Building a Bridge...

Bridges between cultures are very important these days. English books like Global Links from Longman are introducing the variety of cultures to smooth business communication in the global world of business. In the first book of English for International Business, it reveals how shaking hands could be performed in different ways. This small example is very important because we could feel offended if somebody would not want to shake hand with us, while the other party's religious culture forbid him to shake hands with a woman (who is not his wife).

There are various ways to build a bridge between cultures. There are arts, musics, and sports as tools that can bridge cultures without even understand the language.

Football is one of the sport that can unify the world. Indonesians are also very fond of football. The final game of the World Cup will certainly make Indonesian streets emptier than the big city street during the Idul Fitri's holidays, people are all gathering in the front of the television set...either at home, at neighbour's house (for those who don't have television set), or other public places with big screen airing the game. No wonder the delegation from Pompey Double Club Portsmouth was really welcome in Indonesia. Now we also have Pompey Double Club Indonesia.

Combining English lesson with sports fun is a good way to help the brain accept the material that people learned. Study said that being in the state of happiness can help increase the ability to absorb the knowledge. Here is a comment from the participant that I quoted from the daily Jakarta Post:

Bertres Risdiansyah of SMP Muhammadiyah 3 Yogyakarta agreed, saying the program had made him more confident in speaking English, even in front of an audience, and provided him with good futsal skills.
"This is a very good program. It should involve more students, not just Muhammadiyah school students," Bertres said.

Yes, we do need to have more bridges, especially to those without the luck of gaining good education to improve their way of seeing things, to help them overcome the prejudice which in turn can also help to reduce prejudice from others towards themselves.