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I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life
My name is Siyu. I was born and raised in Beijing, and I've spent the last ten years traveling, studying, and working abroad in the US, UK, and France. Many people that I met were curious about Chinese culture, but their impressions of China would end up with words like 'communist,' 'pollution' and 'no Facebook.' While many facts are true, the contemporary, living, and multifaceted Chinese way of life is rarely heard of.
I started "tiny eyes" webcomics a year ago in the hope of sharing cultural differences through everyday life. To me, learning about western culture has always been a fun experience, and I want to pass this feeling to people who are curious about China. In lots of my cartoon drawings, I compare Chinese culture to other cultures. Through comparison, we realize how differently we act in front of the same situation and how we tend to think in a certain way instead of another. In the end, every culture is "weird" in its way, but it's also the weirdness that makes it interesting.
I post these funny comics regularly every week, and I share slices of my personal life and experience through Instagram. I hope you enjoy it!
More info: Instagram
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americans get misspelled chinese tattoos. chinese get misspelled english tee shirts. all in all it's still better to have a weird shirt than a bad tattoo.
I’ve experienced student dormitories in three countries: In the U.K. I have my own private room with shared public space; In the U.S. I shared my dorm with one roommate; In China, I used to live with 5 girls in the same room. This lack of privacy must be shocking for some of you, but in a country with 1.3 billion population, space is always a problem. While there are many inconvenience not having enough private space, on the bright side, sharing a room with someone also makes you learn quite a deal about communication, responsibilities and tolerance.
Maybe you have heard that Chinese eat cats. A few horrible people in some obscure places maybe, but the majority, NO!!
I have a chinese friend. She loves cats. She owns 5 cats. She has never even harmed one.
In China, people don't say anything after someone sneezes.
This silly social custom - based on faulty understanding of the human body - is so ingrained that even knowing it is silly it is hard to stop responding to the sound of a sneeze LOL
and then when people don't respond to your sneezes you feel slightly rejected for some reason
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i will only say "bless you" for three sneezes. after that, i call an exorcist ;)
I usually say "Salud" which is Spanish for health. Cool picture by the way.
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I always understood this response came from the era of the black plague. If you sneezed, you probably had it and "bless you" was kind of liking saying "sorry, you're gonna die".
Apparently, one of my old teachers once had to deeply disappoint a group of German tourists he met on vacation because they were convinced he spoke German after he said gesundheit! It was such a random single word for him to know, you see.
Hehe...I’m an American living abroad and everytime I say gesundheit to someone, they don’t get that is what we say in some parts of the States.
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In Portugal we have at least three ways. We say (or yell): "Santinho!" / "Santinha!" (male and female form) which means "little saint". It was believed in the Middle Ages a sneeze meant the Devil was coming out of you so saying "Santinho" was to keep the demon away. The other explanation is that people believed that one person stops breathing while sneezing, so this interjection is also calling the person a "little saint" because they came back to life. That's why we say Santinho or Santinha according to the people's gender. It is also common saying "Saúde!" ("Health!") and "Viva!" which is literally "Live!", "Be alive!" and less used "God bless you." And they all allude to the Middle Ages, religion and the plague.
Another common explanation hearkens back to the time of dire diseases, such as the bubonic plague. It was believed that an infected person’s sneeze was a sure sign he’d soon be shuffling off this mortal coil, and the “Bless you!” was intended as a benediction; a way of commending his soul to the care of God now that he was beyond the help of anything on Earth. :)
It's an opportunity to bless somebody and really, how many opportunities do you get.
I moved to the US when I was 5 from China. On a field trip, I sneezed and a parent said "gazuntite." I stared blankly at him because 1) I'm not a native English speaker, and that word wasn't even English 2) We don't say bless you in my culture when someone sneezes. He looked at me like I was the rudest child and harshly said "you're supposed to say thank you" with an eye roll.
In Japan there is no “Bless you” either...but apparently sneezing means someone is talking about you.
And I heard there's no bless you in Korea either. I guess it's an East Asian thing?
