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

Well, I have got a chance to talk with a foreigner from Arab last year. It was summer at that time, we just sat beside a swimming pool. She hadn't wear a swimsuit and I wore it. I ask her a question, why she didn't go to swim. She answered me that she can't swim with a swim suit. The girls in her country can't exposure their skin to others so they can't swim. But I think swimming is a health and we can save our lives if we drop into the sea. They didn't allow the girls to wear a swimsuit but I think wear a swimsuit we can decrease the resistance when we swim.So we have different opinion to whether a girl wear a swimsuit when they swim. I have got crazy about the girl should wear around their body.

After wathching these two questions, I think the second one it is hard for to say. I can't imagine it. So as for the first, I've met a roommate who has graduated. He lives in the north of China(maybe Harbin,I don't remember).He would not like to take a shower everyday. Because he said it is very common there. We felt surprise, but we didin't show on our facial expression. But in this environment, he gradually increased his shower times. We felt satisfied.

Last year,my friend's cousin,who has been in USA for almost twenty years came back to China.My friend brought him to a bar,he can't bear the noise there.Because in USA ,a bar is just a place for meeting some friends or just have a talk,but in China,people go there just to drink and get drunk and never danced.He can hardly understand.

have you ever seen a American drama called Two Broken Girls? I still remember a scene. Max and Calorie ranted a house which the really ranter is an old man, for some reason, they have to let the old man appearance and claim that he still live the house. Seeing this, the old man require girls should let him make love with Sophie. But Sophie rejected. because they can't find another house as comfortable and cheap as the old house. So they decided one of them be the unfortunate girl! I was in a mess when seeing this, I can't stand it. what an old, ugly man!!!!!!

There are many differences in values between Western and Chinese, for example, Chinese people favor male heirs because, usually, even a man got marry with someone, and they still company with their parents, but women usually won’t. Chinese parents want their boys always accompany them and take care them when they are getting older and older. But Western parents usually ask their children to be independent, and enjoy their world of husband and wife.

As we all know, many things in foreign countries are made from China, which is mainly specialized in manufacturing businesses, as well as copying existing excellence, while Foreign countries attach much importance to innovation. China lack of creative spirit and it always imitate making products accroding foreign products, the most conspicuous product is the mobile phones.

I always watch soap opera and have a great impression on their custom.For example , children in the foreign country alway say thank to their parent to express their appreciation to their parents.However, I never say any thank to my parent no matter what they did and feel a little strange to say thank to my parent and my parent do.They think it is their obiligation to do that, while thank is too serious to them.

For me, maybe I can do 10 point, except the point 10. Because I think I even cannot do this in China, and it is always the wall that I can't step over, but also the goal I want to achieve. I want to become bi-culture but there will be a far way to go. About the time, maybe a month or even longer, because I not confident for my spoken and listened English, it hard for me to distinguish the accent and find out the real meaning, and that is the key point

i have met a guy on wechat. he is a french man, but he study in Guang zhou University. we just chatted by wechat, but there were always something strange happened, i forgot the details. many times he just misunderstood my words. for instance, i just told a joke for him, but after i finished my words, he was a little bit down, he said.... in sum, my joke was not a joke for him. maybe the reason why the situation happened was that we are from different country, and influenced by different culture.

This is a story from my friend. There was once a time when a foreign visitor who came from a different religion coming to her place to have lunch. Having a foreign friend, they were so warm-hearted that my friend’s brother kept picking up meat to his bowl. However, this foreigner believed in a religion that meat was forbidden eating. The visitor was too awkward to say it. Finally, it suddenly became silent.

I've got 7 points on page 51. I like America. So, I have confident to cope with the problems when I get there. I think 1 mouth is definitely enough to adapt to the American live.

In the last summer holiday, one day when I at the Guangzhou underground, I met a foreign man who is an American. He sat down by my site and asked me where I am going. To be honest, I can’t understand that why he ask me question without any talk. When I talk to him for politeness, he just asked the question one by one. Especially that he asked the personal questions. I was really unhappy that time and said I am sorry that I won’t tell you anything.

The points I could say yes are the following:
1. Are involved in the country with their eyes open.
2. Have a fund of experience and knowledge to draw upon.
3.At the least know the right questions to ask, if not the answers.
4.Have great networks of contracts and friends.
I think I could be bi-culture and it may take about 3 months for me to adjust to other culture.

In this holiday, I had a part time job in a holiday ,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.

i think i can say yes to most of them. i could be bi-culture. it takes me about two months to adapt to another culture. I can find my feet in a new environment at a short time.

Thinking about the 11 points on page 51, I could say “yes” to 7 of them. As for the result, if I were going to live in America for the next 5 year, I would have some maladjustment in the beginning. But after a period of a week or later, I can get used to the new life. After all, American and China have many differences in polity, economy, and cultural etc. According to the previous experience, I usually accommodate to the new environment soon.

It was a gathering of my high school friends. We didn’t meet for a long time. We agreed to meet at a coffee shop. We were very excited when we met and talked loudly. We were so excited that we didn’t notice that many people was looking at us, extremely the foreigners. We felt embarrassed and kept our voice down.

When I was a high school student, our school have more or less 50 students who were from Xinjiang. And in my class, there were 8 students from Xinjiang, and once, I ate my breakfast which have a lot of pork in classroom, they suddenly looked at me with a fierce eyes and asked me not to eat pork in classroom any more. I felt scare and confused at that time. And later, my teacher told me the students from Xinjiang believe in Islam and they don’t ear pork........

Before starting this topic, I have to say,I like making friends from different countries or different ages.But there is one thing that I fear, that is the cultural shock happen between us.Indeed, the language is the biggest problem for me, because of the different ways to express our thought that we might misunderstanding each other's original meaning.In other words, we can't express our real feeling to each others very well.So,I don't know how to keep a long relationship with a foreigner.

the 11 points on page 51 about "becoming western literate", i think only 5 i could say yes. 5 years living in America i would properly become bi-cultural, because we have been asked to learn English for a lot of years and the using of internet let us know other countries deeply, so it is easy for us to have a bi-cultural. it would take for me 1 year to adjust maybe, because i've never live in a city that is so far away from my families and friends, and for a long time i have to face the difficulties alone no friends to explain no families to consider... but if i have a chance to live in America for 5 years, i will seize the chance, because difficulties make a man wise!

i think maybe i will get 8 points.As a student majoring in English,we learn a lot about foreign culture so that i think i will become bi-culture as time goes by.and i think it will take 2 months for me to adjust myself to it.

Once upon a time, I met a foreigner in bus. When they arrive their station, he got off the bus first and then put his hand to his girl friends to help her get off the bus. In China , it's not normal.The man just get off the bus and wait for their friends. I think this foreign culture is polite to others.

Once when I asked an Australian teacher to do me a favor, he was confused and wondered what's the big favor was. It turned out that I just wanted to use his dorm to make dumplings with him and other classmates. Hearing this, he was relieved. Maybe I wronged the meaning of "favor" or "favor" meant a lot to him. I didn't know exactly. But we did have a great night making dumplings and having party together.

In China,it's quite normal for the man to pay the meal for the lady.On the contray,western countries don't think so.One day,one of my chinese friend have a meal with a foreigner.And they argue about which way they should choose.Eventually,they pay their part of the bill and never see each other again.

As for me, 9 point I would say “yes”. And in my opinion, I would be a bi-cultural. There may be two reasons: first, I am actually an open-minded person, and I can accept the western culture. Second, I can have talk with western people because I learned English for years.
I think it will take several months to adapt to other western culture, but I will have a try, maybe.