“	Originally Posted By: john100 Interesting post GT. I would agree with the others. You definitely have a native culture available. How much you choose to identify with it and how much it influences you is up to you. Other cultures are always interesting. Absorbing them fully can give you interesting insites into the one you live in. I remember once seeing my family after a day seeing only locals (we were the only outsiders withing three days walk) and thinking they were "normal" people in fancy dress and make up...	”

I guess you're right, there is an American culture, I just don't agree with most of it. I remember the first time I started reading about Taoism, and how it was such a neat experience for me, because I had formed so many of the same ideas on my own, well my philosophy minor and especially my Existentialism class helped a bunch. I was as Taoist and never realized it!

I find myself feeling so alien to the popular American ideal. And I don't want foreigners to think I'm like that, whether they think "like that" is cool or not.