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What about answering someone's blessing? I'm curious. In Portugal it's very rude not to thank if someone says "Santinho/a", "Saúde"or "Viva"! It should be a polite interaction whether it's a family member or a stranger in the bus. You should say thank you even if you are still sneezing non stop ahahah what about your countries?
It is a superstition but it comes from the days of the plague when one of the first symptoms was sneezing. It's also where the children's game Ring o roses comes from😷
OMG seriously? In english it is "bless you" in german "gesundheit" in portuguese is "saúde" if my memory is well and in polish is "na zdrowie!"
In the middle ages, it was thought that when you sneezed, your soul could leave your body. So the whole phase to avoid the soul escaping, God Bless You and may the Devil Miss You. Or something very similar.
I don't say "bless you" when people sneeze. This custom is antiquated and foolishly superstitious.
It's based on the medieval belief that your soul was shaken loose from your head during a sneeze. The 'bless you' protects you until it climbs back in.
The idea dates back to the Middle Ages when it was thought that a demon left people when they sneezed. "Bless you" just became a part of the culture after that.
I say bless you in sympathy with the person who sneezed as well as a sort of get well wish, I hate that there is nothing to say for coughing. So though technically incorrect, I have taken to saying gazoontight, just to have something to say. And Ièm happy to say, people have given up correcting me and just accept my words.
Blessing someone after they sneeze started because of superstition belief that when u sneeze you were expelling demons/or ghosts. Blessing you protected you from them.
In French, we say, "À vos souhaits." The Germans say, "Gesundheit!" which means health.
Blessing after a sneeze comes from Middle Age, when there was the belief that the Devil (none the lesser!) would get into you and grab your soul durind a sneeze. So "Bless you" means "God frees you from the Devil"!
It's not silly at all. Your soul momentarily leaves your body when you sneeze. A blessing protects you during this spell
Traditionally they say yi bai sui which means 100 years or wishing someone good health and long life
I don't say anything to people and they get upset, and when they say it to me I don't say anything and they get upset like I just stabbed them.
They do not cover their nose/mouth when sneezing. I got a splash from a guy I stand next to, went home and got an alcohol shower
This custom started at the request of the Pope during the Black Plague. Originally it was "God bless you."
for me its - someone sneezes once - I say "god bless you" they sneeze twice - I give a huge fake sigh, and say "must you? god bless you." they sneeze three times - I say "the power of Christ compels you"
From what I've heard, it's a European thing. People used to think their soul would come out of their body while sneezing. In French we say something like «to your wishes» which actually means «welp you're gonna die so make your last wish boy». I never checked if it was correct, but I like that story
I hate that custom, not so much because of my hardcore atheism as it is that it's incredibly unnecessary. I never say it to people. I sometimes say "excuse me" after sneezing (provided it was an interruption) but having people respond to it is a very silly superstitious hang-over.
Superstition said that the after a sneeze, you were "open" for a demon to jump in to possess you--hence the hasty, "God bless you!"
It’s hard for Chinese to directly express their love to their families and friends. Instead of saying love, we show care to the health of people we love, ask them if everything goes well, and buy nice things to make their life more comfortable. In history, Confucius enforced social orders by putting people in different relations/obligations, but the expression of personal feelings was never encouraged. Emotions need to be under control.
How do you show people that you care about them?
Personally, I like to make sure that the people I care about are taken care of in all aspects of life. I also will express my love/like for them verbally, emotionally and physically (within reason!). I make sure that I am a great listener as well.
It takes me sometime to get used to making constant eye contact when talking to people. Traditionally, Chinese people tend to avoid direct eye contact when talking to each other, which is a way to show respect and obedience, but in lots of western cultures, especially in English-speaking countries, avoiding eye contact signifies hesitation and dishonesty. (Correct me if I’m wrong.)
Yeah that freaked me out the first time it happened to me. I wasn't ready for that sort of behavior. Now I am all about the kissing on the cheek!
We also have spoons, people!
In some youtube street food videos i often see people eating the solid food with chopsticks than drinking the soup from the bowl. Uneducated or common?
