midweek Connect: 10/20/21 ~ Inside - Outside
Greetings and Happy Midweek!
Since many of us in this Connect Community live in regions where major seasonal changes are underway (and we all are being impacted by global climate change anyway!), I thought today we would explore together some cultural lifestyle aspects of being either (physically) inside, or outside, or both! We can leave other perhaps more frequently studied socio-cultural considerations (like being ‘insiders’ or ‘outsiders’) for a future Connect. What I’d like to focus in on here is what Global SKILLs training calls the HOST dimension. This 2nd dimension in our 3D Dynamics model includes becoming aware of and familiar with ways our HOST culture functions - and is one ‘key’ to moving smoothly across cultures.
Speaking of keys, I was going to title this reflection “Indoors - Outdoors”, but a rather startling cross-cultural experience I had once in West Africa made me remove (so to speak) the ‘doors’. I was with a homeschool group checking into a game park hotel we had traveled to, and the host had just assigned me my ‘room’ - which he described as “Hut 3”. How quaint! By my choice, this was the most economical option...and apparently the most basic ‘inside’ option as well. When he turned to the next guest, I mentioned to him he had forgotten to give me my room key to which he responded, “Oh you don’t need a key - there is no door”!
Moving smoothly into this HOST moment, I tried to hide my surprise by simply taking his further instructions in stride, which included sliding a woven mat in front of the opening (for privacy), and not leaving any belongings inside during the day (because “the monkeys would get inside and mess with them”). And so began my inside - outside game park adventure...which, by the way, was delightful. Have you ever watched the full moon rise through woven mat walls?!
All this to say, whether we are inside or outside and with or without doors, let’s never forget the cross-cultural ‘key’ - that opportunities for us to live among and learn from our HOSTs can be both interesting and fun!
How about you ~ what is an inside and/or outside cross-cultural experience you have had?
Share about that with a friend or note it here.
And check out the Global SKILLs LINKs below for additional inside - outside considerations.
Thanks for being part of this Connect community.
Until next week,
Betsy
* Global SKILLs 3 Dimensional Dynamics Model: 1st dimension = HOME ; 2nd dimension = HOST (which we looked at today); 3rd dimension = HARBOR)
~ contact me for more information on this model and how you might use it in your current programming
Global SKILLs LINKs
1) an interesting cross-cultural look at the benefits of exercising inside versus outside: https://www.bluezones.com/2021/10/why-outdoor-workouts-may-be-better-for-you
2) one example of an outdoor living culture from the Nordic countries: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20171211-friluftsliv-the-nordic-concept-of-getting-outdoors
3) an Australian example of marketing cultural appreciation for outside lifestyles: https://www.patiobalconyoutdoor.com.au/the-australian-cultural-identity-of-outdoor-living/
2021 ~ Celebrating 40 years of working in
intercultural communications and global community building
Connecting, Collaborating, Cultivating Community