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...