Beauty = Thin. “Gaining weight” brings absolute horror for many Chinese girls, even though most of them are already considered thin in other cultures. I’ve seen girls who eat only one apple a day and who drink special tea (which makes you go to toilet 20 times a day) in order to lose weight in a very short time. Movie stars and super models are pushing this aesthetic to its extreme through mass media. When will we be able to simple enjoy being who we are?
Chinese people love their food, they spend lots of time savouring and enjoying their meals. Food is not just “fuel” for the body, but a pleasure, an art, and a way of socialising. If you want to make friends, go eat. If you want to close a business deal, go eat. If you want to pursue a romantic relationship, go eat.
Since ancient times, food has been considered priority in Chinese culture. The government’s goal was to make sure that each person is taken care of and "has enough to eat”. From another angle, it also suggests the realistic character of Chinese: food goes before ideas, and this life is more important than after life.
So many Americans would never eat junk food !! or live to eat..... but that is certainly the stereotype and truth for far too many, here.
Chinese have trouble taking compliments from other people, because they are raised to be humble, to be self-reflective, and to not stand out from the crowd. So when someone notices you and makes a compliment, you tend to lose the inner balance and get nervous very quickly.
Can you name a classic Chinese design or a brand? Probably difficult. But have you bought anything “Made in China”? Very likely yes. Chinese products are often associated with the word “cheap” and not high quality, sadly. Many aspiring local designers have been trying to create original and valuable products, but problem such as the lack of copyright protection has complicated the process. Still a long way to go.
One day i hear in a movie that "The american dream is made in China"
There's an old American saying in the style of a bad poem: Forget your acid indigestion/"How are you"'s a greeting, not a question.
In China, it’s not rare to see young people choosing to live with their parents after getting out of college. For one thing, it’s more economical than renting a house on your own. And for another, Chinese are very family oriented, so getting support from your family it’s expected in the social norm. In the the United States, however, people value independence so much that it’s embarrassing to have things given to you while you have the ability to live on your own.
actually living with parents is becoming more and more normal in the states for much the same reasons.
eople have less trouble naming Chinese political figures than naming great Chinese artists and scientists, who have also played a great role in shaping Chinese culture. Why? They don't learn much about it in school; they don't see them in the media often; and in China we lack initiatives and channels to communicate to the outside word.
Bruce Lee, Jet Lee, Jackie Chan. Nobody cares about Mao and Confucius.
There’s a Chinese saying “三思而后行”, which means to think twice before taking actions. In history, Chinese value highly reflection and past experience, but acting cautious and staying wise didn’t save the people from the arrival of the early western explorers who sailed into the unknown and took chances at the risk of their lives. China was forced to take actions in its modern history, often times too fast in exchange for development.
While too much reflection on the past slows down the process of change and innovation, too much action without thinking results in waste of resources and irreversible consequences. It’s time for thinkers and doers to meet and learn from each other in this increasingly connected world. It’s happening.
That's true, I am Chinese myself and have been to a school like that. The uniforms were pretty much the same but in a darker blue color.
I'm an American only child (2nd generation with a 3rd generation only child) and I have gotten these same questions my entire life. My parents made the choice, not me. How can I miss having siblings if I've never had them? That question has always baffled me.
The expectation is to open in front of the giver so that they will see your reaction, whether or not you liked it. Plus people are nosey lol
In Chinese schools, smoking is strictly prohibited and any student who smoke is considered “bad”. It’s not just in the sense of “bad for health”, but also considered a symbol for moral degradation. In France, I notice that there are lots of teenagers who smoke, and it’s actually considered “cool” among their friends. There’s even peer pressure to learn how to smoke. Smoking is also a normal way of socializing so there isn’t any negative moral aspect associated with it.
In a Chinese family, a child usually takes the central position and gets all the love and attention from their parents, which could also lead to ignorance and lack of communication between the couple.
absolutely what has happened with my family. order of care now goes: Baby - totally incapable of taking care of self, too immature to understand matters Cats - partly incapable of taking care of selves, understand what they need to do (be patient, finish their dinner etc) Boyfriend - "you've got hands, don't you?"
