Where Worlds Collide

Perspective Is Key No matter what your culture is, it will determine how you see the world. Whether you’re from China, India, or America it doesn’t matter. Many people experience culture shock when they visit a foreign place that has a culture that differs from theirs. Even if you travel to a different region of the same country there are bound to be cultural differences. Take America for example, if you're from the mid-west and you travel down to south-east you'll notice a different dialect and slang, changes in social tolerances, and different food. Your background and culture in life will determine your worldly view and your perspective on things from linguistic to socio-economic standpoints. In the short story “Two Kinds”

The characters are surprised to see no armed soldiers at the airport hinting towards where they used to live; the author conveys the disorientation they felt showing that they were experiencing culture shock. "There are no military planes on the tarmac here, the newcomers notice, no khaki soldiers in fatigues, no instructions not to take photographs, as at home..." (51). Pico Iyer projects the confusion the characters feel by the multi-culturalism they see around them. "They see Koreans piling into the Taeguk Airport Shuttle and the Seoul Shuttle, which will take them to Koreatown without their ever feeling they've left home; they see newcomers from the Middle East disappearing under the Arabic script of the Sahara shuttle. They see fast-talking, finger-snapping, palm slapping jive artists..." (51). Pico Iyer shows cultural assimilation in America by showing how Americans adopt the culture of other groups. The characters don’t see this in the country they originally come from and are shocked that the culture minority isn't oppressed like it is in their

Santha was home schooled by her mother up until she was no longer able to teach. At home they had lessons on their culture but at the Anglo-Indian school they didn’t. "So our Hindi book were put away, the stories of the Lord Krishna as a little boy were left in mid-air, and we were sent to the Anglo-Indian school." (36). Instead of learning about their Indian heritage, Premila and Santha were then expected to learn about new and more British topics. Santha experiences culture shock when she was at recess, she never understood the competitive aspect to games. "I had never really grasped the system of competitive games. At home, whenever we played tag or guessing games, I was always allowed to 'Win' -- 'because', Mother used to tell Premila, 'she is the youngest, and we have to allow for that.' " (37). While Santha and the other kids played Twos-and-threes she let one of the younger kids catch her and was confused when the older kids didn’t pay the same courtesy she did. Your education is one of the most important factors when you're growing up and helps define your perspective on the