The Realtor lost the account

Upon arriving in New York, a couple relocating from Japan found a well-known Manhattan realtor.

The wife reached into a bag a brought out a beautiful gift for the realtor who took it, opened it, and admired it.

The couple then found another realtor.

Why?

For the answer, click here.

Paying an Indian

When providing payment to a South Asian Indian, which hand should you use?

• Right
• Left
• Either
• Neither

For the answer, click here.

Locally Organic captivates the world.

Two cultural trends seem to be merging across the globe: “Eat Locally” and “Eat Organic”. Although locally grown organic products tend to be a bit more expensive the advantages are abundant. Far less energy is required to get individual products to the grocer, pesticides have been eliminated, and the local economy is able to turn money faster to the benefit of the entire community.

Many areas have embraced the combined trends including France, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

The downside is that in many areas consumers will have to revert to more distantly grown foods as each summer growing season ends.

Where’s the patriotism in buying gas?

Americans in border towns have found that cheap gas is more alluring than national patriotism. In North America gasoline/petro taxes are used to pay for road creation and maintenance. In Mexico, which drills and refines oil for export, fuel sells for about half of what it costs in the USA. Consequently, many Americans are sneaking across the border to fill their tanks, some even taking canisters to bring back home.

Likewise, Canadians have long found it advantageous to go south of their border to buy petro, which costs about 25 percent less than in the provinces.

Although the Canadians have not purchased sufficient quantities to dry up stations along the US-Canadian border, stations south of the Mexico-US border are experiencing long lines or complete outages.

Meanwhile, what is happening to the roads?

Crash course in being Canadian

Last week we looked at being an Assyrian in Canada. But what about the Canadian culture itself? Here is a crash course.

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Palestinian Poet kept culture alive

Mohmoud Darwish, the most famous of the Palestinian poets, died over the weekend in Gaza City. Mahmoud grew up in Palestine and never lost his passion for Palestine, even after decades of exile.

"He felt the pulse of Palestinians in beautiful poetry. He was a mirror of the Palestinian society," said Ali Qleibo, a Palestinian anthropologist and lecturer in cultural studies at Al Quds University in Jerusalem.

Throughout history cultures have been saved from extinction through the poets, artists, and musicians that carry out the culture in their works. Darwish’s works have helped the world remember what life was like in historical Palestine.

“[Darwish] is our heart, and our tongue,” said Issam Makhoul, an Arab lawmaker and veteran member of the Israeli Communist Party.

Being Assyrian in Canada

Here is a video made by an Assyrian in Canada. It looks at the issue of blended nationalities.

USSR Rebirth? Russian culture of aggression

Reports of the death of the aggressive culture of the former Soviet Union may be premature. As Vladimir Putin sat among world leaders watching the opening of the Olympic games, his armed forces were invading the sovereign nation of Georgia.

Russian ground and air forces have moved, according to the United Nations, beyond the provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a separatist region within Georgia.

Russia is claiming a nobility position saying they are moving into Georgia for humanitarian reason. However the mighty Soviet government has not sought United Nations authority to enter a foreign nation.

Russia has also criticized the United States for entering the dispute by airlifting Georgian forces from Iran (note to America’s critics – Georgia was part of the United Nations multi-nation coalition rebuilding Iraq, in United Nations sanctioned activities there).

Many cultures die hard when the sons and daughter of those made successful by a former culture dream of the visions of greatness handed down by parents and grandparents.

In the case of Russia’s latest moves, it is evident that the Soviet culture remains.

The good news in this is that the western world can once again have a common villain for the James Bond and Mission: Impossible entertainment franchises.

The Mexican neighbors

The Johnson’s were happy to see the new neighbors from Mexico were moving in. To welcome them, they sent a bouquet of Iris, Violets, and a purple passion flower. The new family was highly offended.

Why?

For the answer, click here.

Eskimos

The Canadian Football League team in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, is known as the Eskimos.

