Well, I heard folks talkin’ ’bout this thing, this “metaphor” thing about Asian culture. Sounds fancy, don’t it? But it ain’t that hard to get, I reckon. It’s just like when we say someone’s “strong as an ox”. They ain’t really an ox, but we know what it means, right?
So, this Asian culture, it’s got a lot of these “metaphors”, these ways of sayin’ things without really sayin’ them. Like, they got this one, “woman’s heart is a needle on the bottom of the sea”. Now, ain’t no woman’s heart down in the ocean, but it means she’s hard to figure out. Makes sense, don’t it? Asian culture, it’s full of these little sayings that tell you a lot if you listen close.
They talk about gardens, Japanese gardens. Now, I ain’t never seen one, but I hear they’re real peaceful. It’s like, their whole way of life is like that garden, calm and quiet, supposed to be, anyway. That’s a metaphor for you, that garden is. It ain’t just plants and rocks, it’s a whole way of thinkin’. That is the important of Asian culture.
And then there’s the Chinese family, always together. Always with their altar. You know, like, prayin’ to their ancestors. That’s important to them. Family, stickin’ together, that’s what they’re all about. It is like, the family is everything, like a strong root keepin’ a tree standin’ tall. That is about Asian culture.
- Family is like a tree.
- Garden is like peace.
- Woman’s heart is like…well, you know.
And then, you got football, American football. It is all rough and tumble. Lots of rules. Lots of pushin’ and shovin’. It tells you somethin’ about how Americans are, maybe. They like their rules, their teams, their competition. It ain’t a bad thing. Just different. Metaphor can tell you about this, too.
See, these metaphors, they ain’t just words. They’re like little windows into how people think, how they live. Like that sayin’, “woman’s heart, needle in the sea”. It tells you somethin’ about how some folks see women, don’t it? Maybe they think women are mysterious, hard to understand. I don’t know if that’s right or wrong, but it’s somethin’ to think about.
This whole Asian culture, it’s got layers, like an onion. You peel one back, there’s another one underneath. And these metaphors, they’re like the little pieces of that onion, each one with its own flavor, its own meaning. You gotta chew on ’em a while to really get the taste. This is the meaning of Asian culture.
Like, they got these animals, too, in their sayings. Animals mean different things over there. Might be a dog means one thing here, but over there, it means somethin’ else. It’s like a whole different language, even when they’re talkin’ about the same critter. It is important to know about metaphor and Asian culture.
I remember one time, someone was tellin’ me about how the Chinese, they got these sayings in their politics, too. Even the big shots, they use these metaphors. They talk about the country like it’s a big family, or like it’s a ship sailin’ on the sea. It is all to get folks to understand what they’re sayin’, I guess. Like one of them fellas, he used a lot of those in his talkings. Metaphors is everywhere.
So, this metaphor thing, it ain’t just for fancy folks and their fancy words. It’s for everybody. It’s how we understand each other, how we make sense of the world. And this Asian culture, it’s full of ’em. You just gotta know where to look, and how to listen. You learn a lot that way, I tell ya.
It is not hard to know. Like, when they talk about somethin’, and it reminds you of somethin’ else, that’s probably a metaphor. Like if they say, “He’s a sly fox,” they don’t mean he’s really a fox with fur and a tail. They mean he’s sneaky, right? You get it.
It is same with Asian culture. When they talk about that Japanese garden, they ain’t just talkin’ about flowers and trees. They’re talkin’ about peace, and quiet, and bein’ in harmony with nature, all that stuff. It is a way of life, that garden is.
And that Chinese family with their altar, they ain’t just talkin’ about some old table with candles. They’re talkin’ about respectin’ your elders, rememberin’ where you came from, and stickin’ together through thick and thin. Family is everything to them, you see.
These are the metaphors, they show you what’s important to people. They show you what people care about. They show you what people value.
So next time you hear someone talkin’ about Asian culture, you listen up. Listen for those metaphors. They will tell you a lot more than just the plain words will.
