Learn about Foreign Culture through Art
Aside from the stereo-typed package tourists who are mostly concerned with the quality of their accommodation and the food they are served at their destination, most people who make the effort to travel to a far-away country clearly have one goal in common: they want to get to know the people and culture of that foreign country.
Sounds fairly simple, doesn’t it? Isn’t it a given that once we travel to another country, we automatically get to know its people, their traditions and thereby their culture? Well, not necessarily. In fact, the more the world-wide travel industry develops and local entrepreneurs learn how to please foreigners by (ironically) catering to them what they are already used to from their home countries, the less it is likely that we get to know the ‘real’ local people in a foreign country. This is because most people working in tourism-related businesses, be it hotels, restaurants or other places that travelers usually frequent during their trips are trained to behave in a way to please their foreign guests. This is by itself nothing bad at all. However, it decreases the likelihood that travelers actually get to know the genuine people behind the ‘masques’ those people have to put on everyday in their dealing with foreign guests. Unless we get to know the ‘real’ people, how are we supposed to get to know their culture?
One of the best ways to do so is through arts. That is because local artists typically express their emotions and inner values - which are to a large extent based on their cultural beliefs - through their artwork in an undisguised and sincere way. Their works may be completely different in style, technique and themes, but they usually have some traditional features in common, which have their roots in the culture and society the artists were brought up in. Therefore, by looking at locally created artwork and talking to the respective artists, one can indeed get to know some important and genuine aspects of a foreign country’s culture. Best of all, this opportunity usually comes without great expenses, since most artists will be happy to open up their portfolio of works to interested people and talk about it in great length.
A good example in this regard is the art scene in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai being a favorite destination for tourists from all over the world for its charm and beautiful natural settings, it is - like many places in Thailand - a city focused on and well trained in catering to foreign tourists. Hence, by visiting this place, one will probably not get to know the ‘real’ Northern Thai culture. Visiting one of the numerous art galleries and artists in the city, though, will likely open up new perspectives about this place and its people to most foreign visitors - perspectives that are not easily found in any guide book. One added benefit is that this can be done throughout the whole year, irrespective of the season and weather conditions. A guide to local art galleries and artists is available at Golden Triangle Art’.
Art is not only good for our senses, but it may be one of the best ways to learn more about the people, culture and beliefs of a foreign country. Even if there is only limited time available, the time spent with art is time well spent.
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Filed under ART & CRAFT Ideas | Comment (0)Create The Kind Of Life You Desire
You may have heard of The Secret, the Power of Intention, or The Law of Attraction. You can change your life, once you change your beliefs.
Many of us spend our whole lives trying to achieve our dreams. Unfortunately, those dreams remain unattainable. Can life be changed for the better? Absolutely!
The key is in knowing how to tap into your inherent potential. When you learn to use more of your brain’s natural capacity, you unleash mental resources that can be used to improve your life.
Are you living the kind of life you really want or have you just settled?
Consider this: in spite of greater knowledge, better technologies, and increased social awareness, for a many people, life is just not working.
While it is true that, on the whole, we are better educated then our forebears, many of us spend long hours in jobs we loath; we can send men to the moon, yet poverty and lack of adequate housing still plague mankind back on earth. Increased social awareness has not stemmed the tide of family violence nor the breakdown of marital relationships. What’s missing?
You cannot create the kind of life you desire at the Beta level of the mind. Beta is the conscious level, where you struggle and try to overcome obstacles, duplicating old patterns over and over again. Think of a hamster running around on a wheel: the little creature runs as fast as it can, yet it gets nowhere!
When you learn to access the Alpha (intuitive) level of the mind, you can eradicate harmful, limiting thoughts that may be impeding progress.
* You change your life when you change your beliefs.
* You make a fresh start when you turn to your inner guide, using higher intelligence to transform your life.
You may have heard of The Secret, the Power Of Intention or The Law of Attraction. Whatever you think most about or look for in life, will eventually find you. None of us would consciously sabotage our lives but many of us carry around emotional weights that color our perception of the present. These thoughts and beliefs form patterns and can come back to us in the circumstances in our lives.
If you want to attract different circumstances and experiences, you have to radiate different energy out.
Super successful people do their thinking at the Alpha level of the mind. Artists, scientists, composers, writers, business gurus, etc. tap into and employ an inner genius that radiates outward. They use their sub-conscious level of the mind . . . consciously.
Utilize More of Your Brain’s Capacity
Think of your brain as a computer: when you program at the Alpha (or right brain) level of the mind, you input information–and your brain records that information. Those thoughts transmit energy out into the universe, which then manifests in coincidences that propel you toward our goals.
You have intuitive powers that you can draw on every day of your life. You can develop your mental resources to create the kind of life you really desire, tapping into wonderful opportunities that exist for you. by Athlyn Green