My Culture

Having already shared my definition of culture, I still have a hard time defining my own culture. My parents are Guyanese Canadians and I do have some Caribbean influences. I have not required the Island accent but I do sometimes use its syntax which can be a little awkward with a Canadian accent. I eat roti, curry chicken and, ox tail but seem to have developped an allergic reaction to fried rice! I developped a love for cricket and can play it relatively well I have absolutely no moves when it comes to dance moves during Caribbana.

Then I have other aspects prominent aspects of my personality that have relatively little to do with the Caribbean. I speak French and Spanish but I speak those languages with a European accent! Every time I speak those langauges, people seem to have a puzzled look on their face as they cannot map where I come from. Sometimes I feel like I'm more European than anything else. I don't mind greeting with two kisses on the cheek, drinking espressos on the terrace or having large lunches at 2:00pm and small dinners at 9:00pm. Hellos and goodbyes are implied and don't need to be expressed ostensively and speaking your mind is not frowned upon. I cannot speak my mind in English as that is my Canadian personality coming out!

I get lost in uniformity. Even though the Black community is so diverse and is spread all over the world, I don't feel like I'm "in". In places where I'm the only Black person, I feel really left behind. There are individuals who only know me by one langauge and one culture by either emphasizing how I look or accentuating how I speak. I think I enjoy hiding the underlayers of my character.

If I were to define my culture, first of all I want to say that I'm an Earthling. Other than that, I need to find characteristics that take me away from everyone else. I'm quiet and reserved which can be sign of weakness in Guyana but a sign of confidence in Canada. I love to drink and encourage it but I have never had nor ever want a cigarette. I'm a baptised Anglican Christian but am extremely open to other religious or secular philosophies and that can be a scary thing to say for some members of my family. I think if I can use one word to define my "personal culture", it's adaptation. I'm not scared to try new things and if it happens to contradict previous philosophies, I would give it a look anyway then make an informed personal decision. A little bit of everything is always a good thing. It keeps life fun and it distinguishes you from the crowd. Who wants to be part of a "1984" world?