Posted on March 10th, 2010
Living overseas, especially for extended periods means getting over culture shock. People move different, they speak different, they even think different in foreign societies. Not to mention the time difference from place to place that shocks one’s system. So, getting used to living in another country is not easy.
So, getting to know the country and people where you will be living is quite important to adapting to your new home, certainly if you are there for the long term. Larger, more obvious cultural differences are important but don’t overlook the small things as well. Here are some examples of cultural differences between Asia and America that may go unnoticed without some research.
People worldwide are obsessed with their appearance. However, in Asian countries it may be even more extreme. Plus, Asians tend to be fascinated by the physical appearance of Americans even more so. Just to give a small example, we in American have all manner of hygiene and skin product. But, we don’t have anything yet like the intense bb cream that is popular overseas. It works as a cure all for moisturizing, cover-up, acne and many other things. Asians go to extremes like removing the extra skin in their eyes to look more Western. They also aren’t inhibited about staring and even touching an Americans naturally kinky hair for instance.
Read more »
Posted in Travel | Comments Off