Archive for August, 2006

Americans are pragmatists, Iranians are poets

If you want an example of how challenging it can sometimes be to communicate across cultures, I came across an excellent article that details some of the differences between the U.S. and Iranian styles of speaking. For example, do ‘yes’ and ‘no’ always mean what we think? “Speech has a different function than it does [...]

August 7, 2006 communication 0 Comments

Sunnis and Shiites – differences within Islam

Any attempt to decipher the labyrinth of interests and alliances in the Middle East can be exhausting.  There are interests that revolve around oil, interests that center on relations with the United States or Israel, and interests that are linked to religious differences.  One of the most confusing battles might be the one between Sunni and Shiite Islam.  Al Qaeda [...]

August 4, 2006 religion 1 Comment

Working to live, living to work

Reynaldo Ulloa, 19, said his father wanted to return to Cuba, and had spoke of its advantages.  “He says the lifestyle is better,” said Mr. Ulloa, a criminal justice major at Miami-Dade College. “Here you live to work, but there you work to live.” But Mr. Ulloa said he had little interest in moving to [...]

August 3, 2006 how we live 0 Comments

Baseball in Japan

Ever wondered what baseball games are like in Japan?  Bob Woods has the story in an account he wrote for Continental Magazine. He writes about both the cultural features of the sport… Although the first pitch was scheduled for 1 p.m., the Fighters and the visiting Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles had been warming up since [...]

August 1, 2006 sports cultures 0 Comments
Page 2 of 212