How does Culture and Traditions work Globally ?

[Jamil Goheer]

Hello guys,

we have discussed various topics, but i was just wondering if we can shed some light on our cultures and traditions. I am sure it would be fun knowing about different cultures and insightfull as well. Since we all are from diverse backgrounds, it would be interesting to know about each other. Questions you can answer could be,
1) Are there different cultures prevaling in your countries?
2) If yes, how are they different? You can share some history as well...
3) What are some interesting traditions of your region?
4) Shed some light on the people, living, livelihood, etc
5) Any iconic products, events, traditions etc that highlights your region?
6) You can add anything if you feel like....

cheers,
Jamil

[Leo Rocker]

great post Jamil...I will get into it soon!

[Jamil Goheer]

Thanks...i would love to hear from you and others...

[Jamil Goheer]

OK, let me take the first shot here...

Pakistan marks the region where South Asia converges with Central Asia and the Middle East. It has a 1,046 kilometer (650 mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast.

Modern day Pakistan consists of four major parts called provinces Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and North-West Frontier Province. It also governs part of Kashmir which is currently split between Pakistan and India. The Indus region was the site of several ancient cultures including Mehrgarh, one of the world's earliest known towns, and the Indus Valley Civilization (2500 BCE - 1500 BCE) at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Also on a crossroads of historic trade routes, including the Silk Road.

The different types of natural features range from the sandy beaches, lagoons, and mangrove swamps of the southern coast to preserved beautiful moist temperate forests and the icy peaks of the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains in the north. There are an estimated 108 peaks above 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) high that are covered in snow and glaciers. Five of the mountains in Pakistan (including Nanga Parbat) are over 8,000 metres (26,000 ft). Indian-controlled Kashmir to the Northern Areas of Pakistan and running the length of the country is the Indus River with its many tributaries. The northern parts of Pakistan attract a large number of foreign tourists. To the west of the Indus are the dry, hilly deserts of Balochistan; to the east are the rolling sand dunes of the Thar Desert. The Tharparkar desert in the southern province of Sindh, is the only fertile desert in the world. Most areas of Punjab and parts of Sindh are fertile plains where agriculture is of great importance. [Any one interested in mountaineering, adventure exploration, trekking feel free to write :)]

Pakistan has a rich and unique culture that has preserved established traditions throughout history. Many cultural practices, foods, monuments, and shrines were inherited from the rule of Muslim Mughal and Afghan emperors. The national dress of shalwar qamiz is originally of Central Asian origin derived from Turko-Iranian nomadic invaders and is today worn in all parts of Pakistan. Women wear brightly coloured shalwar qamiz, while men often wear solid-coloured ones. Western dresses are common in cities and urban population. The variety of Pakistani music ranges from diverse provincial folk music and traditional styles such as Qawwali and Ghazal Gayaki to modern forms fusing traditional and western music, such as the synchronisation of Qawwali and western music by the world renowned Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.

Climate varies throughout the year with 4 seasons; winter from december to february, spring from february to april, summers from may to september with a month of monsoon rains, and autumn from october to november.

Agrarian community galore and fruits and vegetables are in abundance. Mangoes and citrus fruits are very famous.
Traditional foods and dishes vary from province to province with specialities of spices added to dishes. Minerals galore; Textile industry very common;

I hope this brief will be interesting and useful......

[Ndekezi Maarifa Vincent]

hey Jamil. I am a Rwanda, and really proud of my being and culture. we are a monolingual people, sharing one culrure. I thought this is a useful link.

[Jamil Goheer]

Excellent Link.....A gud insight into Rawanda!!!

[Ndekezi Maarifa Vincent]

Rwanda is known for its culture. Our dances are really known . This clip is about the beauty of Rwanda: the Boys, Girls, the land. the hills. Great Rwanda, live lie long. Watch this clip!!

[Leo Rocker]

this is the funniest film I watched in a long time. Great dance and music!

[Leo Rocker]

1) Are there different cultures prevaling in your countries?
Many. Brazil, my birth contry has had a very sucessefull history of muliculturalins. African, european, southern americans and other embraced and created an harmonic culture. we did not respect the aboriginal culture, unfortunatle.

Australia also has many cultures, but it is a young cuntry with lots of racil conflic. Recently sudannese refugee have been target. Many others, including muslins are target of racial conflic.


2) If yes, how are they different? You can share some history as well...
No so good on writing about history, but in Brazil it dates back 500 year...of moder colonization and tousands of years of aboriginal history. Slaves, conflics, reach europian nations stealing money, gold, wood and making the cuntry a big mess...

Cultures there are diferente in religion, education, welf, opinio, but monstly speak the same language end have some respect goverment.
Australia has new migration, so culturas are different and fresh, mabny do not speak English and prefer to spend time with family menber am family. In school there are cases of bulling and on teh streets some racial motiveted conflicts. Need to impreve lots
3) What are some interesting traditions of your region?
capoeira, dances, interisting festivals, carnaval, samba


continuing later...
4) Shed some light on the people, living, livelihood, etc
5) Any iconic products, events, traditions etc that highlights your region?
6) You can add anything if you feel like....

[Filip Andrea Cornelia]

My dear friends,

This is a little bit about Romania:
- about our culture and nature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByczvQgsbS4
- about our architecture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucSEajnstM
- more about nature
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzcuBbztn-0
- the danube delta - a unique natural beauty
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0tTjBPtVMs

And a different aproach to present romania :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCf8NWJ8kzA

Funny Romania
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AM3g1OwOBY

Hope you enjoy them :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCf8NWJ8kzA

[Jamil Goheer]

A lot of interesting links.....Thanks...Lets hope others also contribute in sharing a bit about their cultures....
btw hv you arrived ? If you did, feel free to pop in for a chitchat...i am at room 1314...cheers,

[emmanuel]

i guess.., when we say culture..a lot of things would come out into it.., this would include the lifestyle, more of the fad.,like for instance, nowadays, the culture of the youth today is far different from the culture 20 years ago. Youths are more open, liberal to a lot of things, it can be in fashion, music and lifetsyle. On the other hand, tradition is simply the old way of living, i mean the way our old folks see things, view things very tradiitonal, conservative and laid back. In the philipines the culture is highly westernized due to the fact that in the course of our history, we were colonized by the Western people. Nowadays, youths prefer to go out, party, stya at night, well we have to face taht reality. Things are mroe complicated now. However, thera re still places in my country where people follow the old traditions, and beliefs.
I am speaking in behalf of the youth, because I have noticed that due to globalization, technology, the way of living gets easier, smoother and fast.The culture nowadays somewhat contradicts the traditions probabaly because of continous innovations, mans thirst for development and improvement. The culture nowadays are modernized. We need to bridge the gap between these two things.

[Jamil Goheer]

Emmanuel thanx for the info.....hope to discuss it more upon meeting....