take part when major holidays come.
My father believes there is some sort of force, that controls the universe, he explains that there are too many coincidences for it not to be true.
I'm agnostic- I don't believe there is a god, I don't belive there isn't one, and frankly I don't care.
I think my brothers are pretty much the same, or they are just too lazy to go to church.
Describe an average day...
actually my average days are quite different from average average day.
We have no real schedule, I heard other families have breakfasts, dinners and suppers, but we just make food and eat it.
We usualy have "breakfast" in the afternoon, and "dinner" in the evening.
The default dinner is some kind of roasted meat, with potatoes, rarely with noodles or rice.
I spend way too much time online. Usualy the first thing I do in the morning is checking the forums...
I'm addicted.What verbal or non-verbal language is used in your community(where you live)? What gestures, facial-expressions, body postures do you observe?
I dunno. I think we have no special gestures. But maybe I just don't notice that.
What particular terms, jargon, slang do you hear?
Well, me and my friends: students, young, educated, raised on foreign movies.
The jargon contains science terms, (ie "Higgs' booger"- that's how we call any letter/symbol that is inrecognizable, comes from a lecture where one was used in equations for Higgs particles)
we often quote english phrases, mix english words or grammar structure into conversation.
But all of these are usualy jokes among friends.
"Outside" we use next-to-perfect Polish language.
[...]people believe braking a mirror is bad luck.
Actually, I never cared about these things. My parents always made it clear that they are "stuff that people believe in, but not really true".
I guess we have the standard: black cat=bad luck, broken mirror=7 years of bad luck, walking under ladder=bad luck, horseshoe=good luck, 4 leaf clover=good luck...
oh, I know a that one that doesn't sound too common:
if you see a chimney sweeper on the street, you need to grab a button on your clothes, and hold it untill you see a nun or a bald man with glases, and it will bring you good luck.
umm, typing all this stuff took way too long, and the later questions sound like they would require me to be an expert, or at least a student of cultural anthropology... and I'm not.
EDIT: A couple more things.
Most of my family has lived in poland for the past few generations. I think I think I have around 1/8 of german, russian and other nearby countries.
About 2 centuries ago, one of my ancestors was a count (I'm not sure if I translate the title correctly- he was a "hrabia", and Dracula was a count and it's usualy translated as "hrabia Drakula")
But he had a different surname, so I'm not in the male line.
We currently live in a house, on the edge of the city. We've moved here a couple of years ago. It's a very old house, and it's condition was very poor, and that's why it was in our financial reach. Right now we managed to restore most of it, but there are still many things to repair. (like stairs- there are two floors, but the stairs inside don't exist!).
Before that we used to live in normal flat.
Last edited by YarpsDat on Thu Feb 19, 2004 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
You are the Non. You must go now, and never return."
"1.Scan in high res 2.tweak with curves,levels or something to clean up the scan (or use channel mixer to remove blue pencil lines) 3.Add colour using a layer set to multiply. 4.Add wordbubbles and text as vector shapes. 5. Merge all layers. 6.resize to the web size. 7. Export/Save for Web" that's all I know about webcomicking.
"1.Scan in high res 2.tweak with curves,levels or something to clean up the scan (or use channel mixer to remove blue pencil lines) 3.Add colour using a layer set to multiply. 4.Add wordbubbles and text as vector shapes. 5. Merge all layers. 6.resize to the web size. 7. Export/Save for Web" that's all I know about webcomicking.
-
Grabmygoblin
- Cartoon Hero
- Posts: 4062
- Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2003 7:18 pm
whoa, long posts. might as well respond, get all my info in one place for my cyberstalkers. 
asl etcright now I'm living in Albany NY, attending classes at UAlbany. during the summer I live with my parents (for now) in Fulton NY. I was born in 1985. I have long blue/brown hair. I'm about 5'4'', 115 lb, wear black baby tees with nerdy stuff on them and brightly colored dickies. I am irish/german.
room I coat my wall with posters, easier, cheaper and cooler than new paint. they are political, nerdy, whatever I find interesting. lava lamp is cool, computer has entire corner devoted to it. oh I still have stuffed animals. but they are adorable stuffed animals.
family I grew up with 5 siblings. I'm the older middle child. all of them are smarter than I. I was the black sheep in that regard. family is extremely important to me. blood relations do not matter, I have two adopted cousins. I consider anyone who is married into the family to be family, but close friends are not just friends either.
