Cultural Differences: Married To Your Job In Australia (铁饭碗)
I have returned on an airplane back from my life in China to Australia, where I intend to relax for two weeks, enjoy the sunshine,…
Cultural Differences: The Culture Shocks Coming To Australia
All The Australian Culture Shocks In One Day Culture shock is experienced when a person who enters into a new country is confronted by things…
Cultural Differences: Common Scams To Avoid As An English Teacher In China
In China, where I have lived and worked as an English teacher for several years, I came to appreciate the many benefits to live in…
Cultural Differences: Dating In China
Chinese Conservatism In Dating From personal experience, as an approachable foreigner in mainland China over the years, who has talked to thousands of locals, and…
Cultural Differences: The Cultural Vacuum Of The West
China Steeped In Tradition China is a country steeped in tradition. There are so many traditions and cultural practices that happen in this country all…
Cultural Differences: The China-America Trade War
The China-America Trade War In a noodle restaurant in Guangzhou, Shayuan (沙园) a waitress placed two bowls of noodles in front of us. The meal…
Cultural Differences: Hospitality Culture In China vs Australia
Cultural Differences: Restaurant Culture In China vs Australia In China, Guangzhou, Shayuan (沙园) having a midnight snack （宵夜）, I ordered eggplant diced into sushi-like rolls. …
Cultural Differences: Chinese and Australian Transit Systems
Cultural Differences: Chinese and Australian Metro System Differences In the past 24 hours I have used two transit systems from two countries, and one flight…
Cultural Differences: The Term Laowai (老外)
Being Labeled A Laowai (老外) When I was at dinner last night, I heard two Chinese girls on the table across from me casually looking in…
Cultural Differences: Pollution In China And The West
Cultural Differences: Sunshine versus Pollution In a brief stopover in Australia, a consultation with a local Beijing-born GP turned to discuss the weather in China….
Cultural Differences: Chinese vs Western Work Culture
Overtime Culture (加班) Australian Overtime Sydney trains had a ban recently on paid work overtime. Because Australian workplace regulations require any worker who works more than…
Cultural Differences: Crocodile Dundee in China
The Revelation Of The Laowai (老外) Stereotype I have had a bit of a revelation in my mind. Before, in previous travels overseas to China, I…
Cultural Differences: Groping Culture On The Chinese Metro System
Being Subjected To An Incident Of Groping Today on the Guangzhou metro, I boarded a carriage packed to 80% capacity with people. In the throng…
Cultural Differences: The Difference Between Rich and Poor in China and The West
I just came out of the apartment complex in Wanshengwei (万胜围) and saw a pink BMW. I thought, “That must belong to a rich girl.”…
Cultural Differences: The Red Line Personality
The Red Line is a new series of conversations between myself and Chinese people. The Red Line Personality Tonight on the walk home from Chebei…
Cultural Differences: Cross-Cultural Friendships In Conservative China
The Phenomenon Of Chinese Secularism In Cross-Cultural Friendships Chinese people who travel overseas and cross paths with me in Australia, in our conversations, they always…
Advice To Travelers In China: Hostels, Hotels, or Apartments
Traveling China in Hostels, Hotels, or Apartments Over the years, I have lived in every imaginable way in China. When I began to travel to…
Cultural Differences: Dressing Like Stereotypical Westerners
Mixed Couples’ Fashion Stereotypes of Westerners Beijing road in Guangzhou is crowded with people today. The scene is very People Mountain People Sea (人山人海). The…
Cultural Differences: Job Interviews in China That Resemble Pokemon Go Hunts
A Typical Job Interview in China When I was at the train station at Newport East Metro Station (新港东地铁站), I saw a big group of…
Cultural Differences: Trying to Rationalize The Problem China
In China, there is no one topic I have written about which I have not personally experienced a thousand times. The wisdom written down comes…
Cultural Differences: Chinese Tunnel Vision versus Western Enterprise Study Practices
Chinese and Western Study Methods The Sophomore Experience The back story goes; I met 12 Chinese girls all in their sophomore year over an impromptu…
Revolutions in China – Underground Russian Internet
On my way to Kecun (客村), I was thinking in my mind, the internet censorship is so bad. Later, when my girlfriend and I had…
