A well-known line in Dickens’ Oliver Twist is the query made by the young orphan, Oliver of the head of the orphanage. Oliver eats his porridge for the day and dares to ask for more.

“Please sir, I want some more —-”

“You want WHAT?”

The fact that Oliver dared to ask for more was criminal and worthy of being kicked out of the orphanage. He was sold to the highest bidder.

In case one wants to learn what happened to poor Oliver, one will either have to watch the movie or read the book.

That being said, we have manifold cultures and societies in the world, many of which conflict with others. In some societies, children are seen and not heard (yes, even today). In other parts of the world, women don’t show emotion to those other than their family. It’s considered rude.

When I got married many years ago, I had to learn a new language and culture, as my in-laws are from a different cultural background than my own family. Many facets of my upbringing were similar to my husbands, but the ones that were different required getting used to.

It was as if he would utter something that would appear so ridiculous to me (and visa versa) and I would exclaim –

“You’re going to do WHAT?”

Getting used to other cultures is an interesting process. Most of us learn to adapt to new cultures, new mores, especially at work where we have to get along with many other people from different backgrounds. However, in our homes, it’s more of a challenge to change one’s way of thinking. Realizing that in some places the unwritten rules are very different than one’s own unwritten rules of living can be somewhat of a culture shock.
It’s all about adapting. So the next time someone behaves in a way that you think is out of line, think again. Their way of behaving might just be normal for where they are coming from.

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