Selfies - they are seemingly everywhere in modern societies. You only have to go to a tourist hotspot or a concert to find yourself battling through the millions of arms (or worse - selfie sticks)...

Last week I wrote a post on why writing a journal can help you adjust into a new culture (or back into a familiar one if you've been away). The next obvious question is -...

And no, you don't have to start it with "Dear Diary..." (though feel free). When you enter a new culture, or return to a familiar one after being away, there is a lot going on...

I recently had my work Christmas/End of Year party - great times! But I was chatting to some colleagues who weren't able to attend. Their reason was they needed to be at home with the...

Which news do you watch on TV or listen to on the radio? Photo: Toa Heftiba It's a question that has recently come up in our household. I was getting sick of the "popular" news...

Robin Dunbar is a renowned anthropologist. I was introduced to his most famous concept last year and it has been on my mind for a while. In essence, he hypothesised that people will tend to...

The ol' "Us Versus Them" theory is one of the oldest in the book...of Modern History and Politics anyway :-) If you do these subjects at university you are bound to come across this concept...

I was chatting with one of my colleagues from an Indian background a while back about holiday plans when he came out with this brilliant reflection that I had to share. He was talking about...

This is a story that I use in my cross-cultural training classes. It's a great metaphor for how cultural assumptions can get us into trouble - even with the best of intentions.* A typhoon had...

Culture shock is one of those theoretical words that is often used to forewarn people of the disorientation they might feel in a new place. However, I have found few people willing to admit that...