Readers Digest V2

In the words of the real slim shady, “I’m Back.” Jumping right back where we left off its time for the WOW word of this post. A themed word, this one is slightly esoteric as it only applies to those who play some sort of woodwind instrument. I know what you’re thinking, what kind of specialized word would this be and when can I start using it! Well fear no more for the word is, “embouchure.” The use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of woodwind instruments or the mouthpiece of the brass instruments, this word is handy for everyday life. An example would be, “I was unable to play in jazz band as I lacked the embouchure required for such instruments.”

Recently in class we had a shared inquiry discussion in regards to an interview with Chinua Achebe. An insightful interview and discussion; my greatest takeaway was a question posed by a very own classmate. In regards to Chinua’s reference to a globalized society with one culture, the question was whether or not this would be possible given the dominance of western culture around the world. This question resonated with me as I came to the realization of there being two realities to it. The ideal one being that of a globalized culture that is an amalgamation of all the world’s cultures, displaying great heritage and diversity or a dominant culture that assimilates the rest of the world into it. The latter the darker of the two and often the overlooked, it occurred to me that both accomplish the requisite. A dominant western culture that overtook the entire world would indeed be one, unique, globalized culture. This was a great revelation as it widened my horizons to something I had never considered and gave me greater understanding of how the world works. So the real question is, “Do we want one globalized culture and can cultures mix without comprising on their integrity?”