Are Eskimos native to Canada?

For the answer, click here.

What do I do with my shoes?

When visiting someone's home, what do you do with your shoes when entering their home? Match the location with the appropriate action.

1) Canada
2) Hawaii
3) 48 states

a) Take-off
b) Leave on
c) Neither

Why?

Click here for the answers.

Words and cultures

Words often mean different things in different cultures. This video is a comical look at how one word means something different in eastern and western cultures. It gives great insight into the frustration surrounding communication in a multicultural workplace. Of course, proper training can reduce or eliminate the communication problems. Enjoy the video.

Outsourced - "Rubber"
Uploaded by Outsourced

Eighty percent in 30 industrial nations use cell phones

Pollster TNS has completed a survey of 30 industrialized countries to find that cell phones are in the hands of 80 percent of adults aged 16 to 60.

Mexico, Vietnam, and Canada were the three countries with the lowest percentage of cell phone users, perhaps due to less competition in those countries, which results in less innovation. Only two-thirds of Canadians use the little communication gadgets, far below the world’s leading user – the United Kingdom. In the UK an overwhelming 97 percent in the age group use mobile communication.

Canadians also hold onto their phones for a longer period, 42 months, than their southern neighbors who exchange their phones every two and a half years.

Don’t say “fanny pack” in Australia

While visiting Australia's beaches, John wanted something to help carry his stuff. He found a small variety shop and went inside.

When he asked the clerk to see what she had in a fanny pack the manager threw him out of the store.

Why?

For the answer, click here.

Don’t look in the basement

In Boston, you would expect to find what in a basement?

a) wine
b) toilet
c) furnace
d) beans.

For the answer, click here.

Ghana: Culture critical for achieving goals

Professor George Hagan, Chairman of Ghana’s National Commission on Culture feels it is critical to recognizing the cultures of Ghana before a solid plan can be implemented to achieve the country’s goals for the future.

Ghana is establishing Millennium Development Goals and Hagan is very correct when he says the origin and character of Africa’s culture is imperative to laying out solid goals and a plan to meet them.

Obviously Ghana has a distinctive culture but so does every geographical area on the planet. If more countries and municipalities understood planning the way Hagan seems to, people would do much better achieving their vision of the future.

Want to know more about the culture of Ghana, here is a great book: The People of Ghana.

Faux Pas: Buying Coke

Today we begin a new series of postings specifically designed to increase awareness that your cultural paradigm is not the only legitimate view of the world. Entries will show how companies and individuals have unknowingly made mistakes instead of building cultures.

When visiting Romania, if you buy a Coke, take a sip in the store, and then take it back to your hotel room you will lose all your integrity.

Why?

Click here for the answer.

Dogs aren't served here anymore

On July 12 I commented on a story about how cat fur is becoming popular for purses, hats, and other items. This practice offends animal loving cultures and probably upset some. Today they can take solace as we learn that the Chinese government has “asked” restaurants to remove dog from the menu during the Olympics.

I put “asked” in quotes because that is how Reuters reported the story but I am not sure if when a communist government “asks” something if it has the same connotation as it does in democracies.

At any rate, let’s turn our focus back to the dogs. Canine connoisseurs hail primarily in the Korean, Yunnan, and Guizhou cultures. Restaurants in the area of Olympics are (surprise, surprise) expected to act favorably on the request of the friendly government. This means that dog-lovers, that is culinary dog lovers – not those who have found the four-legged species to be a loyal, trusting companions – will have to go to less popular restaurants or order off-the-menu.

Swedish and Iranian cultures are similar

Magnus Wernstedt, Sweden’s Ambassador to Iran has noted that culturally there are many similarities between Sweden and Iran. Speaking at an exhibit in Qom, he is reported to have compared the two countries in the areas of theater, music, and photography.

With cultural resemblance it is no wonder that 100,000 Iranians have migrated to Sweden.

