A Glimpse at Labels

Have you ever realized how easily we morph by simply changing our environment. For instance, in Birmingham, I am a Black-American, a sub-culture of American culture. If I attend a national convention of some sort, I become a Black-Southerner, assuming that the event is mixed. On the other hand, if the event is My Fraternity's national convention then I am just a southerner. This pattern continues once I leave America. In London, at first glance, I was Black, just another member of the African Diaspora, until I spoke then the American label was quickly added. In Africa, at least the part I visited, I was Black, a long lost brother or that family member from out of town that doesn't do things the way most of the family is use to, be is still loved. Now, in China(HK), I am once again a man of the African Diaspora, but then I become a little bit more. I become Western, a product of that beast that was built on the destruction of other cultures. Just think about it. I will probably ramble about this later.


On another note, there hasn't been much activity with me this week. I have continued assisting students with speaking English, which is still very refreshing. I actually had one student that left me smiling uncontrollably, because she was just that pleasant. I have nearly finished designing a informal tutorial session about creative writing that I am going to teach. I have been attending a Korean church with some colleagues the past two Sundays, not to mention I sat in on a Hindu service about three weeks ago. I am keeping the cultural experiences going. Here are some random photos to show that I continue to smile daily.

The last two pictures are from a Hall banquet that was held last week. I and two others in my group had to participate in guess that tune game. So, they gave each of us head phones and we listened to a Cantonese song, and had to sing the song to the audience while the audience threw out guesses. It was very funny, I wished I taped it. Well, that's all I got. Until I blog again.