Intercultural Communication
My grandmothers life story may be regarded as atypical by some, maybe because of the kind of trials that she went through. For starters, I would like to introduce her as a mother of five children, whose husband is a mal-educated one. Both of them are from the province to which they live in the same place. Their love story is somewhat ordinary in their times, wherein the conservatives and the elders are the ones who dictate who can marry whom. As a result, my granny was married to the man whom she does not love, although as time pass by, she has learned how to be a wife also. Poverty is so evident during their times. Education of their children is a question although the couple managed to send their children to free schools. My grandmother then was a small-time sewer. She only had a second--hand sewing machine which she used to make clothes for pre-ordered ones. The salary is fixed considering that she is just self-employed. Her husband works in a barber shop where money is also inconsistent. In short, it was a hard time for the couple to raise their five children all at once given that they transferred to the city.
My grandmother used to say that the time she got married is the most frustrating even of her life. For her, the priorities then were to finish school and have a stable job before settling for her own family. But it did not turn out so well. She used to boast about her excellence performance when she was still in elementary and secondary school. Another reason why she did not have a fine job is because she is a high school undergrad. Nevertheless, her inadequate education did not make her less of a mother and a wife.
Crisis began to envelop the country and costs of goods are continually rising. This is hard for the couple since they are also renting their place. This may be an exaggeration but the family eats only what their money can buy for the day. There is no hope for luxury or even television. The only thing that they can afford is a public education, which for them is already a luxury. At that time, things were going rough for the couple. There were a lot of misunderstandings since they both came from a different perspective in life. There were numerous fights about money, on each others lifestyles, and their attitude towards rearing their children. In other words, the relationship is slowly falling apart.
As a mother, it is an instinct for her to look for ways on how to survive their everyday life in the city. It is a tough time for her since the neighborhood is discriminatory particularly for the poor. There are only few people who put their trust on the capabilities of those who are marginalized. Despite this, the children continued on their education although there are instances that they have to temporarily stop attending classes, or going to school without their pocket money. Those were the dark days, according to my grandmother. There were times that she felt alone and that the people around her seem so indifferent. However, she recognized the fact that she needed to be strong to be able to survive the situations and move forward for what she hope to be a better future.
Their marital relationship has come to the worst part. However, such is not a priority during those times because the couple is just too busy making a living. Opportunity came when a sibling of my grandmother gave a rare chance for her to become a tourist in Australia. At that time, things are becoming better financially since my grandmother had already acquired a few loyal clients in the elite class of the society. I remember that there were times that the house is filled with bulk orders. She was also able to hire dressmakers to work for her at a reasonable salary then. But the issue of going to Australia is quite difficult for her since she has no enough money to sustain the finances of processing the papers and her future stay in the foreign country. However, due to the immediate need and the rare opportunity that came her way, she grabbed the chance provided that the money needed was loaned from her sisters.
According to her, her stay in Australia is one of the most enriching experiences she ever had in her life. She got to visit places she never thought she could and also meet some new friends who are not native of her native country. But her stay in that country made her struggle for more because of the economic system. According to her, for her to survive in that place and to sustain the needs of her family back home, she has to work triple times in a day with different employers. She was also stricken by fear since she has only a tourist visa which is valid for two months maximum. Nevertheless, she took the chance even though that the future in unclear for her. She solicited the help of her family members who have found their own lives in Australia with their foreign husbands.
After some time, my grandmother have come to the point of her life wherein she needed to make some major decision, and that is to leave her husband. This is primarily because she was living with another guy whom she loved. The circumstances are really difficult and it came to the point that her children had to part ways as consequence of her actions. Nevertheless, she stood by her desire and continued on supporting her children. Her lie with her new husband is rather complicated as that was also a new chapter of adjustments. Her step children did not like her so much that she had to deal with their wants accordingly. This circumstance is best explained through the representative theory. Griffin (2004) explained that A socially constructed and historically transmitted pattern of symbols, meanings, apprentices, and rules (p. 404) which directly means that culture is more like a code for people, providing the mutuality for those who understand a common code.
At present, my grandmother is not anymore living with her second husband as the latter is already deceased. Her annulment case with the first husband is still ongoing in the court. She was able to develop competence in the cross cultural context. Competence is the last process of cross cultural understanding and signifies the persons ability to work harmoniously across cultures (Kwintessential Ltd., n.d.).
The trials and hardships that my grandmother went through are vital factors why she has become a person that she is today. She has grown into a tough and firm woman who does not entertain emotions over thinking. The upbringing of her parents made her independent. Also, her cultural encounters with various types of people gave her the understanding that every person is different, with their own unique needs and wants.
Certainly, my grandmother has experienced so many intercultural communications in the course of her personal life and career. Until now, she is still dealing with differing personalities of people.. She mentioned that establishing relationship through communication with various kinds of people is the most fulfilling and enjoyable experience that a person can have in his entire life. There is no other choice except to align our needs and wants parallel to that of other peoples. The diversity of every peoples personalities and the complications and harmonies that our communications bring are what basically compose the enriching part of our everyday life.
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