Culture - East vs. West

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words and I think it's absolutely true when it comes to describing the differences between Eastern and Western cultures. I received an email from an Asian friend that does just that - Dave and I got a good laugh at how absolutely accurate these "describe" the differences. I thought I'd share some of our favorites.  By sharing this, I don't intend to imply that either culture is right or wrong, rather that the contrast provides ample opportunities for misunderstanding...and it's the world we live in every day in Hong Kong. 

The left side is the "west", the right the "east".  Enjoy.

ANGER (it's hard to know what anyone is thinking here - there must be some excellent poker players around HK!)

DEALING WITH A PROBLEM (there are often articles in the newspaper, especially in the business section, talking about how "direct" and "aggressive" Americans are! Hmmm....)

OPINION (largely correct, but I know plenty of Westerners whose opinions - my own sometimes included - look more like a bowl of noodles than this one!)

 WHAT A PARTY LOOKS LIKE

THE BOSS (the person in charge of a group here is actually called the "big boss")

TRANSPORTATION (top box is 1970, bottom is 2006 - obviously, this has been circulating a while!)

TRENDY FOOD

WAITING IN "LINE" (AKA "the queue")

WAY OF LIFE