I first came to China with my university study abroad program. I had never been to Asia before and wanted to get the most out of my time. I decided that I wanted to experience the “real” China and shunned western food for hole-in-the wall “local” restaurants. I even considered moving into a run down [...]
Chinese new year is the most exciting holiday for Chinese and many other cultures throughout the world that are traditionally based on the lunar calendar instead of the solar one. Everyone gets lots of time off from work and the entire country celebrates. For a westerner who has no idea what to expect [...]
When you think of travel, what kind of adventure does your imagination create? Are you backpacking through multiple cities, staying a few days in each place and having a blast? Do you see the entire world in one swoop? Or maybe you envision starting a life in a new country and spending [...]
There is a grand canyon between Acceptance and Tolerance and it has huge implications for international and intercultural communication. When two people of different lifestyles meet, they have a choice: to accept the other person, to tolerate him, or to not tolerate him. Obviously the latter choice doesn’t end well, but the former [...]
If you don’t have the skills to handle transactions that have gone wrong, which happens more often while abroad due in part to obvious language and cultural reasons, chances are you are going to become resentful of the country and its citizens.
Sure, they aren’t perfect, but neither are you. Get it right on [...]