North America gets smaller

Unlike the failed joint venture of the 80s between Microsoft and IBM, North America is about to benefit from a partnership where corporate cultures and customer demographics are more aligned. Dallas-based Southwest Airlines and Calgary-based WestJet have agreed on a partnership that will connect the American and Canadian airlines for the benefit of the budget minded travelers of both countries.

Both are leading budget carriers in their respective countries and have contemporary management cultures where teamwork and individual contribution is seen as equal among all employees.

The partnership will eliminate passengers from border cities and towns from driving to the other country to get low airfares for domestic travel as international travel will be more seamless and less expensive. Airports in Seattle/Vancouver, Detroit/Windsor, and Buffalo/Toronto have seen passengers drive to their airport across the border in order to domestic air travel.

The real success of the partnership may hinge on the treatment the airlines’ passengers are given by customs in both countries.

Read more about the partnership in the article from the Canadian Press.

The cat IS the hat

The world view of animals is sometimes dependant on locality. One example is the cat. In much of the world felines are taken care of as house pets. There are even cultures indicative of “cat people” and “dog people”.

However on a Tasmanian island south of Australia cats are being blamed for bringing the orange-bellied parrot to the edge of extinction. Therefore cats are not the cute, cuddly (that is, cuddly when they choose to be) family member – they are an enemy. Rangers on the island set traps for the wild cats.

Once captured, the cat skins are used to make hats, coats, hangers, purses, and rugs.

First it was cheap junk, now its energy efficiency

You absolutely have to admire the Japanese for being ahead of the curve. Fifty years ago when the global marketplace was first forming, Japan captured a large segment of the borderless economy by producing inexpensive items at a rapid pace. Then they spotted an emerging global interest in technology and developed some of the most advanced products possible. At the same time they saw a global need for quality inexpensive cars and answered that call, too. With world-respected corporations like Toshiba, Sony, and Toyota the Japanese have marveled the world.

Now comes the next trend, green and guess what. The world once again is turning to the creativity and ingenuity of the small but powerful island nation. They have created a commercial complex in Chiba that generates it’s power from transparent solar panels imbedded in the building’s windows. They discovered a way to harness the heat from the waste of the Taiheiyo Cement Factory in Kumagaya to make generate the factory’s own electricity. And the list of accomplishments goes on.

Engineers from around the world are traveling to Japan to see the marvels the inventive Japanese culture has now introduced to the world.

Hiding in plain site

Celebrity status normally brings a bevy of cameras and curious autograph seekers. One exception seems to be Nice. It is in this Southern French community that celebrities like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Bono, and Elton John are able to enjoy quiet days of normal life.

Perhaps the “celebrities are people too” culture of Nice is due in part to the days famed movie star Brigitte Bardot spent recreating by the seaside.

Perhaps someone should send Britney Spears there to get away from the Los Angeles paparazzi.

Banana alibi

Combating the drug culture is a global problem. Normally vary serious, there is an occasional bit of humor in the drug war. Take the case of two men stopped by the Costa Rican Police near the Panama border. According to the news report they claimed the exorbitant amount of cash they had, $372,000, was for bananas.

If convicted of the money laundering charges, will they a peel?

Egypt aggressively attacks smoking culture

Warning: The Surgeon General blah, blah, blah. Cigarette warning labels were originally devised as part of an initial attack on smokers, an attack that also eliminated television and radio advertising. Over the years, warning labels have been used by many countries with moderate initial success, but little long-term victory.

Now a story out of Cairo indicates the warning labels are going to get more serious. Beginning next month cigarette labels will show graphic pictures of coughing children, dying men in oxygen masks, and even a limp cigarette to symbolize impotence.

Although this may sound aggressive to some, the World Health Organization requested countries take this approach back in 2005 – and 12 countries have already complied!

Instead of multiple wives, how about multiple husbands?

