[CLOSED] Online Assessment 6 - Contrasting Western and Chinese communication and values

Dear Cross-Cultural Business Communication Students,

Task 6

In class on Thursday we looked at Western and Eastern values and communication.  I would like students  to answer one of the following;

Give an example of a situation in which you have seen or experienced problems due to a difference in values between yourself and a person of another culture.

OR

Taking into account the 11 points on page 51 about "Becoming Western Literate", imagine you are going to live in America for the next 5 years.    How many of the 11 points do you think you could say "yes" to?   Do you think you would become bi-cultural? How long do you think it would take for you to adjust?  

Please reply in this thread

Deadline: Friday, 19th September 2014  
After that day the task will be locked.

I had a chat with a stranger on line . He is an American . When we began to talk , he directly asked asl . In addition , he talked about sex with me . You know , I'm a Chinese . I feel embarrased . When Chinese meet a stranfer , we will talk about the hobby ,food or something else except sex .

Ten points I would say "yes".
I think I would be a bi-cultural because I am an open-minded person and I have learned some foreigned cultures.
It won't take me a long time, maybe a month is ok, to adjust myself in a different culture.

I once went out with a couple of New Zealand teeangers in Guangzhou where we went into different restaurauts sitting right next to each other, one of which is Mcdonald and the other sells chinese food like noodle dumplings. We kinda like dined in the resterants we liked and met outside the shops when we finished our meals. See chinese thinks that fast food is greasy and may get us inner heat (a disease caused you cough and a sore throat) and chinese food remains original and bland(mostly steam the food and cook with water).

last summer i was in a restaurant with my friends for lunch in Tianhe,there were some Chinese guys and foreigners,because some Chineses were talking and laughing loudly,then the foreigners (may be Americans)felt uncomfortable, they turned to waitress for help,then the waitress kindly adviced the Chinese guys to keep their voice low,but those Chineses resisted that they did nothing wrong and the foreigners were too sensitive,at that time,the waitress just can't do nothing. before long,the Chineses finished their lunch and left.

Here’s the thing. When I was in America, I was invited to a friend’s (Bonnie’s) house for dinner. Besides, westerners are famous for loving dogs and cats. On that day, I was there early. I didn't know it was not supposed to show up that early. And then I played with their “kids”—dogs and cats. When I was told dinner’s all served, I asked Bonnie where I could wash my hands because I play with the dogs and cats. She then asked me why. I said it felt like a little bit dirty. (Still, now I can’t believe I seriously said so!) She looked at me weirdly, and then pointed to the direction to the bathroom with her smile fading away on her face…

When i was in high school, i had a roommate who has a Mongolian nationality. We found that this Mongolian girl didn't often take a shower and sometimes we could even smell something strange. Finally, we advised her to take a shower everyday. But she told us that in Mongolia, we didn't take a shower and that was their own customs. We did obey customs of other areas. But we seldom play together cause there is a gap between them.

I think I can get 9 points . In my mind , I can be bi-cultural . Because I have learned English for years and I am attracted by western culture . Maybe it takes half a year to adapt to other western culture . I am interested in new things

I was a interpreter in 2011 and got a chance to know about American culture from American oil painters. Actually it is the first time that I communicated with foreigners and exchange different ideas about culture. At first I feel strange about the greeting. I mean the salutation. In China, when we young people meet someone older than us, we should call them sisters, brothers, uncle or aunt, even call them grandpa or grandma when we meet the old people. It is a tradition to show our politeness and manners. And that's what our parents taught us since we were very young. However, in western countries, people may say Mr. or Mrs. when they first met. After that, they would call your name directly even you are very older than them. I wasn't used to this differences, so when I say " Susan, you lost something" to a woman who is 60 years old, I feel like that I was rude. Well, I gradually accept this culture differences.

Most Chinese are not used to eat raw things, like steak, salad, especially for the older age people like my parents. They don't feel like eat hamburgers and not willing to have a meal at a western restaurant.

Five years ago , when I was still a high school student and was prepared for the college entrance exam, I get together with a boy. At that time, I don' t think it can influence my study, because we could study together and we had the same dream to pass the exam at last and then went to the same university together. However, my parents did not agree, they thought we must failed neither the exam nor the love, and asked me to departed from him without hesitation. They insisted that it was unnecessary and not helpful with my study. Although I promised I would study more hard, they still insisted on asking me to give up. At last , we broke up.

After checking out the 11 questions on "ecoming Western Literate", I guess I can get 10 points and I think I would become bi-cultural.
When I was in America, I spent like a month to adjust myself to live in America. To live like a Americana, I should adjust to the ways people eat, behave, think, speak and that sort of stuff. So I would probably choose to eat fish and chips at dinner intead of rice. I would do greetings to every I meet in the streets. If I can spend the next five years living in America, I assume I would get some change and do things in a American way.

key to question 2:
Taking into account the 11 points on page 51 about "Becoming Western Literate", imagine I am going to live in America for the next 5 years.
8of the 11 points do you think you could say "yes" to.
I think I would become bi-cultural.
It would take half years for me to adjust.

