I could not exactly recall any particular incident where a intercultural conflict took place. However, I did remember reading up on a piece of news about this Taiwanese girl studying in Paris who went on her own "quest" to kiss 100 men while still in Paris.
I went on to her personal blog to read more on her "quest" which I found rather interesting.
This girl started on her "quest" in July and as of now, she has kissed a total of 54 men. She has made headlines since her quest was posted on her blog and many (mainly Asians) questioned her motive for going on this "quest". Many also scorn her for embarking on this journey. But none of these deterred her from continuing on her “quest”.
A quick scan through her blog will show you that she has indeed gone around
This has led me to ponder about one thing. Would she have done the same thing if she was in
I believe that she was spurred on to continue because of the spontaneous responses she received from the Parisians. Taken off from a blog, “As a francophone, let me say that smooching isn’t really an issue for us. Sure, kissing on the lips a bit more intimate, but not that much.” It’s apparent that kissing is not an issue in
With this, I would like to ask the guys in class who are all Asians, should this girl approach you to help her on her “quest”, would you agree to help her out? ;)
PS: you can visit her blog to read more about her quest if you’re interested. :)
Hi Audrey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing this sensational story to our attention! I must say the different levels of intimacy associated with kissing are a classic example of intercultural difference. Incidentally, Alvin narrated a similar event in his entry.
As for your question of whether I’d ‘help her on her “quest”’, I’m afraid I’d have to decline for obvious hygiene and health reasons.
Bing Fu
hi audrey,
ReplyDeleteInitially, I was expecting a romantic of your own after I saw the
picture as it appeared on my browser. But after reading, I was a tad
disappointed :p. I thought I would able to read your love story.
Anyway back to the subject proper, I thought It was a rather
interesting quest to kiss people. I wonder what is her motive in doing so though.
I guess if she was to approach me, I don't mind being one of her
statistic :)
thanks for sharing!
Bing Fu: i do agree that there are many different levels of intimacy in kissing, and that is a really distinct case present in different cultures. As for the kiss, it was a friendly peck on the lips and not an example of the sensational french kiss. haha. But yeah, I do understand that many would still be probably turned off by kissing a total stranger, whom may happen to be having a flu or virus on that very fateful day. :)
ReplyDeleteAndrew: Haha well you thought too much! I have a Chinese boyfriend so there isnt any cultural experiences for me to talk about. And I applaud you for your enthusiasm in not minding to aid her in her quest!! :))
Hi Audrey,
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting up such an interesting post!
I guess the girl will receive a much less enthusiastic response if she try this in an Asian country. Although it is not impossible, she might have to adjust her expectations...
Actually, there was something similar in Singapore. But it was by some mediacorp celebrities selling kisses for charity.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/313802/1/.html
I would most probably decline in aiding the girl on her quest. But I would consider for the second case.
Regards
Ji Shen
I for one probably wouldn't accept..especially if I didn't know about this quest of hers. I wonder if she tells the men about the quest when asking for the kiss. I'd think she's not quite right up there unless I knew about the reason behind I guess.
ReplyDeleteAudrey, thanks for sharing this interesting article about the Taiwanese girl and her quest (although I must say that you haven't really met the assignment specifications of describing an intercultural scenario you observed).
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, this still makes a stimulating read, considering the number of responses you'd received from the guys in class! [I must say your post certainly generated responses of what I would consider to be 'hilarious', with particular regards to 'hygiene' reasons rather than one of behaving 'morally' - no offence, Bing Fu]
Judging from the fact that the guys in class were asked to respond to what I would feel is a 'private' question in public, your question certainly put them in a tight corner. Taking into account what you experience first hand about the Singapore society, what did you think their responses would be like when you posed the question?
Did any of their responses surprise you? You will notice that apart from one who gave a very definite 'no', the others all bordered on a 'maybe' to a strong 'yes' - does that shed new light on your understanding?
Hi Miss Lim,
ReplyDeleteSorry for this uber late reply. I understand that this post had not exactly met the requirement of writing an intercultural scenario observered, but because I personally did not recall any scenarios at that point of time, hence the choice of this post.
When I posted the question to the guys in class, I kind of expected different answers from different people. I think it boiled down to how I looked at them, which might also be an indicator of their cultures.
Honestly, I certainly did not regret writing on this Taiwanese girl because despite it not being an intercultural scenario, it definitely showed us how different cultures can lead to different actions.