Tag Archives: Cultural

Cultural

Southern Californians – Surfing and Beach Culture

If Southern Californians worship at the altars of youth, health, and beauty, then their churches are the beaches. Here, unbelievably beautiful men and women parade their surgically enhanced bodies beneath the ever-present sun. Favorite sports include skating and volleyball, but the ability to look good on a surfboard is the ultimate cool. Surfing was originally practiced by the Hawaiian nobility as a religious ceremony. It was introduced to California by Hawaiian George Freeth in 1907and popularized in the 1920s in Waikiki by Olympic swimmer Duke Kahanamoku. In 1961 the Beach Boys released “Surfin’,” and the sport took off around the world. Today surf culture is part of the mainstream consciousness. The loose-fitting clothes favored by surfers are reproduced on the catwalk, and surfing slang is used by many who have never been near the beach.

Where To Learn To Surf

Beginners are advised to start by body surfing without a board. Boogie boarding, with a half-length board, is also far easier to master than surfing. Beaches with waves that break parallel to the beach (a surf break) are the most suitable. The best beaches on which to learn to boogie board include Santa Monica, Carpinteria, and Del Mar. Beginners should avoid famous surfing beaches, such as Surfrider, San Clemente, and Huntington, as conditions can overwhelm the inexperienced.

Lifeguards are stationed on most county and state beaches in California during the summer. Their distinctive gray huts have been made famous throughout the world by the television series Baywatch. Always follow their instructions on the beach, and ask if you are in doubt about the tidal conditions.

Surfing Highlights

One exhilarating surfing experience is to “beat the tube.” The surfer rides beneath the crest, regulating his speed and position to stay just ahead of the falling wave. If he goes too fast he comes out of the wave; too slowly and he gets knocked off. The wave loses momentum as it nears the shore. At this point the surfer will shoot out of the tube, remaining upright.

Other Beach Activities

Southern California’s spectacular beaches are used by a wide variety of sports enthusiasts. Although the beaches are most popular in summer, activities are enjoyed year-round by hardy souls. Sailing is popular, with thousands of yachts of all sizes harbored in a string of marinas along the coast. Windsurfing and kite flying also take advantage of the prevailing onshore winds. Sea kayakers often explore the rocky coasts of the Channel Islands and the mainland. Volleyball, once limited to friendly matches, is now a major professional sport with competitions held along the Southern California coast each summer.

Cultural

Pros and Cons of a Cross Cultural Relationship

Dating has indeed become global, and finding a soulmate on that scale can be rewarding if managed well, and conversely, heart-breaking if not. Those who are contemplating on how to find love beyond their physical borders (especially for people who are still single after 40) should weigh the pros and cons of a cross-cultural relationship before getting into one. It is tempting to get into such relationship out of desperation, but to address your personal quest of “how can I find love,” you will have to decide whether you can get comfortable with the disadvantages for you to enjoy the benefits of dating expats:

The Pros:

  • You get to develop interpersonal skills. Learning how to get along with people from entirely different world views will demand tolerance, patience, open-mindedness and willingness to see another person’s point of view;
  • You keep your eyes peeled for international current events. You become more aware of global issues that affect both your cultures. In the process, you become observant and analytical;
  • You will cultivate appreciation for diversity because you are opening up your senses to another culture’s tastes, smells, sounds and sights;
  • You open up yourself to life’s possibilities. You will begin to understand that there is no right or wrong, only perspectives;

As you revel in your new-found joys, you will also have to inevitably accept some realities that you will have to live with for the long-term. You accept this, however, as a necessary bargain on how to find love in a different cultural setting.

The Cons:

  • You may have to compromise your most cherished beliefs. You will need to meet the other person halfway. You may come to a point where you need to choose between keeping the relationship and letting go some of your cultural prejudice, or staying true to your personality as shaped by your culture and letting go of the other person. Would you give up your Christian beliefs when you marry an atheist?
  • You may have to entirely make a huge leap of adjustment, especially when the other person does not come from the same region. Religion and politics are usually hotly contested grounds between people coming from the north and people coming from the south. One of the couple may have to acquiesce to the values of the other to maintain harmony in the relationship. For example, are you willing to share the socialist ideals of Europeans from such economies?
  • You may have to deal with practices that are acceptable in the other person’s society but prejudicial to your own. For example, you may marry into a culture that practices, and sometimes even promote, sex-selective abortion. You will have to decide whether this is something you will do for love, or abandon the relationship altogether because you can’t let go of your deep-seated respect for life.

How to find love in a multi-cultural setting has its own challenges, but when you learn how to live with these challenges and get them to work in your favor, the effort in dating expats and finding a soulmate is all worth it.

You can get more information on cross cultural relationships and finding a soulmate by visiting http://www.manifestingmydestiny.com Be sure to take advantage of the 6 Day Free E-mail Mini-Course and submit your name to be notified of the release of the mini e-book “Help! How Can I Find True Love?”