Chinese – With more than 30% of the world’s population in China, Chinese is on the top of the list. It has several dialects and is spoken as a first language by some 835 million people. An additional 100 million speak it as a second language. Spanish – The Spanish colonized much of the world leading to many Spanish speaking Continue reading
Hanukah, the festival of lights, is celebrated by Jewish people all over the world for eight days in December. Historically, the festival recalls the war for religious freedom when the King of Syria conquered Judea and stole the sacred menorah from the Temple. It marks the event when one night’s worth of oil lit candles for eight days. Today, families light Continue reading
Shabe-Yalda, is celebrated in Iran during the winter solstice to mark the birth and rebirth of the sun. Having originated in Zoroastrianism, the state religion which preceded Islam, it is still celebrated in Iran today. People typically gather to tell stories and read poetry all night, while eating watermelons, pomegranates, and dried fruits and nuts.
As many as half the words in English are derived from Latin, including many words that are of Greek origin and were adopted by the Romans. In addition to Greek, there are numerous French, Spanish, and Italian words of Latin origin that have entered the English language over time. Some examples of Latin words still used today are: bonus: good Continue reading
Studies have shown that money can make you happier because it allows you to meet your basic needs . . . up to a certain point. Beyond that, using money to buy things just doesn’t lead to long-term happiness. A major study showed that spending money for an experience – such as a dream vacation to visit another country, rather Continue reading
Kadazan is the harvest festival of Malaysia which is celebrated every year in May. In Malaysia, there is a traditional belief that without rice there is no life. Rice is a major component of the country’s agricultural base and an important part of the diet. As a result the Rice God is greatly revered and is favored among the gods. Continue reading
This excerpt comes from an article by Carolyn Y. Johnson on boston.com: Mining the complete text of 4 percent of the world’s books, Harvard University and Google researchers used a powerful new tool unveiled yesterday to glean surprising insights into language, culture, and history. Books already tell stories, but when their words are combined and analyzed with computational tools, they Continue reading
Kari Heistad, CEO of Culture Coach International (CCI), writes, “Patience is an art – a willingness to pause and wait without becoming annoyed. Within a multicultural or diverse group, patience is often called upon as we negotiate different cultures, social norms, expectations and assumptions. When working across cultures, consider the following tips for cultivating better patience: • Ask yourself what Continue reading
Freign words that become part of our language: Malay & Tagalog Words ketchup:from kicap, meaning “fish sauce” launch:a type of boat orangutan:from orang, meaning “man” and hutan, “wilderness, jungle” Tagalog (northern Philippines) boondocks:from bundok, meaning “mountain.” During the U.S. occupation of the Philippines, the word was adopted by American soldiers, who used it to refer to any far-off or wild Continue reading
Kari Heistad, CEO of Culture Coach International (CCI), writes, “A dentist reminds you to brush your teeth every day, not just for an hour at the end of the month. