Taking Everything for Granted vs Appreciation
Recently I learned two inspiring stories from one of my mentors.
Story A:
An Asian lady at Home Depot purchased heavy materials. An employee kindly asked her "do you need help?". "Yes, thank you so much if you could," the lady said. Later the lady requested to meet the store manager to thank the employee as well as the store manager for having a good employee in the team. Everyone was VERY happy.
Story B:
An Asian lady involved in a chain-reaction car accident hit by another car from behind, then hit a car in front of her. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Several police officers came and peacefully solved the accident. The lady asked one of police officers to tell his badge number, so she could write to his boss "for good experience with police officers." Other police officers overheard the conversation with surprise look.
"A genuine praise goes a long way..." - the soft power with a distinctive appearance will positively influence mainstream toward a specific group in the society.
We are being role models for our children. Showing appreciation is one of many good traditions that our children should carry on.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
How Significant are Genuine Humbleness & Mutual Respect among Countries ?
How Significant are Genuine Humbleness & Mutual Respect among Countries ?
"Start by Listening"
Why and Why not ?
Thank you for you participation.
____________________________
References:
"WHY: Is Humility Really Powerful ?"
"Your Opinion: why some people are being arrogant ? Any advantages ?"
"Non-Aggressiveness - a Sign of Weakness ?"
The world is far from ideal, so are individuals. But we are civilized citizens and maturing as we grow. History will judge us. A country will set an example for her citizens good or bad.
"Start by Listening"
Why and Why not ?
Thank you for you participation.
____________________________
References:
"WHY: Is Humility Really Powerful ?"
"Your Opinion: why some people are being arrogant ? Any advantages ?"
"Non-Aggressiveness - a Sign of Weakness ?"
The world is far from ideal, so are individuals. But we are civilized citizens and maturing as we grow. History will judge us. A country will set an example for her citizens good or bad.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Languages: Chinese vs English
One disadvantage right now for China is English-speaking population because virtually all textbooks are written in Chinese in China including higher education. So to Chinese, they have to learn Chinese and English. However, I have seen this disadvantage shifting to advantage soon because there is a delay for non-Chinese readers that what Chinese are thinking and doing, in particular media, books and blogs etc. It means that many Chinese know things happening in the world, but only a few global elites who can read Chinese may know things happening in China. Unless there is a breakthrough in translation software. It's interesting to see this world 5 years from now and beyond...
One of the most important reasons western media had hard time to understand China [often underestimate China] is that very few people truly know the language and the 5000-year Chinese history and culture. I am determined to be the bridge between the US and China. The role of a matchmaker is to assist people of both cultures with historical evidence and provide options with cons and pros to people who have no knowledge about the cultural differences. In modern term, I provide people with value-added services. It is a part of important education.
One of the most important reasons western media had hard time to understand China [often underestimate China] is that very few people truly know the language and the 5000-year Chinese history and culture. I am determined to be the bridge between the US and China. The role of a matchmaker is to assist people of both cultures with historical evidence and provide options with cons and pros to people who have no knowledge about the cultural differences. In modern term, I provide people with value-added services. It is a part of important education.
Fun to Learn Chinese [兴趣学中文] - Black Comedy
Just for fun to learn Chinese... a friend of mine shared with me the following humor.
2009年，我们向领导保证:
领导的要求就是我们的追求；
领导的脾气就是我们的福气；
领导的鼓励就是我们的动力；
领导的想法就是我们的做法；
领导的酒量就是我们的胆量；
领导的表情就是我们的心情；
领导的嗜好就是我们的爱好；
领导的意向就是我们的方向；
领导的小蜜就是我们的秘密；
领导的情人就是我们的亲人！
我们还要做到：
* 领导没来，我先来，看看谁坐主席台；
* 领导没讲，我先讲，拍拍话筒响不响；
* 领导说话，我鼓掌，带动台下一片响；
* 领导吃饭，我先尝，看看饭菜凉不凉；
* 领导睡觉，我站岗，跟谁睡觉我不讲！
预祝领导们春节快乐！
_______________________________________
Source from Tony Lee...
