Of course everyone has a certain perception of how certain cultures act, regardless of the context. That's just a fact. To ignore that is...well, ignorant, in my opinion. What's interesting is when you see first hand how others think you'll act--or the things they think you like. Take this fine establishment, for example. A bunch of us went there this weekend. It was quite high-end. However, it seemed to be a themed sports bar. All the bartenders were in soccer jerseys. There was also a giant screen playing soccer. The furniture and decor, though, was extremely fancy chandeliers and 18th century European style couches, walls and sidings. In fact, the contrast was so kitschy, I wasn't quite sure how to make it out. It seemed as if they decided to shove everything they knew that was remotely Western into one: sports, European furniture and English music. That is, they did this without taking into account differences between Westerners in a Westerners' own culture.

I do often believe that variations within your own culture can be greater than those between other cultures. Seeing this example reminded me of that. Maybe I haven't been exposed to enough places here to find out what the East really thinks of the West...but to me, it seems like all the ingredients are right, it just tastes different. I won't even go into Chinese pizza, done 'Western' style, with a crust made from phyllo pastry. Then again, I know for a fact chicken balls and chop suey aren't Chinese. Don't even try. Cultural conventions sometimes confuse me.