36th Annual Mikoshi Parade, Yokosuka, Japan, 12.21.12
Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational Modes of Communication
The COVID-19 pandemic brought an abrupt stop to travel and as of this writing, many foreign travel restrictions are still in place. This made experiencing culture very difficult for me, but it also brought new ways to experience it, such as virtual tours of museums, galleries, concerts and books. One key way that I could maintain a connection to the world around me was right in my city, at Old Dominion University, in a class called Communicative Competence: Speaking and Listening (WCS 311).
Our class was mostly Americans, but we had the added benefit of an Australian foreign exchange student who brought pieces of cultural information from a world and many time zones away. We experienced various cultures from multiple mediums; literature, film and even guest speakers. We analyzed the differences between them as well as the differences between theirs and our own, and learned more about our own culture in the process. This is the key to understanding how cultures influence each other; it is crucial to our society to realize the similarities we have with other people, and working together locally and globally.
Local Communities – Preserving Community Spaces:
One of the first concepts that comes to mind when I think of local community is a topic discussed WCS 311 in the Spring of 2020. The topic was the importance of preserving community spaces. In ancient Roman & Greek times, a forum was a place for people to come together, listen to, and discuss ideas. This has become increasingly important in an age where we are all digitally connected, but interpersonally disconnected. The Professor explained how the café is considered a 3rd space which is not home or work but can function as both, as it allows the freedom of either solitude or community. Another example was cycling, in which a group of people with shared values engage in an activity which is simultaneously solitary and collaborative. I contemplated and noted that the Ice Cream truck was a staple that could prevent child trafficking by giving the opportunity for kids and their parents to get to know families in the neighborhood and therefore easily identify newcomers, as well as potential predators. Involvement in local community could literally save someone’s life.
Global Communities – Wasshoi!
Meeting people of a different age, culture, race, ethnicity, or nationality than you will expose you to different facets of humans worldwide and better prepare you to communicate with people with a variety of personalities, beliefs and lifestyles that you may not have previously come into contact with. This applies in personal as well as professional life. No matter the height of professionalism you want to attain, whether as an employer or an employee, you have to understand how to work with people. The more exposure and openness you have to different cultures, the easier it will be to navigate these social and professional situations.
It is not easy to put aside your own beliefs and perspective in order to consider those of others, but it is necessary in order to resolve inevitable conflicts. Within any culture (including our own), there are subcultures and due to varying beliefs, values and personalities between and among these groups, there will be dissent at some point. When communicating or collaborating with anyone, you have to understand that person’s perspective and what they value in order to understand their actions. Many miscommunications happen due to not communicating, whether due to mistrust or biases, but patient and honest communication gives both parties the opportunity to be heard and understood, and ultimately, valued. This is the only way for successful community, even in an organization.
Over the course of my life, I have been exposed to many people of different cultures and beliefs. I was raised by my Dad, a fluent Russian linguist, and my stepmother, a native Puerto Rican. Sometimes she, my step-brother and my step-grandmother spoke Spanish in the house. I learned some words, but as I got older I got more interested in language and how it connects people locally as well as globally; the evidence in restaurants and small markets and the different native languages spoken in them. This curiosity about other cultures is one major reason I joined the military.
In 2011, while I was in bootcamp, I met one of my best friends and the first Filipina I had ever met. We went on to our technical training together and are now successful Sailors in the U.S. Navy; this would not be the case if a landmark open-minded and progressive movement had not been made while we were in bootcamp. On September 20th 2011, Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was repealed, just 10 days before we graduated from bootcamp. This allowed my friend to celebrate the ability to serve her country in our Navy community while respecting her human rights as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and taught me the value of not tolerance but acceptance.
I also saw new Sailors celebrating gaining citizenship while in bootcamp. This diversity in our ranks has strengthened our force, and introduced me to cultures and lessons that I keep with me still. My first command was overseas in Japan. About a month after I arrived at the command, I participated in the 36th Annual Mikoshi parade on October 21st 2012. I engaged with the local Japanese people during this event, and although I couldn’t speak Japanese, this was one of the first experiences that I had with them. I learned their value of tradition and connection with their national identity. Regardless of our language barriers, we carried the Mikoshi (portable shrine) together in the celebration of friendship. Wasshoi!
Japan is where I learned to properly hold chopsticks, the reason that teacups don’t have handles, and that slurping your food or drink when you are almost done is a compliment to the chef. One of my cherished accomplishments is my ascent of the enormous heritage site, Mount Fuji. Upon arriving to the top of the mountain, I was invited to join the locals and eat some ramen and rest after a grueling 5 hour climb. It was a long way up, but it was the first time I had been above the clouds and it showed me what I am capable of.
Returning to the United States was more of a culture shock than arriving in Japan for the first time. There are many different social expectations and courtesies in Japan that are not practiced in the U.S., and after 3 years living there I was so accustomed to them, that it was challenging to re-acclimate to my own country. This opportunity afforded to me by the Navy was an unforgettable experience that allowed me to immerse myself in another culture and to encounter things that I couldn’t through a webpage.
Thankfully, my Japanese cultural study did not end upon returning to the U.S. I was fortunate to find a Self-Defense course taught by Shihan Kim Baylor, a student of the former 50-year ODU martial arts instructor Sensei Hiroyuki Tesshin Hamada. The course refreshed my appreciation for the culture and introduced me to even more Japanese concepts and customs, such as hand placement when performing a traditional bow. Osu!
Van Goethe Image: https://www.wasd.school/page/language-department
Flora Lewis Image: https://spanishmama.com/language-quotes-for-language-learners/
Sailor Image: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/20/us/dont-ask-dont-tell-anniversary-passes-with-little-note.html
Everyone smiles Image: https://www.yourquote.in/sanskriti-oq8k/quotes/everyone-smiles-same-language-e6mre
Video: https://www.dvidshub.net/video/159231/mikoshi-parade-short-version
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