Cultural Differences: The Status Of Foreigners In China vs The West 《地位》
Chinese Subcultures Explained In China, Guangzhou, en route to tutor English to a Chinese student, I stopped in the Friendship Mall in Taojin (友谊商店). The…
Cultural Differences – Proximity in Chinese Dating
I was thinking about Chinese girls and the culture in China. I realized that if a Chinese girl agrees to go to any places with…
Cultural Differences: Ingredients For Business Success In China / Australia
Ingredients For Business Success In China In China, Guangzhou, jogging along the Pearl river, I came across a group of midnight fishermen casting fishing lines…
Cultural Differences – Chinese Male Dominance
On the walk to Yuexiu District (越秀区), I was walking up Dade Road (大德路) and saw a really hot girl. standing across the street looking…
Cultural Differences: Drinking With Straws
The Cultural Proclivity Of Drinking With Straws Recently, I had an interesting conversation about drinking straws. As a cultural scholar in China, I picked up…
Cultural Differences: Australian / Chinese Fashion Culture
Australian Fashion Culture As I am sitting here in Sydney, Australia, looking at all the girls passing outside the coffee shop, it dawns on me…
Cultural Differences: Chinese v Australian State Welfare
Australian Welfare Explained In China In China, Guangzhou, around a dinner in Buddha World (佛世界饭馆) with my girlfriend, the topic of state welfare arose. Soon,…
Cultural Differences: Street Protests In Western and Chinese Societies
Disrupting Social Stability In China Today, I saw an interesting thing in Chinese society. Twenty people in a disciplined line were marching down the dusty…
Cultural Differences – Young Security Forces in China
The more I stay in China, the more I think, “These guys don’t really know too much.” When you Chinese security guards and police patrolling…
Cultural Differences: Consumer Choices in China vs The West
Consumer Choices In Australia The criteria for commercial success in China versus The West has developed some substantial cultural differences over the years. Consumer choices…
Cultural Differences: The Question Of National Identity In Australia
What Is Australian, And What Is An Australian-Born Chinese (ABC)? In China, Guangzhou, on a stopover in Dengba Youth Hostel (登巴客栈) near Beijing road, I…
Cultural Differences: Successful Women In Australia / China
Successful Women In Australia In Sydney, Australia, on a drive with a friend, as we stopped at a set of red lights, I was able…
Public Places – China vs The West
Another new difference that I discovered between Australia and China is because there are such a few amount of people on the train platforms. A…
Cultural Differences: Eastern And Western Attitudes To Health Care
Being Sick With Influenza In China In China, Guangzhou, I became ill for five weeks with influenza. The cold Guangzhou winter, combined with pollution, and…
Mad Chaos: January 30, 2020 – Separating Coronavirus Fact From Fiction
An early evening nap after lunch was a good energizer on this eighth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）….
Cultural Differences: Leveling Up To The Pajamas Level Of Convenience In China (秋裤水平)
The Chinese Habit Of Proximity To Convenience I think in this past week I have developed very Chinese habits. Everything that I do is within…
Cultural Differences: Obesity In Eastern vs Western Cultures
In Australia, I often come to Cuba Cubano in Macarthur Square to become seated in their wood-brown lounge chairs to work, as well as for…
Cultural Differences: Lifestyle Differences – China vs The West
The Australian Lifestyle On a recent return airplane trip to Australia to apply for a new Chinese visa, I was able to settle back into…
Cultural Differences: Australian versus Chinese Country Folk
The Chinese Migratory Phenomenon The Chinese Spring Festival is over. Everyone from the countryside is streaming back into Guangzhou city to return to their jobs. …
Cultural Differences: Chinese versus Western Fashion Trends
The “Camp” Factor In Chinese Fashion On the metro in China, I noticed for the umpteenth time a key cultural difference between Chinese fashion and…
Mad Chaos: February 5, 2020 – Working From Home During The Coronavirus Outbreak
Today, is our fourteenth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. I woke up this morning to a loud noise outside our apartment…
Mad Chaos: January 24, 2020 – Self-Quarantined In Guangzhou
Today was the second day of the Chinese New Year. I woke up to see my wife and son playing together in the television room….
