Tag: Asian culture

• Twenty Years Can’t Shake the American Out of Me

  I’ve in Asia for most of the last 20+ years. But an incident last week made me realize that I am still very much an American. It has to do with space. Not outer space. Personal space. I like it. Don’t encroach on me or I might act rudely. Here’s what happened: I was at […]

  sassevn

  April 4, 2016

  History & Culture

  american culture, Asian culture, culture, living in Asia, space, value orientations

• What I Want to Do When I See an Asian Family in America

  Just so the context is clear, I’m a tall white American. Picture that? Good. Now picture me strolling down a street or (as was the case of yesterday) walking down the concourse of a large Major League baseball stadium and seeing an Asian family, huddled around a small table, chowing down on some hot dogs […]

  sassevn

  July 8, 2015

  Life

  Americans in Asia, Asian culture, Asians in America, cultural understanding, culture, understanding Asian culture

• Nothing Like a Malaysian Stoplight to Make You Feel Self-Righteous

  There’s nothing like a Malaysian stoplight to make you feel self-righteous. I approached a rather new stoplight this morning. It’s been operational for a month or two. It’s situated by a school and a new housing development and on mornings like this, Sunday, traffic is rather light. As I came to a stop at the […]

  sassevn

  June 3, 2015

  Life

  Asian culture, malaysian culture, malaysian traffic, riding a motorbike, stoplights in malaysia

• Big Noses, Blonde Hair, and “You are fatter!”

  Did you see the ridiculous headlines this week about the disastrous ad campaign of a Japanese airline? In one of their ads, they had an Asian wearing a fake nose and a blonde wig, which apparently offended some very sensitive people. Here are some of the headlines which came out because of that travesty: “Japan’s […]

  sassevn

  January 24, 2014

  Life

  Asian culture, cultural misunderstanding, haiphong, Japanese airline big nose, japanese airline racist ad

• My Story on the storyreadingapeblog!

  Thanks to Thestoryreadingapeblog for publishing a story I wrote about myself.  Head on over and check out the full article HERE! And here’s a teaser: I stand out in a crowd in Asia. That may seem like a strange place to start in telling my story, but it has been the one constant truth in my […]

  sassevn

  January 22, 2014

  Indie Author, Promotion

  Asian culture, indie author, Pennsylvania, working overseas, writers in Asia

• Sit down, drink some tea.

  “Sit down, drink some tea.” Never was there such a dreaded phrase if I had a list of tasks to complete, and it’s a phrase I never encounter any more. When I lived in Vietnam, completing ordinary, everyday tasks was sometimes a huge challenge. Getting something fixed or trying to find the right item to […]

  sassevn

  January 18, 2014

  History & Culture, Penang, Vietnam

  Asian culture, culture, culture shock, living in Asia, people oriented, task orientation, Thai Nguyen, tips for westerners in Asia, value orientation, Vietnamese culture

• Culture: Not Always Black and White

  I was reminded earlier today about how culture and cultural differences can be tricky waters to navigate. We all come with certain assumptions about the world which have been instilled deep within us by our culture, our parents, our religion, and our environment. But when cultures clash, life can get messy.  Each culture’s values are […]

  sassevn

  January 24, 2013

  History & Culture, Vietnam

  Asian culture, cross-cultural, culture, value orientation