"Beijing Bikini" is a term used by non-Chinese to describe grownup man who roll up their shirt and reveal their bellies in summer. (warning: what you see is usually bulging tummies instead of six-pack. ) Even though it's frowned upon by many people, these man are not ashamed of it at all. For them, it's just a practical way to get cooler when you don't have air conditioning, so what's the big deal?
i think the only people who freak out are those who have never lived in a hot country. Where i'm from, during the summer, most men are shirtless regardless of age or size
What really matters is not the format, but the content. In France, reading is a habit. There are bookshops everywhere, people take books with them on vacations and give each other as gifts. There’s a great variety of popular books: fiction, science-fiction, history, art, philosophy, comics…
In China, what people read mostly are news, practical books related to their professions, or “How to become the next Steve Jobs”. Of course there are also people who read extensively, but in general, reading hasn’t become a habit.
We still give books as gifts in my (English), house, I'm very proud to say......................
ne time a friend asked me, “Do you pass a lot of time writing your name? Chinese characters looks so complicated!” This made me giggle, but in a way it’s true because each Chinese character is a structure on its own and does not follow a linear movement as the alphabet.
my full name often wouldn't fit in the allocated space :'( and i'm australian
When asked this question, some of the Chinese moms tell their little kids that they were born from their armpits, or even worse, picked up from a trash can.
Americans sometimes say the cabbage patch or the stork. My favorite that I used to tell my little sister (10 years apart) is that she was hatched lol
You don't want to drive in big cities like Beijing.
Chinese rely heavily on their network in the society(what we call "关系"). The first thing you do in a foreign place is to connect with your people so that you could “take care” of each other and get necessary help. Of course it also makes you feel more comfortable. On the other hand, the general lack of adventurous spirit (lack of individualism) results in an attitude that’s more reserved in a foreign environment. While some Chinese may not be comfortable enough to “mingle”, most of them are generally kind and tolerate towards foreign cultures.
Chinese tend to wait for their turn to speak, although in a foreign culture, that turn may never come because it requires taking initiatives. From an early age, we are told to be humble, to think about others first(our position in a relationship) and hide our own opinions. (It doesn’t mean that we don’t have opinions.) That’s one of the reasons we appear to be timid in a group discussion, and are generally not good at public speaking or debate. However, this situation has also changed gradually as society put less constrains on young generations and more chance for them to communicate with the world.
I love how the Chinese student has his materials all lined up and neat while the other desks are less organized, shall we say.
This is so interesting! I find that British people can be in-between the personality of American & Chinese people. I (Brit) found it very easy to interact with Chinese people, we both did not want to offend each other, we both prefer to open gifts in private, and then later thank them privately. I also am happy for other people to speak first than wait my turn.....although perhaps I'm more reserved than the average person. The big differences I found were in relationships, my chinese friend was so unhappy with her bf but did not want to confront the issue, eventually she did and is now in a much happier relationship with someone new, but I think for a long time she was prepared to stick with him. Now she is only 26 but his family are so insistent for them to marry! But I think the opinion of marriage and women marrying later in life is changing slowly in china. I think with British relationships, you will be very quick to point out problems, which I suppose is good but sometimes bad.
That's an interesting comparison you made there! In terms of relationships, it's true that we tend to be indirect in communication and tend to avoid problems instead of confronting it. Personally I find it tiring and confusing sometimes!
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Thank you very much for posting on Bored Panda. I am looking forward to see more ilustrations to compare different cultures :)
Hey It is very much similer here too... I am from India and and can relate completely to almost everything this sweet girl writes... 👧
i found these very entertaining and informative! thank you for sharing these things with us, i will try to keep these differences in mind when dealing with my chinese neighbours. they moved to australia a few months ago and are still adjusting, but i think they are enjoying things here, for the most part. at least, i hope so!
These comics are wonderful! Respectful of each representation, super cute, and offer cultural explanations that may have been unknown to the reader. I'm very impressed and hope to see more of your work in the future!
This was a lot of great information in a format that I found fun to read. Thank you so much for sharing your culture, and personality, with all of us!
