Learning Journal #4 (105)

[Jeffrey Choi]

The presentations given my classmates provided an interesting insight into the cultures that we are studying. It was new information to me when I found out that asking about one's blood types was a common conversation topic in Korean culture. I found it odd, but when Tia compared this question to asking someone what their zodiac sign is, it made sense. Koreans might find this strange too. It was also interesting to see how big the drinking culture was in Korea. I did not know that so much formality existed when pouring drinks to elders. It really revealed how different American culture was in terms of formality and the treatment of older people. I also found it fascinating how Basque culture can vary depending on what area of the country one were to examine. In America, for example, language is homogeneous wherever one were to go. Overall, the presentations were an interesting look into the cultures of these individual countries.