Beauties and Beasts Blogging Panel Number 2.

The International Migratory Bird Day was held on Saturday. Thank you Aquarius for alerting me to this information.

It is held the second Saturday of May every year.

Migration of many species occurs naturally through out nature.

This has coincided with the chosen topic this week:

The Topic for our Beauties and Beastie Panel.

Worldwide Migration in the New Millennium.

Question asked by Sharron W

Open for discussion.

Is it a good thing that people move around the globe and settle in countries vastly different from the one they were born in? Does this erode the culture of their new host nation when they try to bring into that nation, ways of their place of birth?
For example, in Spain there is very little Sunday trading and no trading on public holidays, its is culturally, a day for spending quality time with the family and not a day for DIY or shopping, yet the Spanish in some areas, are constantly being pressed to change their ways to suit the influx of 'foreigners', only last week a newspaper reported that several large cruise ships came into Cartagena on 1st May, but were 'bitterly disappointed' to find most of the businesses closed, they had money to spend and could only buy coffees and beers etc.
Should people stay where they were born and make that place the most desirable for them to live in, or should those migrating, press for change globally, or accept the ways of the host nation and be quiet.

Dani Dare Replies.

If it weren't for migration, the world would look very different today. Without explorers and settlers, without imports and exports, without world trade, without international exchanges, without town partnerships, without inter-marriages we'd still be primitive societies with village mentalities living closed up on themselves.

Migrants are spreading customs and cultures, languages, interests, they are evening out economic unbalances by responding to requirements of demand and supply of work power. On the whole they are having beneficial effects on both emigrating and immigrating countries.

I'm totally in favour of migration, having been a migrant myself for many years and having met some incredibly interesting people I'd never have met if I had stayed in my cocoon.

Arfie Has Her Say.

Good question Sharron. :-)

“The issue of global migration, is it a good thing or not, for people of one nation, to up sticks and move to another?”

I am not too clear on how we can decide whether something is good or bad. What may appear as good or bad to me may not appear the same to another person. And this is applicable vice versa too. People choose to migrate for several reasons... and how can we decide whether it was good or bad? People, who have migrated, did so, for reasons that are best known to them - it could have been for better materialistic prospects, better career prospects and "n" number of other reasons. In my opinion, it is really not fair to say whether they were right or not by doing so. We all believe in freedom of choice and freedom of movement, don’t we? As long as those who choose to migrate to another country don’t regret that decision later, it should be fine.

“Will this cause a long term effect of eroding cultures?”

I presume that you are asking this considering the way some people are not following their cultures and traditions today when compared to how things were in the past. True… I can see it happening everywhere as a matter of fact. But… it is only because People, places and languages change with the passage of time. To quote Monsieur Rochefoucauld – The only thing that is constant in life is Change.

Just because an American or Japanese or British or Chinese or Portuguese or Indian or Moroccan or Chinese or Filipino or Brazilian or Sri Lankan or African or Indonesian or Mexican [phew.. I’m outta breath…:D] decided to settle themselves down in the United Arab Emirates , doesn’t mean it could really lead to the erosion of their respective cultures. Also, it really doesn’t mean that one is more culturally tuned in when they live in their own country. To be well informed with the culture of their country, one has to “do something about it”. Just residing in it won’t help much. People have to take efforts to inculcate cultural values in their life and in their offspring’s. Geographical barriers have never come in the way of a person wanting to practice their own culture in their lives. Unless of course a cultural practice is considered illegal or immoral by the government of the country they have migrated to.

Do you think the actual natives are preserving the cultures of their own country? I don’t know about other countries, but let me tell you something about the country I belong to – India . Cultures and traditions that were followed nearly 2 to 3 decades ago are not followed in my country today to a large extent. Simply because everything around us have changed and people are adapting themselves to those changes which are new and are not so bad to adapt to. I have been living outside my country for 22 years [I'm 24years old, by the way: D ] and the country where I live in - UAE - you can easily find almost all nationalities of the world. Name them... and we have them here. None of us follow the cultures of our respective countries in their “purest” form or rather I must say - most of us have altered those cultures to suit our taste and the changing times.

This is strictly my opinion!

Laura S Shares Her Thoughts

A BIT OF A BEASTIE…
Hi Sharron
There are a few issues together which I will deal with separately--- what I think to date (I'm always open to new wisdom and insight, nothing is set in stone)

Your question is dealing with economics, the power of individuals and culture.

ECONOMICS
A flying lay review (pretty ignorant in the vast economic scheme of things…but will take a lot of convincing to buy into the current world financial ideology)
This dominates all, whether we are conscious of it or not. The powerful US/UK are winning in their attempts to liberalise the world---that is make as many countries as possible obey and live by the rules of Market principles (thank you dear Margaret Thatcher and Reagan for bringing this old mercantile b@@@@@@t back when our reformers spend the 19th century moving away from it)

Thankfully, Europe, more powerful than the poorer nations, who had to succumb to the bully boy and brain washing tactics of Organisations such as the IMF and WTO in the 80s and 90s, has been less impressed with our wonderful world view. Which is why in Spain they have days when business is closed, and I also experienced that recently in Switzerland---loved it!

