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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

#2

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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earringnut
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#6

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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#7

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

Maybe you have heard that Chinese eat cats. A few horrible people in some obscure places maybe, but the majority, NO!!

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Molly Tallmadge
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have a chinese friend. She loves cats. She owns 5 cats. She has never even harmed one.

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#9

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

In China, people don't say anything after someone sneezes.

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slywlf
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#10

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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slywlf
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LOL - I never had to deal with this at home, but it was always my own response. Once I took a difficult test - got the best score in class, but immediately asked the teacher where I had gone wrong on the 2 out of 100 questions ;-)

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#11

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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?

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Mama Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#12

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Master Markus
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

COME ON! Nobody has thought of Asians = buck teeth for DECADES now. (At least I haven't seen the stereotype since ... god, even Breakfast at Tiffany's didn't have THAT particular bit of racism...) Also, I don't think most people associate those hats with any modern Chinese people who aren't farmers. Basically, this whole situation feels highly unlikely. Down to someone saying "you don't look Chinese enough". Not saying it couldn't happen, there are a lot of idiots, but that's hardly something that the vast majority of people would say.

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Kelly Zhang
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do people in the comment realize they're insulting me and my culture???

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Đọc Sách Thánh
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm Vietnamese. Your imaginary image of Asians is more like a Vietnamese than a Chinese

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bob
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have never met anyone who pictured chinese people this way... The author must be quite sensitive. Or slightly racist.

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Jenn
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

get this all the time 'but you dont look indian..........'

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Kaelyn
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Once again, literally no one says this. Or thinks this.

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Ria R
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5 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I once had someone spend 10 minutes questioning how I could be Irish and Scottish without being a redhead. The struggle is real.

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Revanchist 47
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is all I can think of now: The China Probrem | South Park Archives | FANDOM powered by…

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Tsavong
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry, copied the wrong thing. http://southpark.wikia.com/wiki/The_China_Probrem

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Jim Stowe
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've always wondered what the Chinese call their good dinnerware.

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Amy Burdewik
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

sniff sniff... do I smell an asiaboo? *looks directly at the dude*

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Marianne Ní Chlúmháin
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is really dumb. I am insulted by all of the above, on your behalf tinyeyes.

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Jérôme Carnoto
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe he was pointing out the fact that chinese do eye surgery to look less asian

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李美琪
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Even a Chinese baby have eyes bigger than yours. So illiterate you are that you call racism a fact.

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Hayley Lightcap
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dude, I'm a white American and I don't understand what he meant by that.

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yaresepuca
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6 years ago

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#13

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.)

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#14

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Mama Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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!

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#15

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

We also have spoons, people!

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Vlad Horobet
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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?

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#16

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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?

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#17

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Anna Herrington
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#18

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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#19

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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#20

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Bonnie Russell
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#21

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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earringnut
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

actually living with parents is becoming more and more normal in the states for much the same reasons.

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#22

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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#23

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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moli.2
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Dva krát meraj a raz rež (Measure twice before you cut) is a Slovak saying.

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#24

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Bunny goddess
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#25

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Kerri Russ
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Mama Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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Daria B
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, you know what they say... Men and women speak separate languages anyway, so it doesn't really matter. ^_-

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#28

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Tess
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this is a good mentality - I lived in Montreal for a bit and got excluded a lot because I didn't smoke. People their also always blew smoke in your face because they didn't see it as a bad thing. So odd!

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#29

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Maria Ofar
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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?"

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#30

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

"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?

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DarkLumiya
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#31

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Pamula Furness
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We still give books as gifts in my (English), house, I'm very proud to say......................

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#32

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Maria Ofar
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my full name often wouldn't fit in the allocated space :'( and i'm australian

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#33

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Mama Panda
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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

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#34

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

You don't want to drive in big cities like Beijing.

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#35

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Beth
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Every culture does this. That's why there are whole enclaves of Kiwis and Australians in London!

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#36

I Made These Comics To Compare Chinese Culture With Western Culture Through Everyday Life

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.

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Kerri Russ
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how the Chinese student has his materials all lined up and neat while the other desks are less organized, shall we say.

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