We need to hang on to unique Kiwi qualities

Globalisation is one of the buzz words of this century. It is uttered with all manner of implications, positive and negative, despondent and optimistic. We are told that the world has become increasingly integrated, that countries are losing their uniqueness and that this trend is inexorable.

Certainly, this does seem the case when we look at how easy it is to buy products from overseas and the ever-increasing rates of migration from one side of the world to another. Going to foreign countries is now rather comfortable and very familiar if one wants it to be. We can increasingly find our favourite stores or restaurants from New Zealand in distant continents. It is undeniable that globalisation exists, is growing, and has tangible effects.

However, this is a concept generally discussed in isolation, as I have done so above. I think we are making a mistake when we do this, because while globalisation is significant it is in no way consuming or overbearing. Real, observable and enjoyable differences exist which distinguish nations around the world.

Over the past few weeks I have been travelling with my family through Hong Kong, England, Ireland and France, with a few more countries in Europe to come. The single most striking facet of this trip has been the starkly contrasting cultures and the attitudes of the populations of different nations.

It is clear, and it is often not identified when globalisation is discussed, that a plethora of factors distinguish nations from one another. The climate of a nation, its history, its architecture, its natural beauty, the tourist attractions on offer; all characteristics which are massively variable when you consider different nations. New Zealand has vast tracts of plush green land, unrivalled by most other nations. Hong Kong has countless skyscrapers which are scarce in New Zealand. France has the type of monuments and tourists attractions which would look hilariously alien in most countries outside of Europe.

These factors are central to the fabric of a nation and are probably an integral part of why people enjoy (or sometimes do not enjoy) travelling.

For me though, while I have been travelling, what has been the most discernible and eminent characteristic is the people of the nations I have visited. Their attitudes, their helpfulness, their expressions, even their dress sense are all palpable characteristics which are central to the experience that one has when visiting a foreign country.

This was most evident for me during our three days in Hong Kong, where pleasantries were rather scarce to say the least. Our taxi drive to the airport, for example, had not one word uttered throughout, apart from the price of the journey when we reached our destination. That was quite a shock, coming from a country where there is hardly a breath taken, such is the continual chat between driver and passenger (especially when my dad is in the car). Perhaps it was partly a product of the language barrier, but there is certainly a clear difference in attitude; not even a friendly smile returned in most places.

It was Hong Kong in particular that brought home to me exactly why it is that people enjoy coming to New Zealand so much. The pleasantries which I fear we take for granted in our own nation became so pronounced only when I was absent of them. Smiles in the street, energetic and endearing greetings, polite conversations about the weather, and many more interactive characteristics that are second nature to our own people quickly become surprising gratuities in an alarmingly large number of other countries around the world.

Perhaps this is just the remnant of a generation which was unaffected by globalisation, and that these differences will erode as successive generations age. I hope not, because New Zealand would lose a valuable, and often undervalued, advantage over the rest of the world and something which enriches our lives.

Globalisation can and does alter the flow of products and people across the world, but providing a base of a nation's people remain, so too will the culture of its people and so too will the valuable differences between nations. Just as nations enjoy comparative advantage in the production of certain goods, so too can they enjoy it in the characteristics of their nation; we should be pleased and proud that ours exists in the personality of our population.

James Penn is deputy head boy at Wanganui High School and was a member of the New Zealand team that competed in the World School Debating Championships.