Thank you and I'm really glad that you enjoyed it :)
Load More Replies... I am an american teen who has lived in 西安 china for multiple years as well as 香港 and these rrrr sooooo truuu
As a Canadian male with a Chinese girlfriend I find these hilarious, mostly because they are so bang on true.
These are all very interesting observations. But, whenever possible, ut would be better to avoid using the term "western culture", it's so vague and generalizing. Furthermore, from the Chinese geographical perspective, while Europe stays on the west, America would be more like "the eastern world". Sure, you explained in your text about specifications, and you did good, but, please, do not think these thibgs apply to the whole "western world", rather, take it as the "USA culture", "British culture" and "French culture" respectively.
yes,you are right，from the Chinese geographical perspective ，America would be more like 'the eastern world'why we put the europe and USA are the westen world?it's beging from the history of china.before we don't know so much info about the different of the USA,British,and the French ,just like one Europe person can tell the different culture of China,Kroea,Vietam? thanks to the internet ,we become more and more close ,as you say ,more and more china will find the different culture of USA British
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That's interesting to know! like what?
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This was very enlightening. I found it very easy to form friendships with two Chinese co-workers, but I did find myself needing to "bring them out of their shells" as I got to know them. They were such pleasant, smart, interesting people.
I had the chance to live in China for 3 years and I loved all these differences :) 我想念中国啊 !
4 pages???? That is so not enough WE NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved every one of them! Thank you for sharing!
for a chinese who live in French for 4 years ,you are really vivid show the puzzle i has met.thanks a lot.it's enlightenting and funny
I really enjoyed this. Interesting, informative, and non judgmental. I gotta confess though, try as I might, I'll never understand soy sauce. Sorry.
Not only in China, but majority of Asian countries too.. I think it's the umami taste in soy sauce that we're fond of. So, we also incorporate it in our cooking or marinating, aside from using it as a dipping sauce. Soy sauce is sometimes an alternative to salt when cooking.
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This is wonderful. It engenders greater understanding between some people with gentle humor. We can use all we can get of that right now.
Great job! I learned a lot about Chinese culture, like how you would open a gift and the eye contact rule. I especially related to the only child post. I'm an American only child, and I always have gotten those questions!
Brilliant. But in the one picture you say sticks for everything and some later that you use spoons, too? ^^ (I always imagined you eat the stuff in your soup with sticks and then drink the rest ^^ it's how I eat instant noodles ^^)
haha yes you found out. We do use spoons for soup as well ;)
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This is brilliant !! I'm living in Canada and trust me I've been through nearly every situation that in your comics ! Loved it!
That was so interesting! I love learning about other cultures, and this was done in an informative, yet cute and funny way.
I find so many similarities between the Chinese and Indian cultures. Eastern and Western perspective.
I'd like to know more about India too
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Thank you. A lot of new insights for me to take in. (I've been 'studying' Japanese culture for some time, but confess to knowing so little about yours.) I left a comment for you in the -receiving gifts- comic.
I am a little frustrated by these comics. I think that some, such as the vinegar and soy sauce comic and the chopsticks are great (though in most of the cities and provinces I have lived in and visited it is vinegar and chilli oil), though others seem to be stuck a little bit in the past. While the comics where you challenge the current Western perception of what is China/Chinese (the major Chinese figures, perception of eating cats and all "Asian" food as Chinese food), I think it would be great to actually the counter point such as provincial delicacies (opposed to most people assuming Guangzhou cuisine represents all of Chinese cooking), significant figures as taught in Chinese classrooms contrasting with the Western classrooms you have experienced and etc. But then again, "我是傻老外在中国“ Good stuff, looking forward to more :)
"I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life" ...did you?
I agree fully with the last post! All posts are relevant, but the last post speak out the most: Initiative is very important in Western societies. I once went for a work interview that was done in groups, and the interviewer asks questions and expects all of us to answer one by one. Me, being new to the whole Western culture, let everyone else take their turns to answer the question while I remained at the last, 'cause we're suppose to let others talk first since it's only polite right? Turns out that I never got the job, but I'm kinda glad I didn't because it would have interfered with my studies at some point. Moral of the story: Adapting to local cultures wherever you go is really important!
