In Another Country

[Janne Halla]

Reading books set in other countries offers a unique window into cultures, traditions, and ways of life that are different from our own. Most of the books that I read aren’t set in my country. A rare book is that isn’t written by a Finnish author. Usually, stories are set in either the USA, the UK, or a fictional country (that’s very similar to the USA or the UK).

During my weeks-long vacation, I’ve had the opportunity to read several books. I challenged myself that at least a third of them aren’t set in Finland, the USA, or the UK.

The first book was The Deep Enders by Dave Reardon.  It’s set in Australia to the backdrop of World War II. Murph Turner, whose home was destroyed in the attack on Pearl Harbor,  sought refuge in the Australian town of Broome. Instead of peace, Murph finds a shocking and lawless environment full of secrets. Murph is soon taken under the wing of Micki, a teen on the run from the law, and Banjo, a cocky Aboriginal with a penchant for pyrotechnics.

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed, it is set mostly in Pakistan. Naila's parents will allow her to make all of her own decisions in life, except picking a husband. Thus, her parents are incensed when she falls in love with Saif. They trick her into coming to Pakistan, where she learns that she’ll be married off to an unknown person when they arrive.

Australia and Pakistan weren’t really much on the curriculum in Finland, though World War Two was. So, I didn’t really know much about the cultures of either country besides what I saw on television and the Internet. Doubly so for the second book. I really loved that Written in the Stars dedicated the first several chapters to the Pakistani culture and its people, with beautiful descriptions of their values and ways including their food, clothes, and general atmosphere. It allowed people who weren’t familiar so much with it to paint themselves a picture for the rest of the story.

Do you often read books set in a country not your own, but still in ‘our’ world? What do you think about them? What cultural differences did you notice in the book’s portrayal of everyday life? Are there any similarities between the book’s setting and your own country? Were there any societal norms in the book’s setting that surprised you?

It’s rather exciting to hear that people might write since HOL’s community is so diverse and we come from so many different cultures, countries, and backgrounds.

[Galena May]

I will be talking about the Harry Potter books here. They are set in the UK, with our story beginning in London. Then, of course, it shifts to the magical world (Wizarding Britain), which is a whole different world, but I wwill keep my focus on the Muggle part of London to compare with my own.
There could be many themes to explore, such as political structure and cultural differences, and then clothing styles and food. Social language cues may differ as well. Here are a few I noticed:
1. They have a Muggle prime minister indicating the possible form of government. Although I already know that England has a monarch, and is a constitutional monarchy, it is interesting to read about the Muggle prime minister during his first day at office. In my country, we have a multi-partite democracy and no monarch.
2. They have fireplaces in almost every house which is interesting. In some countries, especially hot ones, the more modern houses don't have one, instead focusing on cooling systems and air- conditioners. The snows on the Hogwarts grounds indicate that they have snowfall in winter, giving us an idea that Britain tends to have a cold climate. My country generally tends to be on the hotter side.
3. They have uniforms at school, both at Hogwarts and Muggle ones, although most countries do.
4. By way of greeting or a respectful gesture, they tend to shake hands and bow, which I find intriguing, as opposed to the various ways of greeting. A wave and a smile suffices in some countries and Japan got different types of bows for different people. Some countries would rather not have you touch them to shake their hand, especially women in Muslim countries. In my country, a handshake and a slight nod or bow suffices.
5. Oversized cloaks and owls as pets are not common, and they celebrate Bonfire Night, something J K Rowling mentioned to start off about how far away removed Harry was from the wizarding world. The celebration of Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, as we know it, indicates that they are predominantly Christians. My country has a predominantly Muslim population, although we have Christians and Buddhists as well. We also get several other indications that they are Christians, though, for they also celebrate Christmas and Halloween.
6. The food on their table is often intriguing to me. I find British food very heavy but it is also delicious. They eat lots of meat, for I see a lot of roasts, meat pies, and sausages on their tables, never a feast without one or two of these, throughout the story. There is bacon and sausages for breakfast, along with eggs, at the Dursleys, indicating that they eat a lot of protein. This indicates their non- vegetarianism. Their vegetables include potatoes, beans, broccoli, radishes, peas, and sprouts, for these are the ones I noticed throughout the story. They have absolutely no mention of rice, except in rice pudding at Hogwarts, so I believe that their staple is bread made from wheat. My country's staple is rice and we use a lot of bamboo, coconut and spices in our gravy, and traditionally eat on banana leaves. Our country is famous for vegetables like shallots (red onion), ginger (galangal), turmeric, and garlic. We are also known for different types of teas.
Besides, their general demeanor seems to be calm and reserved, occasionally stoic, when not outright funny, although different types of personalities exist in every country.