http://www.senduq.com/2008/under-the-umbrella/ mind entropy of the ethiofrican Thu, 14 Apr 2011 11:54:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.senduq.com/2008/under-the-umbrella/comment-page-1/#comment-104 tpeace Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:19:20 +0000 http://senduq.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-104 wow...Thank you for your very insightful comments Nani! I love the completely different insights and perspective different people who read a piece have! Similar to what you said, one main thing that really struck me from the girl's experience is that, she, is the immigrant in this situation - she is the one who is being bombarded with the inputs of the western world. She is assimilating into the mainstream of a different culture. While at the base of it all, it is endearing, and really touching to see the simple humanity the old lady approaches the girl with, despite the lack of words from the lady, her actions spoke louder, she reached out with the umbrella to share a shelter with a complete stranger, another human. And funny enough, the thoughts that course through the girl's mind speak of the alienation that she was becoming acculturated with, even though she is from a communal society - where sharing an umbrella is commonplace, she simply finds it uncomfortable to be so close physically to another human being!! wow…Thank you for your very insightful comments Nani! I love the completely different insights and perspective different people who read a piece have! Similar to what you said, one main thing that really struck me from the girl’s experience is that, she, is the immigrant in this situation – she is the one who is being bombarded with the inputs of the western world. She is assimilating into the mainstream of a different culture. While at the base of it all, it is endearing, and really touching to see the simple humanity the old lady approaches the girl with, despite the lack of words from the lady, her actions spoke louder, she reached out with the umbrella to share a shelter with a complete stranger, another human.
And funny enough, the thoughts that course through the girl’s mind speak of the alienation that she was becoming acculturated with, even though she is from a communal society – where sharing an umbrella is commonplace, she simply finds it uncomfortable to be so close physically to another human being!!

]]> http://www.senduq.com/2008/under-the-umbrella/comment-page-1/#comment-103 Nani Fri, 15 Feb 2008 19:21:01 +0000 http://senduq.wordpress.com/?p=102#comment-103 funny how we're all conscious of and tend to keep to our own little bubble. Really fundamental humanity doesn't change just 'cause you're in another part of the world! a lot of things can happen if we're positive and open to experience, not just open in the mind but open to the idea of experience, not in just thought but also in action, I think i would argue that we're also shy of being the first to have that instant gesture, reaching out to people, and sometimes it turns into who does what first, but the bottom line is - it really doesn't matter who does what and who does it first, for kindness doesn't ask for anything in return Fantabulous :D funny how we’re all conscious of and tend to keep to our own little bubble. Really fundamental humanity doesn’t change just ’cause you’re in another part of the world! a lot of things can happen if we’re positive and open to experience, not just open in the mind but open to the idea of experience, not in just thought but also in action,
I think i would argue that we’re also shy of being the first to have that instant gesture, reaching out to people, and sometimes it turns into who does what first, but the bottom line is – it really doesn’t matter who does what and who does it first, for kindness doesn’t ask for anything in return
Fantabulous

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