Singapore is 50 years old! In just 50 years, this city-state has gone from swamp land to skyscrapers, and its booming economic structure has created one of the world’s wealthiest populations. In such a short time, and without having natural resources, Singapore has become a worldwide business center that has brought many expats into the […]
global
Cultural Brief: Bastille Day
This past Tuesday was Bastille Day, a French holiday celebrating the country’s independence. The French National Day is celebrated on July 14 and is celebrated to commemorate the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789, which helped spark the French Revolution. This was the culmination in Paris of a violent revolution that had begun two […]
China’s Newest Status Symbol
A recent article from BBC pointed out one of China’s latest social problems: etiquette. China has become one of the most powerful countries in the world. In a 30 year span, the country has moved from an isolated state to a powerhouse requiring more interaction with other cultures. China has also gained an incredible amount […]
United Nations Day 2014
“The United Nations is needed more than ever at this time of multiple crises. […] At this critical moment, let us reaffirm our commitment to empowering the marginalized and vulnerable. On United Nations Day, I call on Governments and individuals to work in common cause for the common good. ” – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon […]
2014 World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
In the great words of Dr. Seuss’ Butter Battle Book “And the things that you’ve heard about Zooks are all true. The terribly, horrible thing that they do, and in every Zook house and in every Zook town every Zook eats his bread with the butter side down. But we Yooks, when we eat, when […]
Communicating Effectively with Non-Native English Speakers
If you can read this sentence with ease, then you might be one of many who take communicating in English for granted. Not only is English the second most spoken language in the world, impressively, but it is also the most widely used language on the internet and the most commonly used platform for business and […]