Below is a wonderful film providing a tour of colonial Hong Kong in 1938 when the city was still under British colonial rule. It was shot by the filmmaker André de la Varre, and ran in movie theaters after the newsreels and before the main features. He used a small Leica camera, and was completely self-taught, crafting his technique through trial and error as he traveled the world.
Arriving at Haneda airport on a slightly overcast Wednesday morning was not the most auspicious way to enter Japan for the first time but even in my severely sleep-deprived state there was still a sense of excitement in the air. I had made it. Finally after literally years of false starts I was in Tokyo and ready to lap up the experience.
The words “culture” and “Shenzhen” are rarely heard together in the same sentence, such is the nature of a young city of immigrants who have come to make their fortune. This isn’t to say there is no culture in Shenzhen but it can be hard to find. One place trying to invigorate Shenzhen’s art scene is OCT-LOFT in Nanshan district where old factory buildings have been renovated into a modern art and cultural center (somewhat similar to Beijing’s 798 district).
Here’s a little tip for men in China hoping to avoid public castigation: don’t wear a green hat. Unfortunately this advice came a little late for me, but first a little background as to why it’s a cultural faux pas over here: In China “wearing a green hat” (戴绿帽子 or dài lǜ mào zǐ) is an expression that Chinese use when a woman cheats on her husband or boyfriend because the phrase sounds similar to the word for cuckold. This apparently dates back to the Yuan dynasty when the relatives of prostitutes were forced to wear green hats. If you’re given a green hat by your significant other then the news is probably not good. To wear one is to be a bit of a…
I’ve given a couple of presentations recently at work about understanding the cultural differences between East (US / Europe) and West (China / East Asia) which I thought I’d share today. The first is aimed at Chinese to understand Western Culture (with lots of nice pics) while the second is aimed at Westerners to understand Chinese Culture (more wordy): Understanding Western Culture Yes, that’s a picture of my sister in Africa killing a goat for dinner towards the end – a perfect example of dealing with uncomfortable situations (in this case quite an extreme one)! The presentation itself had lots of talking over the top – if you download the file you can see my notes with more information about the content. It would…
After my experience at the W a local friend introduced me to another extraordinary but little-known place in Seoul: Kring – Creative Culture Space, located in Gangnam (Samseong station). While the building is designed as a creative space for holding public performances, events and exhibitions the building itself is as much a work of art as what it contains. Designed by Korean firm Unsangdong Architects the front of the building immediately catches your eye with its metallic covering and indented circular widows (which reminded me of the bullet-time effects in the Matrix) with each impact rippling out across its surface. At night lights illuminate the entire area with the windows being transformed into display surfaces. Upon entering through a circular glass door your instantly met with a…
This post is the last of a series exploring Chinese culture. To get up to speed see the links at the bottom of this page for more. When working with Chinese teams/partners here are some practical tips which will hopefully make things a little smoother: Spend as much time as you can in China to learn and form relationships. Remember that western logic does not apply and a long-term patient approach will be required. Never openly criticise, ignore or make fun of a person in front of others (even jokingly). When discussing individual performance emphasize good points before bad ones. Be very specific when assigning tasks, defining schedules and setting expectations. Any ambiguity could be used as an excuse for inaction or misinterpretation. Incentives…
This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at the bottom of this page for more. Having explored some of the main concepts in Chinese thinking the table below summarises the key differences between eastern and western cultural values: Cultural Values West (US / Europe) East (China / East Asia) Logic Linear (direct associations) Spiral (roundabout and subtle) Communication Explicit or direct, verbal, likely to “speak their mind” Implied or inferred, non-verbal, subtle Identity Individualistic, independent, values freedom Group orientated, values harmony and stability Agreement / Disagreement Argumentative, verbal Difficult to say no, non-verbal Thinking Rule or law orientated, detailed, analytical, logical Context or situation specific, holistic, intuitive, big picture Punctuality Start and end on time Appointment times flexible…
This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at the bottom of this page for more. Face (Mianzi) The concept of “face” or “self-image”, known as Mianzi in Chinese, is core to Chinese culture and one which is critical to understand. It can be loosely described as someone’s social status or reputation in the eyes of others and is integral to both social and business dealings. Throughout a Chinese person’s life it must be maintained and enhanced through giving to and receiving from others in both words and actions. By showing respect and trust recognition is earned and mianzi is built. It may be something as small as who gets in the lift first to the awarding of multi-million…
This post is part of a series exploring Chinese culture. See the links at the bottom of this page for more. Much of Chinese culture revolves around dining and culinary experiences where both business and pleasure are combined with an astonishingly wide array of tastes and smells. Being such a large and ethnically diverse country with different climates and natural resources each region has its own local specialities which the Chinese are often keen to try and introduce to others. Generally you will find hot and spicy food in the north with mild and cooler food in the south (more about regional cuisines here). Photo by KellyB A Chinese dining table is usually round allowing everyone to engage equally in conversation and will be…