I enjoyed your cartoons and it is good to see what makes us unique. It would be a very dull world if we were all the same.
lol I've been asked a lot about that, but time has changed and it's very rare nowadays. (At least in Beijing)
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It's a nice way to portray some differences.But I'm British but lived in Asia 23 years mostly China HK SG and these differences break down over time. When I've been very openly affectionate, it was a surprise at first but it's now normal and my local family responds in a western way with me and like it.
I felt that I didn't saw enough. I want more. They were very nice.
Gosh, we share a lot of common things (I'm Indonesian)... If I write similar comic about Indonesia, I would have added Me: "Do you know where is Indonesia?" Random foreigner: "Where is that? I have no idea" Me: "You know Bali, right?" Random foreigner: "Absolutely! My friend went there and gorgeous!" Me: "Well, Bali is in Indonesia" *exhale deeply*
This feels like minimal effort was put into it. Or something a white dude would write in the 90's. "Chinese people use chopsticks." "White people think you eat cats." I don't even know where to start with this.
This is so interesting! I find that British people can be in-between the personality of American & Chinese people. I (Brit) found it very easy to interact with Chinese people, we both did not want to offend each other, we both prefer to open gifts in private, and then later thank them privately. I also am happy for other people to speak first than wait my turn.....although perhaps I'm more reserved than the average person. The big differences I found were in relationships, my chinese friend was so unhappy with her bf but did not want to confront the issue, eventually she did and is now in a much happier relationship with someone new, but I think for a long time she was prepared to stick with him. Now she is only 26 but his family are so insistent for them to marry! But I think the opinion of marriage and women marrying later in life is changing slowly in china. I think with British relationships, you will be very quick to point out problems, which I suppose is good but sometimes bad.
That's an interesting comparison you made there! In terms of relationships, it's true that we tend to be indirect in communication and tend to avoid problems instead of confronting it. Personally I find it tiring and confusing sometimes!
Load More Replies... Thank you very much for posting on Bored Panda. I am looking forward to see more ilustrations to compare different cultures :)
Hey It is very much similer here too... I am from India and and can relate completely to almost everything this sweet girl writes... 👧
i found these very entertaining and informative! thank you for sharing these things with us, i will try to keep these differences in mind when dealing with my chinese neighbours. they moved to australia a few months ago and are still adjusting, but i think they are enjoying things here, for the most part. at least, i hope so!
These comics are wonderful! Respectful of each representation, super cute, and offer cultural explanations that may have been unknown to the reader. I'm very impressed and hope to see more of your work in the future!
This was a lot of great information in a format that I found fun to read. Thank you so much for sharing your culture, and personality, with all of us!
Thank you and I'm really glad that you enjoyed it :)
Load More Replies... I am an american teen who has lived in 西安 china for multiple years as well as 香港 and these rrrr sooooo truuu
As a Canadian male with a Chinese girlfriend I find these hilarious, mostly because they are so bang on true.
These are all very interesting observations. But, whenever possible, ut would be better to avoid using the term "western culture", it's so vague and generalizing. Furthermore, from the Chinese geographical perspective, while Europe stays on the west, America would be more like "the eastern world". Sure, you explained in your text about specifications, and you did good, but, please, do not think these thibgs apply to the whole "western world", rather, take it as the "USA culture", "British culture" and "French culture" respectively.
yes,you are right，from the Chinese geographical perspective ，America would be more like 'the eastern world'why we put the europe and USA are the westen world?it's beging from the history of china.before we don't know so much info about the different of the USA,British,and the French ,just like one Europe person can tell the different culture of China,Kroea,Vietam? thanks to the internet ,we become more and more close ,as you say ,more and more china will find the different culture of USA British
Load More Replies... That's interesting to know! like what?
Load More Replies... This was very enlightening. I found it very easy to form friendships with two Chinese co-workers, but I did find myself needing to "bring them out of their shells" as I got to know them. They were such pleasant, smart, interesting people.
