Cultural Lens

"Cultural Lens" is the way that a certain person or even the majority of a culture views another culture based on their own ideas and misconceptions. Most people in the United States look upon the rest of the world as lesser because they do not follow the same values that the United States does. They do not value time and money, which seems to be the main driving force of Americans. I would like to think that I do not fit into this narrow view of most Americans. I enjoy just sitting outside admiring the weather rather than rushing off to do the next thing in my schedule. I believe that it is better to take time to enjoy the small things in life rather than let it rush by. One time I was talking to a friend from Panama, when I said, "Americans are arrogant." She looked utterly surprised that I had said this, not because it was not what she believe, but because an American was admitting that we are arrogant. She joked that all the other countries knew this but she never heard of an American knowing this. This example shows distinctly just how other countries usually view Americans and how sadly Americans sometimes act towards other countries. Different people all have misconceptions about other cultures and the only way to really solve this problem is to visit other countries and have personal interactions between people of different cultures.

Globalization

Globalization is the process where the world becomes increasingly interconnected, whether this is by goods, technology, or even ideas, the continuous trade and exchange between countries lead to a greater connected world. This process is nothing new to people albeit at a far faster rate today than it was when people had to travel thousands of miles on foot where now one could get into an airplane and be across the globe in less than a day. Throughout history and even today you can see the evidence of how globalization had affected the world in very serious ways. While the Silk Road brought spices, gunpowder and ideas to Europe, it also was one of the causes for the Black Death to spread throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. This example can show some of the drawbacks of globalization along with the benefits. Globalization also tends to build upon itself. With Europe introduced to exotic goods from East Asia, they began to try and find different ways to get there which indirectly caused the "discovery" and exploration of the Americas. The ideas of the American Revolution went on to be the basis of revolutions throughout Europe after the French Revolution. These are some historical examples of globalization but today it is even more so. Something important can happen in another country and within minutes you can hear about it on the news and Internet. Even in my life I can see the effects of globalization. Where I used to use dial up to use the internet, I can now use my smart phone to instantly see world news and be linked to millions of people. I will be very excited to actually be able to see globalization at work in other countries during our trip.

Cultural Awareness in Today's World

In the modern world, having cultural awareness is essential if you are traveling abroad or even to different regions of one's native country. Cultural awareness is basically not using your own culture to automatically make conclusions about another, to be open to the new culture's way of thinking by actually experiencing it and not from what one's own preconceptions about it. We all have common thoughts about what Ireland's and Scotland's culture is. For Ireland, most people see Guinness drinking men at pubs and for Scotland, most people see kilt clad men running around in the highlands. 
 

How the Irish are usually perceived

In the trip I am hoping to see the real people of these countries. From studying history, I can get a slight idea of where some of their cultural values and norms come from but I will never truly know what these are until I experience first-hand. Like I have said before, I have always had a curiosity about these to cultures and the parts I have heard about I always liked. I am making it my goal to try and talk to as many locals as I can to get a better feel for the real people of the countries and not just what the media shows about them. 

Fulfilling My Dream

"Not all who wander are lost"

                                                - J. R. R. Tolkien 

Hey, my name is Dylan Powell and I am making this blog in order to talk about travel due to my future trip to Scotland and Ireland this summer. I currently live in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where I go to college at Henderson State University, but I was born and raised in Magnolia. I  am majoring in history with a Spanish minor and soon will be working on a German minor. I have always been interested in history, my first book that I remember reading was about castles and it has just turned into an obsession from there. This brings me to another interest: books. I love to read, anything from historical non-fiction and classic novels to science-fiction and fantasy. My two other big loves in life are music and video games. Music has always been a huge part of my life, though sadly I cannot play myself except a couple of songs on the harmonica.... not much of an accomplishment I know, but I do LOVE music. I listen to almost anything, from 40's big band to 60's, 70's rock to 90's grunge to Celtic punk music. Yes, I am a "gamer" but I always feel like they are the same as books, a way to tell a story except that the person can actually control the story. Now do not think that because of these interests, I am always just inside on the couch. I am also an avid martial artist, having a 1st degree black belt in Tae kwon do and I also have experience training in Jiujitsu, Muay Thai, and kick boxing. I really enjoy nature also. I grew up twenty minutes from town, where my house was surrounded by trees on all sides, therefore I was almost always running around and exploring. When I am not in college, I am busy working as a carpenter. I work with three other carpenters who build custom houses.

One of the "small" cabins we built.

I am working on becoming a historian and hopefully becoming a professor one day. I was ready for this trip to Scotland and Ireland before I even knew I was going on it. Ever since I watched the movie Braveheart, I fell in love with the whole Celtic mindset, and the beauty of the landscape. When I turned 12, I received an antique map of Scotland, a quilt with the Scottish flag and coat of arms, and finally a kilt, yes an actual kilt. I was enamored with these places that I never thought I would get to go since I came from a poorer family, but I was determined to one day get to fulfill my dream. This trip means more to me than anyone can imagine. When I first found out about the trip, I nearly fainted and could barely sleep for days. So when I finally get to touch the ancient stone of a castle, I may need to be woke up after I faint. I am just ecstatic that I already have a chance to live one of my dreams and I am only 20. Here's to more adventures in the future!