Cultural Differences: Doing Business In China vs Australia
Opening Shop In China vs Australia In China, Guangzhou, while conducting a regular English class with Chinese students, the topic of Chinese and Western business…
Cultural Differences: Sexualised Business Fashion In East vs West Cultures
Sexualized Fashion On Australian Teenagers In Australia, Sydney, I picked up a few fashion pointers that highlighted more differences between Eastern and Western fashion culture….
Cultural Differences: Racial Segregation In Australian And Chinese Dating Culture
Education On Cultural Differences From A Cultural Scholar Fresh on my return from China, Guangzhou to Sydney, Australia today, these are the times I am…
Cultural Differences: Western and Chinese Coffee Shop Culture
A Good Starbucks Day No one good day can go by in China without having a Starbucks day with two coffees throughout the day. That…
Cultural Differences: The Bride Price In East vs West Culture
In Australia, Sydney, I met an Indian national on a job site. Amid our tedious work, discussion centred around the cultural differences between Australia, China,…
Mad Chaos: February 4, 2020 – The Novel Coronavirus Normalizes International Racism
Today, is our thirteenth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. Earlier I had taken my son outside to play along Pearl river…
Cultural Differences: Public Decency In China And The West
In China, it is commonly accepted that Chinese are conservative people by nature. Their filial personality and traditional dress sense often reflect this accepted truth….
Cultural Differences: Education In Chinese And Western Societies
In the years I have worked as an English teacher in China, I have come to appreciate the religious studiousness of Chinese students. In China,…
Cultural Differences: East vs. West Dating Culture
In Australia, Sydney, I used the WeChat People Nearby function to promote the Mad Chaos business. One Chinese woman who accepted the invitation came onto…
Cultural Differences: The Costs Associated With Coming To China To Teach English (ESL)
The Story Of A Foreigner Who Comes To China To Teach English (ESL) In China, Guangzhou, while I boarded in Dengba hostel (登巴客栈), I befriended…
Cultural Differences: Work Cover In Australia versus China
Work Cover In Australia versus China One time, In China, Guangzhou, when my girlfriend showed me a work injury she had sustained hours earlier, it…
Cultural Differences: Dating Rituals Of Wealthy Easterners vs Westerners
In Australia, Sydney, on a trip to Luna Park, my Chinese wife observed so many people enter Luna Park dressed in two-piece suits, elegant frocks,…
Cultural Differences: The Rise Of A Chinese Dictator
The Rise Of Dictator Xi In the diner the other day, the subject of Xi Jinping arose. With the announcement that China will scrap the…
Cultural Differences: Travelers Working In China vs The West
A Comparison Of Requirements For Legal Work Rights In China And Australia China is a great country for Westerners who would like a travel experience…
Cultural Differences: Romance In Eastern and Western Culture
In China, Guangzhou, as I returned home from a jog along Pearl River (珠江), I noticed a key difference in romance between Eastern and Western…
Cultural Differences: Western Directness (直接) verses Chinese Ambiguity (暧昧)
Western Directness (直接) verses Chinese Ambiguity (暧昧) in Communication From a viewpoint as a Westerner who has traveled between both China and Australia over the…
Cultural Differences: The Culture Of Friendliness In Eastern And Western Hospitality
In a recent return trip from China, Guangzhou, back to Australia, Sydney, I was able to notice a stark cultural difference between eastern and western…
Cultural Differences In Eastern and Western Fashion Trends
Cultural Comparisons of Short Skirts There is no comparison between any Asian girls in mainland China compared to the Asian Australians. You just can’t compare….
Mad Chaos: January 31, 2020 – Scoot Flight Cancellations From Mainland China
Today, on our ninth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）I have only been out of the house for 30 minutes to buy…
Cultural Differences: Bureaucracy In China vs The West
Internet censorship is one of the major hassles a foreigner encounters in China, alongside other issues, such as pollution, fake products, and services made inaccessible…
Mad Chaos: January 24, 2020 – Chinese Spring Festival In Quarantine
I poured soy sauce over steamed rice rolls and ate immediately. My wife took care of our son at that time. To make life more palatable…
Cultural Differences: Sexualised Fashion Trends in East vs West Societies
The Spandex Tracksuit Pants Trend In Australian Fashion In Australia, Sydney, on a Thursday night in the local mall where everyone goes late night shopping,…
Cultural Differences: How China And The West Appropriate Foreign Fashion
Common Chinese Misconceptions Of A Foreigner’s National Fashion In China, Guangzhou, in a fancy Western jazz bar, where the patrons seemed to be wealthy, local…
Mad Chaos: January 25, 2020 – Accustoming To Isolation
I woke up today to the sound of my son calling “Baba, baba, baba” from outside the door I roused to open the door. Seeing me,…
Mad Chaos: February 1, 2020 – Finding Normality Amid The Coronavirus Outbreak
Today, on our tenth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）I came to Rock Square to purchase a cappuccino and to window shop….
