Category Archives: Around the world

Cultures around the world

Around the world, Authors R-Z, Generational, Of Women

My German Grandma’s Busy Life for her Church – by Beate Ziehres

My grandmother Hilda passed away when she was 95 years old. Her funeral was one of the most impressive events I‘ve ever joined. According to my feeling, all the citizens of her and my hometown had come to the cemetery. She was born and she died at the same small town in Northern Bavaria, Germany, which might have been one reason for her fame. She had never left her hometown longer than for a day trip. Another occasion could have been the way she decided to spend her time and live her life.

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Around the world, Authors R-Z, USA Culture

A German’s Thoughts on American Values – by Beate Ziehres

As a German, I never thought deeply about the things that American people value. I heard about their preference for comfortable footwear and that they love burgers. When I moved to Chattanooga, I realized it’s true.  Lots of folks wear tennis-shoes, no matter if it is with jeans, slacks or skirts.  And as an almost vegetarian, I learned to value juicy grilled beef.  I’m sure I will miss that back in Germany.  After two years living in the US, I notice more differences between the attitudes of American and German people than I had imagined

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Around the world, Authors R-Z

American English Pronunciation Challenges – by Katie Schwartz

If you are a mono-lingual American, it can be helpful to know how native speakers of other languages often pronounce English, so you can understand them more easily.  China is a huge country, and Mandarin is spoken differently in various parts of China. For some people, Mandarin is actually their second language, not their first. People in India speak somewhere between 780 and 1683 different languages, although reportedly only 21 are officially recognized.

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Around the world, Commerce, Race & Ethnicity

Chopsticks Made in the USA – Dr. Julia Wai-Yin So

To many of us, the idea of using two sticks with one hand to pick up a piece of chicken or vegetable from a plate or bowl and putting that same piece of chicken or vegetable into our mouth without dropping it is beyond one’s imagination. However, this is what one out of every five people in the world does at mealtime on a daily basis. These people with such dexterity with chopsticks live in what we call “chopsticks nations” such as China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.

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