Language and Culture

My first thoughts about learning a new language and culture were delusional! I thought I would just learn new words to replace the English ones in my brain and say those instead of the “normal” ones. Ignorance truly is bliss. But not very helpful.

What I did not know, but learned very quickly, is that language and culture are much more involved than how to pronounce the words. Reality is not only perceived differently but is expressed in new ways. Cultural values, which dictate life, are unspoken but very real. Words are shaped around these “new” ways (they were new to me, not the Croats) of viewing the world and often have no equivalent in my mother tongue.

It is important to pray that we can come to not only recognize these crucial differences but can come to understand, respect and even feel them. If we cannot come to this point, we cannot effectively minister here. It is not a question of right and wrong, but one of being open, flexible, and adaptable. It is not a rejection of our own culture, but a respect of another.

A million positive examples of cultural difference could be given. Let me give you one today and then I will follow up on this topic later in the week.

Grandmothers, ‘bakas’ in Croatian, are brilliant bicycle riders. Elise and I often marvel at their ability to balance several bags full of groceries, hold an umbrella and navigate a crosswalk that includes hopping off the bike, walking across the busy road, and then starting off again. We really want to get a picture or video of it for you but have not found a way to do it without being too obvious.

The culture here has most people going to town every morning for their bread, meat, milk, fruits and vegetables. The food is fresher that way. Other benefits include getting up and off to an early start, daily exercise during the walk or bike ride to town, and getting to have a cup of coffee and a half hour conversation with your friends.

My cultural default button says that is a waste of time. What about productivity, hard work, and profit? The cultural default button here say this is an excellent investment of time. What about health, exercise, good food, and friends? Which is right? Neither and both.

All the values expressed, productivity, hard work, profit, health, exercise, good food, and friends, are important in both cultures. The priority is not. I still don’t go to town early every morning. Maybe I should. But I have too much to do.