I have been to Asia about two dozen times,
and now feel very comfortable in many of the cultures and cities. Particularly
at the Royal Garden Hotel in Tsim Tsa Tsui, Kowloon (with its enchanting view
of Hong Kong Island,) and at spectacular Mission Hills Golf resort owned by my good
friends Dr. Ken and Tenniel Chu, I have a great sense of being at home and connection.
In
Asia I find that I am constantly learning new things and understanding new
nuances about the issues, perspectives, and cultures. There is no doubt that my
views of world dynamics, multiculturalism and educational priorities have been
powerfully shaped by my time here and my interactions with some remarkable
friends from this part of the world. Certainly this trip is no exception. This is my first trip here on behalf of
Appleby, so there is the new wrinkle of meeting many new people and receiving
most generous, warm welcomes by Appleby parents and alumni.
On this trip, I am struck by three things
in particular, relating to differences and similarities:
1.
Once again, it is striking how
westerners mistakenly group Asian cultures together into one. In fact, while
there may be some similarities, the differences between Hong Kong Chinese
culture and Korean culture, or between Japanese culture and mainland Chinese
culture are at least as wide as those between American culture and, for instance,
Korean culture. As Canadians, we are particularly sensitive about differences
between Canadian and US cultures, while my friends from Atlantic Canada and
Quebec are also (very!) quick to point out that their cultures are very
different than that of Toronto.
Westerners, in general, and North Americans, in
particular, have a long way to go to better understand these Asian differences
and their implications for our future. I take great comfort that our children’s
generation, especially Appleby students, have a massive head-start over my own
generation. And in the decades ahead, this understanding will undoubtedly be a hallmark of great
leadership, regardless of field.
2. The flip side of appreciating
differences is seeing similarities. While in Shanghai, we had the opportunity
to stop in briefly at Bi Le Middle School (a top Shanghai local school.)
Students from Bi Le were hosting students from Appleby and Melbourne’s Ivanhoe
Grammar School on an intercultural exchange. Shanghai was their first stop,
before heading off to Sian and Beijing. It was great to see our Grade 9
students and colleagues Fraser Grant ’87 and Sheila Kuyper.
We watched a program where students from each school
gave presentations on their countries and schools, then discussed what life is
like in each country. While they spend lots of time focusing on differences, I
was just as struck by how similar these 14 and 15-year olds were in terms of
their humour, their concerns, their habits – including reaction to Canadian
exports like” the Beebs.” So many aspects
of being a teenager transcend culture.
3.
On a similar note, while North
American educators often talk about cultural differences in dealing with
parents of students from various parts of the world, parents from different
backgrounds share many more traits than not. Part of this trip has been meeting
parents one-on-one and in small groups to talk about their children and about
their Appleby experiences. Many of these conversations have been
stereotype-busters. I have been delighted to hear universally positive reports
from parents, knowing that many wonder about things like: How is my daughter
fitting in? Is my son working hard enough? What about universities? Does my
daughter clean her room? I want my son to experience some real
challenge/failure to prepare for life. Most of these conversations could be
easily transposed for those I have with Oakville families.
At the end of the day, I think that almost all parents want two
things – for their children to be known and embraced by the school community
for who they are, and for their children to be cared for in terms of program,
culture and support. Once again, while the “hows” may look different, these
core values transcend nationality and culture.
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