Cultural Differences re: morality/sex/etc (semi-NSFW topics)

[El Diablo]

u,

Talking about various cultural differences has big potential and can cover tons of ground. I can imagine someone visiting America thinking things like "They walk around inside the house with their shoes on, WTF?" or all sorts of things about the levels of consumerism and short attention span entertainment.

However, I think what people are pointing out to you here is that your original post was a bit rambling and really very much focused on the attitudes regarding sex/prostitution/etc in the DR.

To that end, I changed the title to focus discussion on that specific area. We can definitely do another broader thread about amusing cultural differences later.

[Aloysius]

Thread reminded me of a book review of "Lust in Translation: The Rules of Infidelity from Tokyo to Tennessee" (examination of infidelity around the globe, exploring differences in attitudes towards adultery, and frequency) I read in The Economist couple months ago: here is a reprint of the article.

[ QUOTE ]
Her conclusion: people in rich countries value monogamy and tend not to stray often. In America, however, “adultery crises last longer, cost more, and seem to inflict more emotional torture.” Americans are so guilt-ridden, she writes, that they don't even enjoy what should be the pleasurable bit. Better, she reckons, to take a lesson from the French, who believe that monogamy is optimal, enjoy the lapses when they happen but try not to escalate them, and never, ever, confront a spouse for cheating.

[/ QUOTE ]

-Al

[sirio11]

Man, I don't know where you lived in the Dominican Republic, but I don't like the fact that you presented your experiences as if the whole country was like that. I'm pretty sure there are pretty terrible neighborhoods in America and if some foreigner lived there, he may post something similar to yours about "life in America".

Besides, it's ironic you talked about religion contradictions, US is full of them, people here are pretty religious (or they pretend to) but love to engage in wars and kill thousands of people around the world (as surely Jesus would do).

[unbluffable]

sirio, I would love to hear your experiences and opinions. I simply presented what I have experienced so far, nothing in the OP is made up.

Also, I'm reading a book right now called The Search for the Perfect Whore: a romp through the dominican republic. It is very close to what i have experienced so far, althought ive only read 3 chapters.

also, what i write mostly pertains to the tourist areas, not rural areas. I mentioned that in the OP, althought it may not have been so clear.

[unbluffable]

as far as contradiction: no they are not common in America.

The media, movies, everything is always black and white. Someone is good and others are bad. We go to war because terrorists are bad, and Iraqis are bad, etc etc. I would hate to turn this thread into a discussion of a country that could not care less about though.

rkd

[sirio11]

Well, as far with my experiences with another country and prostitution, I went to Russia (Moscow) in 1999, we got a sweet deal with all meals and accommodations free to go to play on a poker tournament. We stayed at the Cosmos hotel I think, and I was shocked there were like 100 girls on every corner of the hotel just waiting for us, very beautiful girls I must say, their English was pretty poor, basically, "hey, you, sex, 100". I, too, tried to make fun of them asking if they were offering me $100 to have sex with them. I didn't take the offer (don't like to pay for sex), but one of my friends took it, the girl almost convinced him to take her to America since she was so in love with him.

[unbluffable]

I grew up in Russia till the age of 13 and I can tell you that comparing Russia to Dominican is like comparing chess to go fish.

[boomshakalaka]

[ QUOTE ]
as far as contradiction: no they are not common in America.



[/ QUOTE ]

wait, what?

[rocketlaunch]

[ QUOTE ]

My perception of America is that it also a country of contradictions. For example, by Western standards it is very religous and moralistic, yet it also has the largest porn industry.

[/ QUOTE ]

The reason the porn industry is so big here is because of the suffocating religious atmosphere. Sex, sexuality and the human body itself is so vilified that many people in this country have a pretty warped sexuality.

In other countries (like a fair number of the European countries) where sex and the human body are a lot less taboo, there's much less of a need for porn. People are having and enjoying sex and their own sexuality a lot more so there's not much to be gotten from pictures on the internet.

Only in places like the US where people's sexuality is stunted and blunted almost from birth are outlets like porn and strip clubs so needed, since the idea of comfortably relating sexually to another person outside of (and sometimes even inside) a dedicated, long-term monogamous relationship becomes such a daunting task for many.

Sexuality is such a basic human drive that nothing can make it go away. However groups (like some religions and governments) can systematically destroy many people's ability to outwardly enjoy it, resulting in people being more comfortable with porn than the real thing, or even worse perversions. I don't think, for example, that it's a coincidence that so many catholic priests have been outed as pedophiles.

[SonofDjugashvili]

[ QUOTE ]
Well, as far with my experiences with another country and prostitution, I went to Russia (Moscow) in 1999, we got a sweet deal with all meals and accommodations free to go to play on a poker tournament. We stayed at the Cosmos hotel I think, and I was shocked there were like 100 girls on every corner of the hotel just waiting for us, very beautiful girls I must say, their English was pretty poor, basically, "hey, you, sex, 100". I, too, tried to make fun of them asking if they were offering me $100 to have sex with them. I didn't take the offer (don't like to pay for sex), but one of my friends took it, the girl almost convinced him to take her to America since she was so in love with him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't forget that's $100/NIGHT. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I am from the old USSR and worked there in the 90's, and the thing you need to know about Moscow is that it's WAAAAAY cheaper to get a beautiful hooker for a night than take a girl out on a date - I would reckon the cost comparable was $100-200 vs $300-800. Second, most of the "regular dates" try to play you for gifts, money, ring/passport. Therefore, the hooker is by far the cheaper/less stressful choice. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]