According to Britain’s ActionAid, the ratio of boys to girls in India has reached an all-time low. Gender-selective abortions has been skewing the ration of boys to girls, which is global 1:1, so much so that girls are underrepresented in the total population by as much as 10% in some Indian states. One area where gender selection is most prominent is second born. The younger child in the family is 33% more likely to be a boy than a girl!

Parents seem to take more pride in having sons to carry forward the family legacy and some parents see girls as a financial burden due to the needs for providing a dowry.

Could a shortage of girls mean that polygamy could be reversed? Think about it, without enough girls to go around, two men might have to marry the same girl!

Finally – Columbus finds India

Many fail to remember that North America was an obstacle to Christopher Columbus. He was actually looking for an easy route to increase Spanish commerce with and investment in India.

Now, over 500 years later, it seems like Spain and the rest of the world is setting their sights on Indian investment. According to a survey by KPMG International, as reported by Business Standard, investment strategists are bypassing longtime investment targets in the USA, UAE, Japan, and Singapore to focus on India, Russia, China, Brazil, and India. In fact, investment in India is expected to go up by 80% in the next five years!

Madrid conquers Hong Kong

East meets West as the streets of Hong Kong are filled the lively musical sounds with a Spanish beat. It seems Hong Kong has fallen in love with Paella, Rioja wine, and the flamenco. According to Reuters, Hong Kong admires the passionate lifestyle of the Spanish and its distinct tastes and sounds.

The infatuation is so strong that Spanish officials have budgeted $900 million dollars to promote their culture in Beijing. The Spanish government sees this as an opportunity to lure Chinese tourists and investors to the beaches of Barcelona and Madrid.

Understanding the Spanish culture

If you want to learn more about the Spanish culture, here is a great, innovative book.

Developed for Spanish students at the fifth-semester level or higher, this reader can be used as the main text in a civilization, culture, or reading course. A departure from traditional texts, which present Spanish civilization as a neutral recounting of historical facts, events and data, Culturas de España develops the notion that history, culture, and civilization are concepts under constant construction.

A chronological, cultural history of Spain from prehistoric times to the present day unfolds in the first eight chapters of the text, along with the introductory chapter. Each of these chapters opens with a brief overview and a comprehensive timeline that alerts students to themes and unites historical facts and cultural achievements of the time period under study.

An engaging, thematic focus in the remaining four thematic chapters explores various aspects of Spain in the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing on the shaping of national identity and including topics such as family and religion, popular culture, and the European community.

To learn more or to order this book, click here.

Wearing Pajamas at Starbucks

Believe it or not, wearing suits, or even business casual, may be overdressing for some coffee shops in New York City. In an article by Patrick Huguenin of the New York Daily News, I read about how pajamas is totally accepted in the Big Apple’s culture. He tells about how he donned pajamas and slippers at 3:00 in the afternoon and visited the Starbucks in Harlem.

Nobody cared!

To ensure it was not an anomaly he also visited Dunkin’ Donuts and T & J’s where people were equally accepting of his sleepwear.

Metrosexuals in Russia

Fashion conscious men are forming a growing group in Russia. In fact, they are an emerging population that has grown to the point they can be specifically marketed to.

Japanese make best tourists

A survey by Expedia has ranked foreign travelers based on tidiness, generosity, nosiness, and fashion sense. The conclusion: Japanese tourists, because they tend to be neat and quiet, are the best in the world.

Americans are challenging tourists, ranking in 11th place. Although Americans are generous and tip well, they ranked very low in tidiness, fashion sense, and noise.

Here are the top 5 national cultures when traveling:

• Japanese
• Germans
• British
• Canadians
• Swiss

Speed bathing – Japanese style

Reduce your carbon footprint, conserve water, and build a stronger family unit the Japanese way. How do they do it? Family baths.

In Japan, families bathe in quick succession by washing outside of the tub before getting into the hot water to rinse. As soon as they are done, the next family member does the same, until all are washed. If the family acts quickly, little reheating of the water in required, thereby reducing the amount of gas or electricity to heat the water and the quantity of water required for the family’s bathing needs.

