Behavior
Happy New Year!
How do you celebrate the New Year? The New Year is celebrated in different ways around the world.
Layers of Culture
Immigration
Ted Lasso: “How Many Countries are in this Country?”
Eleven American Nations Ted Lasso’s question and answer remind me of the great diversity that can exist in one country. Have you ever traveled to another part of the vast United States and felt like […]
Coronavirus
Get Vaccinated to Protect the King
Would you get the COVID vaccination to protect your king or president? Apparently, if you are Bhutanese, the answer is “yes.” High in the Himalayan mountains, 23,000 feet above sea level, the tiny nation of […]
Behavior
Emojis: Lost in Translation
Do you use emojis? Most people do now days. The right emoji can seem to hit the spot, rounding out the words and reinforcing the message with an appropriate ‘feeling’ image. Or, at times words […]
Layers of Culture
When it’s Cool to be Emotional
‘How are you?’ is a common greeting around the world, and one that invites very different responses depending on the cultural context. For example, when an American asked her Thai friend how she was doing, […]
Attitudes
Hiking Meets Culture
Wanna go for a hike? It’s a common question when you live near the Great Smoky Mountains, like I do. I’ve always been a hiker. I grew up hiking the Adirondack mountains of New York, […]
Behavior
Masked Communication
While waiting my turn in line at a convenience store, I heard: “I can take you over here.” Two registers were opening, and I couldn’t tell who was talking because I couldn’t see any lip movement. […]
Behavior
The Close Talker
You know it when someone is in your personal space! Something has happened – you feel invaded. Remember this episode from Seinfeld? Personal Space We laugh at Aaron, the “close talker”. He loves to invade […]
Coronavirus
Designer Face Masks
Are you wearing a protective mask during this pandemic? Donning a face mask when you are sick is normal in many Asian countries. And it is strictly enforced for everyone during an epidemic. This morning, […]
Coronavirus
The End is Near: Crisis Orientation
The casual response to a crisis: How do you respond to a crisis? Some freak out. Others are indifferent. We see these various reactions with the coronavirus. Some resist and doubt the seriousness of the […]