Cultural Differences: Eastern And Western Nightclubs
The Future Of Nightclubs When I was showing photos of myself in Australia to the hostel staff in China, I showed pictures of a long…
Cultural Differences: Yellow Fever In Australia
The Asian Girl On The Sydney Train Australians may not like to admit it, but deep down, we all have a case of yellow fever….
Cultural Differences: Business Infrastructure In East vs West Societies
In Australia, Sydney, on a return trip from China where I have lived on and off since 2013, I was struck by the cultural differences…
Mad Chaos: February 2, 2020 – How Kids Play During The Coronavirus Outbreak
Today, on our eleventh consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）, I had come outside the apartment block for a coffee run in…
Cultural Differences: Chinese Travel Aspirations
In Australia, Sydney, on a night-time walk down the main business district, I noticed a Chinese couple, and a lone Chinese girl walking with them….
Cultural Differences: Cultural Dictators
In Australia, Sydney, today on the train, I saw two lost foreigners from China speaking in Chinese. What I did not like about Australian people…
Cultural Differences: The Winners And Losers In A Competitive Chinese Society
The Chinese Competitive Mentality On a recent flight from China to Australia, I was able to observe a unique demographic of Chinese people who come…
Mad Chaos: January 29, 2020 – Shopping In Crowded Chinese Wet Markets
Today is our seventh consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. I woke up late in the afternoon, feeling weary…
Mad Chaos: February 3, 2020 – Hysteria Sets In During The Coronavirus Outbreak
Today, on our twelfth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）, up until now we had made calls to the Australian consulate and…
Telltale Filial Chinese Signs (孝顺)
China, Guangzhou | 中国广州市 Telltale Signs of a Filial Chinese (孝顺) In China, in my travels from Beijing, Sichuan, to Guangzhou, one common tradition universally…
Cultural Differences: Cultural Acceptance In East vs The West
In Australian, Sydney, I came into a Korean coffee shop called Kanzi to do some work. I found that I only had 3% power,…
Cultural Differences: Cash And Credit Cards Versus Cashless Societies
Imagine A World Without WeChat Pay Recently, on a return trip from China, Guangzhou to Sydney, Australia, I came into Oliver Brown to order a…
Cultural Differences: Personal Freedom In China vs The West
In China, on my many strolls downtown to observe the cultural differences between Eastern and Western society, I came to appreciate one marked difference in…
Cultural Differences: The Rise Of Chinese Commerce In Western Society
Commerce in China has encountered a revolution in the last decade. While Western society has suckled on Mastercard and Visa for decades, Chinese consumers skipped…
Cultural Differences: Identity Fashion In China
Chinese Fashion Revolution In China, Guangzhou, while in the metro with a friend who shares my passion for cosplay, in the thicket of the crowd…
Cultural Differences: Erogenous Fashion Trends In China vs The West
In China, Guangzhou, as I settled into my interim workplace with a 30 RMB cappuccino in hand, I first focused outside the café windows towards…
Cultural Differences: The 99% Factor In Conservative Chinese Dating Culture
In China, Guangzhou, I have come to appreciate certain psychological barriers exist between Chinese society and foreigners. Over the half a decade I have lived…
Cultural Differences: Overcoming A Language Barrier
In Australia, Sydney on one of the trains home I saw two Chinese girls. They were very obviously from overseas, and had only been here…
Mad Chaos: February 1, 2020 – Travel Restrictions From Mainland China
The World Health Organization (WHO) labeled the novel coronavirus outbreak in China an international emergency. You cannot get any more severe than that. Now the world…
Cultural Differences: Where Are The Blue Skies
The West Stole The Blue Skies Sometimes when I walk through China on polluted days like this, I remember in Australia how crystal clear and…
Cultural Differences: Safety In China vs The West
Today, I had a conversation with a subscriber who added me on WeChat. She travelled from Johannesburg, South Africa to Vietnam to teach English for…