religionmy entire family on my moms side are catholic. I was sent to a catholic elementary school, my mom went to catholic school, my parents volenteer at church, and they have missed less than 10 masses in my life. literally. we even went during a snow emergency. personally I go when I feel like it, generally once a month. black sheep in that regard as well. my father's family are prodestant. (he converted, from what I gather partially to gain my grandmother's blessing)
daygenerally I get up at about 10, turn on my computer, take a shower, surf the internet, go to class, eat lunch, nap, get up, computer, watch TV (in my computer), eat dinner, watch tv/do hw (by and with computer), and go to bed about 1-2 am. oh, frolicking with people sprinkled in there in places.
family customs we celebrate st. nicholas day just before christmas. (dec 6) we put out our shoes the night before and our parents fill them with goodies. thats the only odd holiday we celebrate that I can think of.
roles my moms side of the family is matriarchial, though my grandfather also has great power. my fathers side is highly matriachial. generally we are not viewed as an adult until we can have a conversation with the adults after dinner. genderwise, my mom is an engineer. women work, but we also are the moms, the ones that cook dinner. I should mention here that I am gay, as I have stated in other posts. I haven't told my family, but I know it will cause problems. my family are nader-voting liberals, but they cannot wrap their minds around homosexuality because of their religion.
cultureI see myself as an american. I am not too concerned with my culture, except as a curiousity. my parents and grandparents are highly concerned with culture though. my irish half still dislikes the british.
other stuff heh. my parents had a very hands-off attitude toward child-rearing. I had so much freedom in high school. I use gestures when talking, and that can be embarrassing sometimes because I will start describing something and try to shape it with my hands for other people, and... you can guess what comes next. I need about 1 1/2 feet personal space. when anyone steps into that area when talking to me, it makes me back up.
k, I'm done now.
asl etcright now I'm living in Albany NY, attending classes at UAlbany. during the summer I live with my parents (for now) in Fulton NY. I was born in 1985. I have long blue/brown hair. I'm about 5'4'', 115 lb, wear black baby tees with nerdy stuff on them and brightly colored dickies. I am irish/german.
room I coat my wall with posters, easier, cheaper and cooler than new paint. they are political, nerdy, whatever I find interesting. lava lamp is cool, computer has entire corner devoted to it. oh I still have stuffed animals.
but they are adorable stuffed animals.family I grew up with 5 siblings. I'm the older middle child. all of them are smarter than I. I was the black sheep in that regard. family is extremely important to me. blood relations do not matter, I have two adopted cousins. I consider anyone who is married into the family to be family, but close friends are not just friends either.
religionmy entire family on my moms side are catholic. I was sent to a catholic elementary school, my mom went to catholic school, my parents volenteer at church, and they have missed less than 10 masses in my life. literally. we even went during a snow emergency. personally I go when I feel like it, generally once a month. black sheep in that regard as well. my father's family are prodestant. (he converted, from what I gather partially to gain my grandmother's blessing)
daygenerally I get up at about 10, turn on my computer, take a shower, surf the internet, go to class, eat lunch, nap, get up, computer, watch TV (in my computer), eat dinner, watch tv/do hw (by and with computer), and go to bed about 1-2 am. oh, frolicking with people sprinkled in there in places.
family customs we celebrate st. nicholas day just before christmas. (dec 6) we put out our shoes the night before and our parents fill them with goodies. thats the only odd holiday we celebrate that I can think of.
roles my moms side of the family is matriarchial, though my grandfather also has great power. my fathers side is highly matriachial. generally we are not viewed as an adult until we can have a conversation with the adults after dinner. genderwise, my mom is an engineer. women work, but we also are the moms, the ones that cook dinner. I should mention here that I am gay, as I have stated in other posts. I haven't told my family, but I know it will cause problems. my family are nader-voting liberals, but they cannot wrap their minds around homosexuality because of their religion.
cultureI see myself as an american. I am not too concerned with my culture, except as a curiousity. my parents and grandparents are highly concerned with culture though. my irish half still dislikes the british.
other stuff heh. my parents had a very hands-off attitude toward child-rearing. I had so much freedom in high school. I use gestures when talking, and that can be embarrassing sometimes because I will start describing something and try to shape it with my hands for other people, and... you can guess what comes next. I need about 1 1/2 feet personal space. when anyone steps into that area when talking to me, it makes me back up.
k, I'm done now.
