Cultures & Customs

John Ng: While you are in deep water

When you go through deep waters, when you go through rivers of difficulty, when you walk through the fire of anxiety, what can you do to save yourself? John shared with us his tips, reversed ACT: T-think, analyze the situation and come up with a plan; C-calm down, panic would only add oil to the fire, take a few deep breaths and prepare your body for more rational reaction; A-action, don’t just sit there and let yourself sink, get your arms moving and pull yourself up.

Susanna Wong: Cultural differences when dating

Can you guess how many nationalities Susanna has dated? Enough to do a comparison between the East and the West with her first-hand experience. Dating is a good way to know yourself better, what you like and dislike, and how to communicate with the other gender. Dating people from different cultures adds extra flavor to this self-discovery journey. Love has no boundary, look for the qualities you desire, not the nationality.

Malcolm Brocklebank: Culture differences when working around the world

What? An innocent “OK” gesture in Brazil is equivalent to the finger in the US. What? Give the thumbs-up gesture in the Middle East can possibly get you killed? Plain common sense and good manners are not universal as we think they are, Malcolm used vivid examples to remind us to be culturally aware while working and travelling overseas. Australians love beer, beach, and sunshine; Americans are arrogant, egoistic, and practical; Japanese are disciplined, neurotic, and workaholic. Really? Malcolm reminded us that stereotypes might hurt interaction with people from different cultures. Every snowflake is different, so are people.

Karen Cheung: Customs & Manners in the area of Social Etiquette

If you are about to have dinner with the Queen of England, what should you wear? What to bring? And how to use the knives, folks, and spoon on the table? Using proper etiquette does not mean you are stuffy or old-fashioned. On the contrary, having manners means you are a respectful person and considerate of others. Karen gave us a taste of basic social etiquette and the common mistakes she has witnessed over the years of her training.