Monkey-Squirrels?

We live in our own cultural bubbles, shaped by our values, norms, and experiences from where and how we grew up. What seems interesting to us might not even register on the radar for someone of another culture.

On Sunday, we were sitting by our pool in the backyard, and we saw several monkeys in the trees behind our house. As Americans, we were thrilled to see monkeys in their natural habitat. Our dogs were extremely interested in the monkeys and the monkeys seemed to be very curious about our dogs too. I shared videos with friends and family back in the US and everyone was amazed that these little creatures live in our neighborhood. We mentioned this to our Brazilian friend, and he didn’t think anything of it. Monkeys to many people in Northeastern Brazil are like squirrels to Americans. If you see them all the time, they are no big deal.

Here are some other examples. In France, eating snails is a delicacy, but other cultures may find this gross. In many Western cultures, sushi is considered an exotic treat, but it is just part of daily life in Japan. In some cultures, it is common to eat insects while in others, this is seen as a repulsive or bizarre practice.

The same goes for entertainment. In Brazil, Capoeira – a martial art disguised as a dance is a cultural highlight, with competitions and events taking place throughout the year. In most other countries, Capoeira is relatively unknown. Similarly, baseball is popular in the US, Canada, Japan, and several Caribbean nations but has little traction in Europe.

What’s considered exciting, interesting, or even acceptable can vary greatly between cultures. It’s important to acknowledge and respect these differences, rather than jumping to judgment or assuming that our own cultural norms are superior. By embracing the diversity of our world and learning from one another, we can enrich our own perspectives and deepen our appreciation for different cultures.