SADLY, France appears to have got on board now….I do not rejoice in their choice of president.

Isn’t life MORE than the bottom dollar?

So, to answer this part of your question, unlike the ideology of the Right/and Centre left/right ‘folk’ I DON’T believe that individuals have such power over whole cultures today, I think the larger forces of government and money are doing that job, although they would like to brainwash us into thinking WE have the power (individualistic myth)
CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

YES move around
If you go to genuinely learn from the country you are entering, you are enriched with whole new perspectives.
I think you can learn to value difference and uniqueness which is an opposite attitude to the truly dreadful, and endemic 'racism'
BUT
the main problem is attitude. Being English, whose family settled in Hong Kong for over 30 years, I held the UGLY 'superior' colonial attitudes in the early years. Recently I read how one Hong Kong girl felt like a second class citizen in her own country. Thank God I woke up and RAN from these vile values.
SADLY
they are still alive and kicking but in subtler forms. I do believe we Westerners often go abroad to 'teach' better ways, bring ‘better’ ways, whether we are conscious of this or not. Let me ask you, how many arguments have you been in online with the current hegemonic people group--the Americans, and been shut down if you fundamentally disagreed with their 'better' understanding of life? Before my American friends jump down my throat I KNOW this isn't all Americans but I have hit that one a number of times! WE Brits historically have been no better, just had more centuries’ experience to reflect.

AND GENERALLY
I wonder how many ACTUALLY were ‘bitterly disappointed’ on that cruise ship, what were their nationalities (nb liberal-individualists Brits and Americans, or more European?).
Personally, in Switzerland recently I enjoyed their national holiday with no open shops, I didn’t know it was coming but I was creative and worked around it, and we all enjoyed one another’s company. I enjoyed experiencing some Swiss village culture.

FOLKS, what are your true treasures: material, or the precious flesh and blood family, friends (and new friends)?

Rita has an answer for Sharron W

Living as close to the border of Mexico as I do one of my favorite pastimes is to go to Mexico on a Sunday as it is always family day. A lot more of the shops stay open in the tourist area but if you go to the back streets and I do . You still find families that gather in the park to promenade and fathers keep a very close eye on their daughter and suitors. Very reminiscent of the Victorian days in our own culture when things moved at a slower pace. I also feel that if you relocate to a country not of your origin that you should adapt to their ways and custom if not for your education then out of respect for them and their culture

The Beast Yobbo Mate is more scathing in his reply

{He Is Out Spoken! Do not read if you are fragile.}

Oh hell, this is a pet peeve of mine.... The new host counrty would not MIND the imports, if only.....
If only these travelling circus clowns realised, that they aren’t 'HOME' any more, so things are DIFFERENT.
There should be a bloody users guide put out for these bloody idiots....
I mean, Some complain there’s no suitable fast food outlets...and so they invade that country, teaching all the BAD health issues, with the introduction of junk food.
The other country ites want their tea to be exactly the same as home...they want everything the same as home... Well pack ya bags and toddle off home!!!you whinging minority, no matter what country your from, if you don’t like the place, go bloody home, to where your chip buutties are the correct temperature....or the hamburfgers are better.
Now as I said its a minority that spoil it for the GENUINE holiday makers/ new residents.

bottom line....you don’t know where the line is... its not your country, you left to get away from your country....don’t expect everything to be like home
FFS...grow up and get a bloody life???? people in different parts of the world live to suit the climate., live to suit the food supply, ....look I could go on for hours here....but people have to realise, the old saying...'when in Rome, do as the Romans do'...well that applies to your new host country....
Now grow up and get a life, you bloody whingers......

This Topic is now open for Comments.
The opinions from this topic remain the opinions of those who have responded in kind. No offence ever intended and I have opened this as a free forum to the extent that I feel free to over see the content of my comments section and posts.
The last topic still remains open for discussion. I know many read their friends pages when it is convenient for them to do so. I have been overwhelmed with the amazing comments brought forth in the first Beauties and Beast Blogging Concept.
Each and every individual who has taken the time to share their story or point of view so articulately and with so much passion has made me think that this BBB is worthy of more trial time. We will have new panels and changes of format in the coming posts.
I am eagerly awaiting more topics and ask that you message me formally with a topic.
Also I am waiting for any one who has indicated their wish to be on a panel to also leave me a quick message so that I can fore warn you of the new topic open for discussion soon.
My thanks to all panelists a wonderful response from you all.