Inglorious Bastards ain’t your average war flick or history lesson, it’s Tarantino doing his offbeat thing. The humor’s not mocking the war, but poking at the villains. The Basterds are soldiers, not a hit squad against innocents. The cinema cheers? That’s just folks enjoying seeing the Nazis get some comeuppance. If you didn’t dig it, cool. But remember, Tarantino’s all about pushing buttons and sparking chatter. If it got under your skin, maybe it hit the mark.
I must admit that I eventually got used to it and even started enjoying this attitude, which I also took part in, but I was quite amazed by the Finns.
For work reasons, I had to spend three months in Espoo and the interaction with my colleagues was strangely cold in social interactions. Examples:
- In the office canteen, they would sit next to you and start eating without even greeting or making conversation. I wondered why they had chosen to sit next to me.
- When they finished eating, they would get up from the table and not say goodbye.
- The scrupulous respect for personal space: in queues, crowds, etc.
- Small talk was generally non-existent. People often preferred to stay quiet rather than chat about the weather or other common topics. Even in an elevator, silence was the norm, not the exception.
- During meetings, the Finns would often speak only when they had something substantial to contribute. The silence in between wasn’t considered awkward, but a moment of thoughtfulness and respect for others’ ideas.
I ended up enjoying this way of social interaction. It seems to me that one uses less energy in social situations. There’s less stress about having to make conversation or engage in small talks.
Love you Finland.
I understand your perspective on questioning the gender assigned at birth, and it’s a valid point of view. However, it’s important to remember that the concept of gender is multifaceted, involving biological, social, and cultural elements that have existed long before modern governments. For a significant number of people, their gender identity aligns naturally with their biological sex and the societal roles they’ve been assigned. For these individuals, there may not be a pressing need to question their gender, as they feel a sense of congruence. The experience of gender is complex and varies from person to person, but it’s not surprising that some people don’t find it necessary to question their assigned roles.