土地下的先烈们纷纷打来电话询问
江姐问：国民党被推翻了么？
答：被阿扁推翻了。
董存瑞问：劳动人民还当牛做马吗？
答：不劳动了，都下岗了。
吴琼花问：姐妹们都翻身得解放了吗？
答：解放了，都当小姐了。
扬子荣问：土匪都剿灭了吗？
答：都改当公安和城管了。
杨白劳问：地主都打倒了么？
答：都入党了。
雷锋问：那资本家呢？
答：都进人大和政协了！
刘胡兰问：同志们都藏了么？
答：都隐身上网了
毛主席问：大家现在都在忙什么？
答：都在"斗地主"
毛主席：那我就放心了…
清明快到了, 别忘了给孩子们讲讲很久很久很久以前的事：那时候天还是蓝的，水也是绿的，庄稼是长在地里的，猪肉是可以放心吃的，耗子还是怕猫的，法庭是讲理的，结婚是先谈恋的，理发店是只管理发的，药是可以治病的，医生是救死扶伤的，拍电影是不需要陪导演睡觉的，照相是要穿衣服的，欠钱是要还的，孩子的爸爸是明确的，学校是不图挣钱的，白痴是不能当教授的.
What is Black comedy ?
Black comedy is a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_comedy
Please share your Black Comedy with us. Thank you !
2009年，我们向领导保证:
领导的要求就是我们的追求；
领导的脾气就是我们的福气；
领导的鼓励就是我们的动力；
领导的想法就是我们的做法；
领导的酒量就是我们的胆量；
领导的表情就是我们的心情；
领导的嗜好就是我们的爱好；
领导的意向就是我们的方向；
领导的小蜜就是我们的秘密；
领导的情人就是我们的亲人！
我们还要做到：
* 领导没来，我先来，看看谁坐主席台；
* 领导没讲，我先讲，拍拍话筒响不响；
* 领导说话，我鼓掌，带动台下一片响；
* 领导吃饭，我先尝，看看饭菜凉不凉；
* 领导睡觉，我站岗，跟谁睡觉我不讲！
预祝领导们春节快乐！
_______________________________________
Source from Tony Lee...
土地下的先烈们纷纷打来电话询问
江姐问：国民党被推翻了么？
答：被阿扁推翻了。
董存瑞问：劳动人民还当牛做马吗？
答：不劳动了，都下岗了。
吴琼花问：姐妹们都翻身得解放了吗？
答：解放了，都当小姐了。
扬子荣问：土匪都剿灭了吗？
答：都改当公安和城管了。
杨白劳问：地主都打倒了么？
答：都入党了。
雷锋问：那资本家呢？
答：都进人大和政协了！
刘胡兰问：同志们都藏了么？
答：都隐身上网了
毛主席问：大家现在都在忙什么？
答：都在"斗地主"
毛主席：那我就放心了…
清明快到了, 别忘了给孩子们讲讲很久很久很久以前的事：那时候天还是蓝的，水也是绿的，庄稼是长在地里的，猪肉是可以放心吃的，耗子还是怕猫的，法庭是讲理的，结婚是先谈恋的，理发店是只管理发的，药是可以治病的，医生是救死扶伤的，拍电影是不需要陪导演睡觉的，照相是要穿衣服的，欠钱是要还的，孩子的爸爸是明确的，学校是不图挣钱的，白痴是不能当教授的.
What is Black comedy ?
Black comedy is a sub-genre of comedy and satire in which topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo are treated in a satirical or humorous manner while retaining its seriousness.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_comedy
Please share your Black Comedy with us. Thank you !
"Do you think that Overseas Chinese have an advantage over foreigners beyond language?"
Absolutely, yes, I do. The culture thing you can't just learn from school. Thinking ahead of the curve is based on knowing people, culture, tangibles & intangibles...
There is a saying: "thinking globally, acting locally".
We all know that KFC is EXTREMELY successful in China over McDonald. WHY ? Besides KFC entering the China market 3 years earlier than M, one thing KFC did GREAT was to hire a Chinese from the US to run its China operation. KFC in the US is way behind the M in terms of market share...
Lessons should be learned by SMART foreign companies. Same is true for Chinese companies if they are determined to enter foreign markets and be successful in long run, they should hire local people to run the operations.
By the way, I never eat at KFC both in China and in the US, but my kids love KFC in China.
There is a saying: "thinking globally, acting locally".
We all know that KFC is EXTREMELY successful in China over McDonald. WHY ? Besides KFC entering the China market 3 years earlier than M, one thing KFC did GREAT was to hire a Chinese from the US to run its China operation. KFC in the US is way behind the M in terms of market share...
Lessons should be learned by SMART foreign companies. Same is true for Chinese companies if they are determined to enter foreign markets and be successful in long run, they should hire local people to run the operations.
By the way, I never eat at KFC both in China and in the US, but my kids love KFC in China.