When I was a middle school student, the first day the foreign teacher came to us, he considered a bottle of whiteout as a bottle of wine. We told him that wasn't wine but something used to correct letters. He couldn't understand that but still thought it could be drank. Then he tried to open it, however, we stopped him and show him how it works.

I think I can get 10 points in the book if I have already been familiar with the American life. I think I'm a girl who is easy to adapt the new surroundings. I still remember the first time when I came to Shaoguan and Shaoguan University, everything is not in in its good way in my mind because I had experienced and got used to the beautiful environment in other cities, such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen. I tried to find its beauty and two weeks later, I found that I liked this city, not only by its beautiful scenery in Shaoguan University, but also by its convenient transportation and my lovely friends I met in this city. So in the same way, I think I can get used to the life in America either and be a bi-cultural. Because of the different culture and custom, maybe I have to spent two months to join in this new country.

Last year, I met a girl who is Chinese adopted by an American Family. I found that she didn't take shower at night until tomorrow morning. In China, people take shower at night while she said , in America , people seldom shower at night . I think if f we don't shower at night and go to bed, we will feel uncomfortable. She said， they don‘t care ， and shower in the morning that means a fresh start for a day.

Several months ago, I met with a foreigner by chance when I went out with friends to play billiards. One of my friends called "Jame" had knowed that foreigner named Mary(the mame I give, I don't want to say out her real name). And I knowed this woman gradually. We always talk, smile and walk. In China, close friends will touch each other's clothes or accessories and then praise that it is beautiful or lovely. But When I did so, Mary was unwilling to let me touch her earings, I felt a little bit awkwardness. In China, people want to deepen the friendship through doing these kinds of things, but other westen foreigners emphasize individual.

Though I have seen American hug each other or kiss each other when they greet with their friends or relative on TV for several years, I still could not accept this way of greeting. When I meet some close friends or my parents, I just have a big smile on my face but never hug or kiss their cheek. I think the kisses to boyfriends, girlfriends or babies could be accepted.

I remembered one time I went out with a foreigner with my friends. It was time to eat dinner. One of my friends suggest that we must go Mcdonald’s to eat hamburgers. We are so confused. My friend said she thinks all foreigners only eat hamburgers for meal. The foreigner laughted out loud and explained they don't ear hamburgers for each meal either.

Different culture has different characteristics, that's represents in everying in our lifes.The most simple but clear difference is food. What we eat in chinese is suitable for people not only to fill their stomach but also enjoy the food and it's culture. So does the America. Here the situation. Once time, I met a American, he wants to chinese noodle, so I took him to a little Sichuan resturant. He ordered a bottle of noodle, but it was so acerbity and spicy. He said it was so hot and given up after tasted it. I know it was the difference of food made it, but we can not change it unless you take a long time to adjust it.

I checked the "BECOMING WESTERN LITERATE" and counted that I got 7 points. Maybe it's not a high score, but I think I am the one who is adaptable and willing to enrich my experience by going to some new places, I love travelling very much. If I live in America, it is likely to take me two weeks to adjust. When I come to a new place, I am keen on knowing about their customs, doing, eating, behaving like the locals. Going to a new place is interesting and exciting~

I got 7 points in the 11 questions. I used to want to go out and live in the other countries, but now I think living in other countries might be difficult for me, especially in America. For example, I still can't accept the manner of meeting strangers, like kissing and hugging. However, if I am forced to live in America, I will try my best to adapt to the new environment. I will have a search of the lifestyle, habits and customs of America, so I can have a general idea of their life and help me adjust to it. Making new friends might be easy for me. By contrast, doing everything alone might challenge me because I don't usually do things alone. By the way, I am very good at questions when I don't understand.

I think 6 points I could say "yes" to.1,2,5,8,10,11.
Yes, I think I would become bi-cultural.
How long do you think it would take for you to adjust?
Maybe half of a year.

This summer holiday, I had a part time job in a restaurant ,where I usually experienced that some foreigners have lunch with their Chinese friends. One time, I saw a Chinese woman and an English man and their child. I heard the woman said to her daughter ‘ dear, eat more vegetables and meats, don’t waste ‘. But the girl said’ I’m full, and I don’t like the food at all.’ ‘ no. you must eat , it is useful for you ,and there is too much food left.’ The woman ordered. But the English man said’ don’t force her, let’s her do what she likes, and I had asked you don’t book too much….’. however, the woman didn’t agree with him, and they just argued and quarreled at last. After experiencing the situation, i know different cultures have different values and there are many differences between them ,which need them to face and solve.

If I were going to live in America for the next 5 years.I think I could say "yes" to all the 11 points of p51,and I think I would become bi-cultural.But I think it would take 5 years for me to adjust.