[Salvanas]

well for a start,

you cannot say that eating sushi is only japanese culture.
yes it comes from japan, and is part of japanese culture.
but that is not to say that "japanese culture" has a monopoly on eating sushi and all things related to sushi.

worked example.
amongst 80% of top law firms in NY the partners go every friday to a japanese bar eat sushi, get drunk, powow etc.

is that japanese culture?
or would you say that this event in itself is part of the NY law partner culture?
or even a particular firms culture?
or perhaps part of a larger "healthy eating" culture?

As I stated before, I think two posts back, I am talking about when you go to a country, then you should follow it's eating etiquettes.

Eating in restaurants in NY, I can understand to a point. Stabbing your rice with your chopsticks is still a no-no, but somethings like using too much soy sauce could be forgiven, if the chef wasn't Japanese and if he understands that in NY, people do things differently.

you say its not about saying one culture is better than another,
but you are.
you are saying that eating sushi with minimal soy is better than eating sushi with lots of soy.

you are justifying your argument that it would be an insult to the chef/fish
and that it would be pointless.

you can put any of this down to custom/etiquette but your only really playing with semantics.

It's nothing to do with a cultures superiority over another.

You don't understand that in Japan, the food is taken to an art form. The food is so delicately made, and spiced, and created, that it's meant to be eaten in a certain way.

If you go to Japan. And go to a Japanese restaurant, and did what you did because of "I eat how I want. Who cares about other's culture." then all you will do is make a fool of yourself, and maybe even anger the residence.

If you want to eat how you want to eat, buy the food from a shop and eat it at home, or hotel. That way, you insult, and disrespect no one.

so im going to flip this on its head.

2 people go out for a meal.
they go to a japanese resturaunt.
now they between them for whatever reason want to eat the sushi they are paying for with lots of soy.
but your saying that they should not eat the food they are paying for in the way that they want because it may offend the chef?

As I said before. It depends if you're in Japan, of if you're in America, or let's say the UK.

If it's in Japan, you can do what you want to. But you'll end up insulting someone. Thus, being rude.

You can do what you want. You're a free man, with a free culture. But don't complain when people frown at your manners, or even get angry. You reap what you sow, so to speak.

you are young, so you think you can put the world into easily classified boxed
this is this, that is that. this is from here so is that etc.

Please. Stop using the "You are so young." argument. I could care less if you think I am 4, or 20, or 60. My points are still valid, and always will.

I have not ever used my age as an argument, so why should you? I haven't even told you my age.

It's easy for you to sit down, and blame things on age. It's harder to sit down, and think past that aspect, and read my words for what they are, instead of using age to try and warp the image you have of me in my head.

if you showed an italian an American/pizzahut style pizza and said. "this is pizza so its Italian culture" you would be at best politely corrected
"no, this is not italian culture"
(or some kind of supermarket pasta ready meal, not italian cooking or culture is it, eh? no no its not)

Fast foods are not a part of such things. Which is why I dismissed your "lolol wut burger pickle" comment, because the majority of the time, it's fast food. If we're to talk about the proper burgers made form pure ground beef, that's a different thing.

Fast food is not culture.

and whats all this, "i hope you can defend your self" bollards?

im here saying that you should not judge people.
that there is no such thing as a global all encompasing correct etiquette.
and that you should express yourself freely and this means that you follow the rules of etiquette that are part of who you are.

ive been to many, many many countries. i have traveled widely.
I have never tried to copy my host countries culture.
(sure if you enter someones home in japan you take your shoes off etc.)
but on the most i am as i am.
I have never offended anyone by not trying to act by thier culture.
infact i have found (from real life actual experience) that this actually gets you respect. and i have made many many friends on my travels and not one person in my whole life has ever tried to start a fight with me because i did not try to copy thier culture.

its the 99% of those that try to copy the cultures that get looked down on.
if im in a asian resturaunt i will use chopsticks, but when it comes to eating rice. bring forth the fork/spoon.
and then i and those i am with allow ourselves a little giggle at those we see trying to eat rice with chopsticks when they clearly can't.

Again. You're warping my words. Copying and respecting someone's culture is not the same thing.

You don't stab rice with your chopstick. - That's respecting the culture.
Eating rice with your chopsticks even if you can't. - That's copying.

You don't need to copy, to respect someone's culture. I can eat rice with chopsticks easily. It's not a difficulty.

An example.

You're in the middle east, and you've had a long walk, and you're tired. You're accustomed to putting your feet up. So you walk into the home you've been invited into, and sit down.

Now, being fully aware that showing the soles of your feet is disrespectful, and an insult to the Arabian people, do you;

A) Put your feet up because you are accustomed to it, and because you're comfortable that way.

or

B) You keep it down, because you respect someone's culture, despite not feeling the most comfortable.

A respectful, and mannered person would choose B.

As for the defence point. What I am saying, is with your attitude, one day, you WILL offend someone. It's only a matter of time.

I just hope that the person doesn't take it to heart.

and you know what shows ignorance and arrogance.
is some little jumped up little upstart thinking he can understand some places culture and the in's and outs of that countries etiquettes on a tourist visa.

yea if you are in a country for more than 6months, you will probably have a basic understanding of the real culture of that destination.
by now you should be using and showing the basic points you have learnt.

The vastness of a culture cannot be learnt through a tourist visa. I agree. However, what's more ignorant and arrogant, is someone who thinks they're "free" and superior enough to feel that they do not need to respect someones culture, because it is not their own.

on a final note.

when i said
"You dont know squat"
I include myself in that.

must you
only see
nothing
good~?

When you said "you" you had quoted me, and although you said it was in general, "you" was the wrong word. So I thought, that "you" was aimed at me, and other's who argued against you.

Since, you would have surely used "we", to target yourself aswell.

I see good when I need to see good. I'm in a discussion, against someone who I disagree with. Everything you say, is used as an argument against me. Unless I agree with it.