books and wealth

I finished The Namesake the other night. I actually stayed up late, until 12:15am to finish. The Bengladeshi culture is quite similar to the Chinese culture. I think most non-Western cultures share many similarities.
Similarities:
-concept of personal space, time
-children living with their parents until they are married, despite their age
-children sharing the same room with their parents despite their age, due to the lack of space and probably the lack of need or desire for privacy
-friends/relatives stay in your homes when visiting instead of staying at a close by hotel/motel, to save money and again really no need for privacy
-long mournings for parents who have passed on, they can last for a week up to a month, very non-western indeed, we get 1 day off from work here in the States
-family/relatives really get into your personal lives
-clean your plate, due to the lack of food and money to spend on food
-family, family, family

Maybe it's not just non-Western culture, maybe it's more of a non-American culture thing. I've only experienced the Chinese, Chinese-American, and American culture, so that's what I can compare with. Living in America, I know I've come to expect certain rights, freedoms, choices, my own space, my own time, etc. Bottom line I'm spoiled and I get irritated when things don't go my way. I want to learn to let go, not to the extreme, but appreciate what I have. Living in America is a real privilege and I can't/shouldn't complain. Check out how rich we are: http://www.globalrichlist.com/.