Tips

12/02/2009 19:54

-By Hanlin Deng (Helen)

Sharing:

     Westerners are not expected to share treats that they have with their friends. It is not considered rude to buy a chocolate bar and then to eat it around other people.

Greetings and goodbyes:

     “How’s it going ?” and “How are you ?” are common greetings that Westerners use. It is often just a greeting, and nothing more. It is not that they don’t care about your answer; they are simply saying hello. A good answer is ‘Not bad.’ Westerners also tend to leave conversations quicker than Easterners. If they get up and leave during a conversation, they are not necessarily offended or being rude.

Questions:

     Asking questions is very important in the West. The main way that people get to know each other is to ask questions about the other person. It is a way of showing interest in the other person. If they don’t want to answer, they will avoid the question, but are unlikely to be offended. Don’t be afraid to bring up questions or concerns.

Money:

     Westerners have grown up with more money than is needed for their basic needs. They don’t usually consider themselves rich, and not trying to flaunt their wealth. Westerners have a less serious attitude about money and will often spend it on luxuries.

Language:

     You are probably more critical of your own language skills than Westerners are. Don’t be afraid to make lots of mistakes; Westerners won’t mind.

Friendship:

     Westerners place a high value on having fun. This doesn’t mean that they don’t care about serious issues. If they see someone upset, they will often assume that the person wants to be left alone, unless they are good friends.  Westerners can become intimate quite quickly in friendships, but that doesn’t mean that they are committed. Commitment takes longer to happen.

     All above are some basic cultural difference between Chinese and Americans, hope all can do some help to your life in America.