Learning Chinese for non-Chinese
I would like to share my experience and observations with you. As a Chinese American, I strongly consider myself a global citizen. I was born, educated, and had worked in Shanghai, China for almost 28 years, prior to moving to Brussels, Belgium in April, 1989, and have lived in the US since Oct 1993. To me Chinese is my native language, I am still heavily influenced by my Chinese thinking, writing, speaking, etc. I feel comfortable talking in Chinese than in English except something I learned outside of China. However, my kids were born in the US, the native language is English, like many first generation of Chinese Americans, it is extremely hard to keep them learning Chinese in the US. Don't feel bad if you spend a lot of time learning it, but still can't become fluent in Chinese. Study showed that learning Chinese takes 4 X efforts than learning Italy or French for an English speaking person.
Standard Mandarin is the official language of China and one of four official languages of Singapore. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The majority of overseas Chinese uses Mandarin. So you choose to learn standard Mandarin is excellent. There are many spoken Chinese [local dialects]. It is hard to estimate how many dialects exist [some said 8,000], but they can be roughly classified into one of the seven large groups, i.e., Putonghua (Mandarin - majority speaks), Gan, Kejia (Hakka - my father speaks), Min (my mother speaks), Wu (I speak), Xiang and Yue (Cantonese). Each language group contains a large number of dialects. These are the Chinese languages spoken mostly by the Han people, which represents about 92 percent of the total population. One interesting phenomenon, why we see many Chinatowns almost in every city around the world? It is because the WRITTEN CHINESE can be read by all Chinese who learned how to read and write regardless of the local dialects they speak. For example, people from Hong Kong speak Cantonese, people from Nanjing speak Wu, some people from Taiwan speak Min or Hakka, but amazingly they all can read written Chinese [Chinese Characters]. People in Japan, some in Korea, and some old generation of Vietnamese etc. can read Chinese characters.
Chinese characters are either pictographs or ideographs. A well-educated Chinese today should recognize over 6,000 characters; some 3,000 characters are required to read newspaper.
A real story to share with all... I met a Belgian man around 40 years old in 1991 when I was in Brussels attending a Chinese festival. I was truly amazed by his Chinese, not only he could read, and speak, but he could write really good Chinese, better than most of Chinese. "You must have learned Chinese in China for many years." I asked. "yes, I learn Chinese for 10 years, but I never had a chance to visit China, I always wanted to visit China" he said. "how can you read, speak and especially write Chinese so well?" I asked. "I learned by myself, everyday I write 100 Chinese characters on a black board, listen to Chinese radio, read Chinese books and talk with Chinese I meet." he proudly replied, the last sentence he said to me is the KEY "I treat the language as an ART."
Standard Mandarin is the official language of China and one of four official languages of Singapore. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. The majority of overseas Chinese uses Mandarin. So you choose to learn standard Mandarin is excellent. There are many spoken Chinese [local dialects]. It is hard to estimate how many dialects exist [some said 8,000], but they can be roughly classified into one of the seven large groups, i.e., Putonghua (Mandarin - majority speaks), Gan, Kejia (Hakka - my father speaks), Min (my mother speaks), Wu (I speak), Xiang and Yue (Cantonese). Each language group contains a large number of dialects. These are the Chinese languages spoken mostly by the Han people, which represents about 92 percent of the total population. One interesting phenomenon, why we see many Chinatowns almost in every city around the world? It is because the WRITTEN CHINESE can be read by all Chinese who learned how to read and write regardless of the local dialects they speak. For example, people from Hong Kong speak Cantonese, people from Nanjing speak Wu, some people from Taiwan speak Min or Hakka, but amazingly they all can read written Chinese [Chinese Characters]. People in Japan, some in Korea, and some old generation of Vietnamese etc. can read Chinese characters.
Chinese characters are either pictographs or ideographs. A well-educated Chinese today should recognize over 6,000 characters; some 3,000 characters are required to read newspaper.
A real story to share with all... I met a Belgian man around 40 years old in 1991 when I was in Brussels attending a Chinese festival. I was truly amazed by his Chinese, not only he could read, and speak, but he could write really good Chinese, better than most of Chinese. "You must have learned Chinese in China for many years." I asked. "yes, I learn Chinese for 10 years, but I never had a chance to visit China, I always wanted to visit China" he said. "how can you read, speak and especially write Chinese so well?" I asked. "I learned by myself, everyday I write 100 Chinese characters on a black board, listen to Chinese radio, read Chinese books and talk with Chinese I meet." he proudly replied, the last sentence he said to me is the KEY "I treat the language as an ART."
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