Drug trial halted by Sudoku

It transcends cultures because it is the same in any language. It is Sudoku, a cleaver little number puzzle where a cube of mini-cubes containing the numbers 1 through 9 cannot be repeated in any row, column, or mini-cube. Originated in the Japanese culture where there is a continual drive to keep the mind working and thinking, Sudoku is now extremely popular throughout the world.

Its fascination has now cost the government of Australia one-million of their dollars as a drug trial had to be halted after several jurors were found to be playing the game during the trial and deliberations. As a result, the three month drug trial will need to be restarted with a new jury.

What gave away the gamey violation was that several of the jurors were observed taking note vertically instead of horizontally!

UK joins list of longer hour cultures

According to the Trade Union Congress, 3.3 million British employees are now working more than 48 hours each week. This means 180,000 people have joined the ranks of the 48+ Club in the first three months of 2008 alone.

Industry sectors most represented with long hour employees are retail, construction, motor trade, finance, and government.

As companies and organizations worldwide strain to meet increased workloads with fewer employees, productivity is increasing, obviously. However error rates and employee stress also increasing.

Prison work = Child labor in Uganda

Breaking rocks is a mythical activity at prisons around the world. However to the children of Uganda, breaking rocks puts food on the table and a shelter overhead. In an article by Katy Pownall of the Associated Press, hundreds of people, including children, use homemade hammers as the work in a Kampala quarry.

It is a way of life in an area of the world where conflict had raged for decades. Unfortunately, they see no other opportunity except for their current lifestyle.

Beijing tells Olympic guests to follow local culture

Olympic organizers have published an extensive list of requirements visitors to the country’s big event in August. The list is designed to protect the Chinese culture from the many other cultures that will be participating in the world-wide athletic competition.

The Chinese are not the only ones passionate about their way of life. It serves any international traveler well to learn about a culture before taking a business or please trip.

To get the list, go to the official website. You will need a translator as the list is only available in Chinese.

Riots highlight immigration problems

Almost every industrial nation is experienced new, heightened levels of immigration. North America’s United States and Mexico are seeing record numbers of new people from the nation directly to their south. Likewise, South Africa is experiencing a fluid movement of Africa’s population.

Rioting has broken out in South Africa as protesters are targeting foreign owned businesses. Assaults, looting, and murder are becoming too common as long-term local residents show their displeasure with immigrants whom they see as taking jobs in poorer areas of the country from the North West province to Johannesburg and Pretoria.

As with much of the world, the problem exists largely because of a separatist mentality. Immigrants need to get involved with a community and build relationships. This is not to say they must act, dress, eat, worship, or in anyway try to be “like” local residents. However the bonds of friendship will trump immigrant status almost every time.

In other words, immigrants should keep their original culture while integrating with their new neighbors.

Iceland is best place in world to live?

Combine Europe’s highest birth rate, the world’s highest divorce rate, and the highest percentage of women working outside the home and you have the happiest country in which to live. Iceland garnered that title in Human Development Index rankings, a study conducted by the United Nations.

Although we are sure the United Nations had its heart in the right spot, any attempt to use global factors in determining happiness based on lifestyle cannot be successful. Happiness is relative to cultures with each culture defining happiness in a specific way.

Entire generation lost in earthquake

It appears an entire generation may have been lost during the earthquake in China last week. With most children in schools that collapsed few survived.

Generational voids have occurred previously in the world's history. The term “lost generation” is used to refer to generations that are wiped out by war, natural disaster, or disease. It is also a term used to refer to generations that have not been properly educated or simulated into mainstream ethnic or regional cultures.

Once a generation is lost, there is no recovery. Society as a whole suffers.

Korean Tea culture

In Korea, tea is much more than a beverage – it is a culture. Watch this short video to see the beautiful tea landscapes in Korea. You will see how a culture stimulates sight and taste as you gain an understanding of the calming effect of tea.