I had the chance to live in China for 3 years and I loved all these differences :) 我想念中国啊 !
4 pages???? That is so not enough WE NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I loved every one of them! Thank you for sharing!
for a chinese who live in French for 4 years ,you are really vivid show the puzzle i has met.thanks a lot.it's enlightenting and funny
I really enjoyed this. Interesting, informative, and non judgmental. I gotta confess though, try as I might, I'll never understand soy sauce. Sorry.
Not only in China, but majority of Asian countries too.. I think it's the umami taste in soy sauce that we're fond of. So, we also incorporate it in our cooking or marinating, aside from using it as a dipping sauce. Soy sauce is sometimes an alternative to salt when cooking.
Load More Replies... This is wonderful. It engenders greater understanding between some people with gentle humor. We can use all we can get of that right now.
Great job! I learned a lot about Chinese culture, like how you would open a gift and the eye contact rule. I especially related to the only child post. I'm an American only child, and I always have gotten those questions!
Brilliant. But in the one picture you say sticks for everything and some later that you use spoons, too? ^^ (I always imagined you eat the stuff in your soup with sticks and then drink the rest ^^ it's how I eat instant noodles ^^)
haha yes you found out. We do use spoons for soup as well ;)
Load More Replies... This is brilliant !! I'm living in Canada and trust me I've been through nearly every situation that in your comics ! Loved it!
That was so interesting! I love learning about other cultures, and this was done in an informative, yet cute and funny way.
I find so many similarities between the Chinese and Indian cultures. Eastern and Western perspective.
I'd like to know more about India too
Load More Replies... Thank you. A lot of new insights for me to take in. (I've been 'studying' Japanese culture for some time, but confess to knowing so little about yours.) I left a comment for you in the -receiving gifts- comic.
I am a little frustrated by these comics. I think that some, such as the vinegar and soy sauce comic and the chopsticks are great (though in most of the cities and provinces I have lived in and visited it is vinegar and chilli oil), though others seem to be stuck a little bit in the past. While the comics where you challenge the current Western perception of what is China/Chinese (the major Chinese figures, perception of eating cats and all "Asian" food as Chinese food), I think it would be great to actually the counter point such as provincial delicacies (opposed to most people assuming Guangzhou cuisine represents all of Chinese cooking), significant figures as taught in Chinese classrooms contrasting with the Western classrooms you have experienced and etc. But then again, "我是傻老外在中国“ Good stuff, looking forward to more :)
"I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life" ...did you?
I agree fully with the last post! All posts are relevant, but the last post speak out the most: Initiative is very important in Western societies. I once went for a work interview that was done in groups, and the interviewer asks questions and expects all of us to answer one by one. Me, being new to the whole Western culture, let everyone else take their turns to answer the question while I remained at the last, 'cause we're suppose to let others talk first since it's only polite right? Turns out that I never got the job, but I'm kinda glad I didn't because it would have interfered with my studies at some point. Moral of the story: Adapting to local cultures wherever you go is really important!
I enjoyed your cartoons and it is good to see what makes us unique. It would be a very dull world if we were all the same.
lol I've been asked a lot about that, but time has changed and it's very rare nowadays. (At least in Beijing)
Load More Replies... It's a nice way to portray some differences.But I'm British but lived in Asia 23 years mostly China HK SG and these differences break down over time. When I've been very openly affectionate, it was a surprise at first but it's now normal and my local family responds in a western way with me and like it.
I felt that I didn't saw enough. I want more. They were very nice.
Gosh, we share a lot of common things (I'm Indonesian)... If I write similar comic about Indonesia, I would have added Me: "Do you know where is Indonesia?" Random foreigner: "Where is that? I have no idea" Me: "You know Bali, right?" Random foreigner: "Absolutely! My friend went there and gorgeous!" Me: "Well, Bali is in Indonesia" *exhale deeply*
This feels like minimal effort was put into it. Or something a white dude would write in the 90's. "Chinese people use chopsticks." "White people think you eat cats." I don't even know where to start with this.