Mad Chaos: January 26, 2020 – Coronavirus Causes Bolstered Security Presence
Today I was woken up by a tap on the door from my son saying, “Baba. Baba.” It was cold today so I put a…
Mad Chaos: February 2, 2020 – Coronavirus Outbreak Fact From Fiction
Today, on our eleventh consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）, I woke up to greet my son in the living room. I…
Mad Chaos: January 27, 2020 – Interaction Curbed Amid Growing Coronavirus Fears
Due to the novel coronavirus outbreak （冠状病毒） in China, our family has now experienced its fifth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市）. Our son…
Cultural Differences: Dealing With Racism In Eastern And Western Societies
Chinese Racism Towards Foreigners Racism is an issue in China that seems to pervade all of society, and yet, Chinese people do not think they…
Mad Chaos: January 28, 2020 – Questioning The Transparency Of Coronavirus Reports
Today I woke up late in the afternoon. It is our sixth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. My son…
Mad Chaos: February 2, 2020 – A 5.2 Scale Earthquake Strikes Chengdu
As my wife cooked dinner tonight, I had a burning desire to return to my normal routine. The novel coronavirus outbreak （冠状病毒） in China has confined us…
Mad Chaos: January 28, 2020 – Carving Out A Coronavirus Escape Plan
Dinner was a bowl of rice, a dish of green vegetables, and scrambled eggs. I have lived in China, Guangzhou for seven years, and I still…
Mad Chaos: February 3, 2020 – Contacting The Australian Consulate Hotline From China
Today, on our twelfth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）, I woke up to playful screams from my son in the living room. I…
Cultural Differences: East vs West Social Calendars
In Sydney, Australia, on return by train from work, I alighted from the train only to see two Australian teenage girls dressed in fashionable Barbie…
Mad Chaos: January 30, 2020 – Airline Enforce Wuhan Travel Bans
Today is our eighth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. I woke up in the afternoon with a dry…
Mad Chaos: February 4, 2020 – A Gloomy Public Encounter During The Epidemic
Today, is our thirteenth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. As soon as I woke up I prepared to take my son…
Cultural Differences: The Chinese Millionaire Factory
In Australia, Sydney, on a train home, I was seated next to a Filipino woman on a three-seater bench. I thought, “That is a big…
Cultural Differences: Eastern vs Western Reputations Abroad
In Australia, Sydney, I discussed China with a work colleague. He had some Australian friends who travelled to China to weld some buses. He said,…
Mad Chaos: January 31, 2020 – Following China’s Household Exit Restrictions
Today is our ninth consecutive day of self-quarantine in Guangzhou （广州市） due to the coronavirus （冠状病毒）. I woke up in the afternoon. As soon as I opened the…
Cultural Differences: Asking For Directions In China
The Polish Interloper in Guangzhou In my travels in China, I encountered a Polish interloper who had traveled around the world. I encountered him dwelling…
Cultural Differences: Above Ground Versus Underground Car Parks
What Is Culture? To me, a cultural difference is a decision over time practiced by a majority of people from one society, one not imposed…
Cultural Differences: Eastern And Western Travel Culture
Australia: A Land Of Travelers In Australia, travel is considered a rite of passage, and almost a human right. As a nation built on immigrants,…
Cultural Differences: Government Influence On Business In China vs The West
In China, Guangzhou, as I exited Jiniantang metro station (纪念堂地铁站) flanked by a Chinese friend, the greengrocer shop opposite the metro station became a topical…
Cultural Differences: Live Like A King In Asia
In Australia, Sydney, on a job site today, I started to develop friendships with the lads. One forklift driver is head-to-toe old-school Aussie. He looks…
Cultural Differences: Cash-In-Hand Work In China And The West
In China, Guangzhou, while on a networking lunch (关系) with my English student, we came to discuss the cultural differences between how business operates in…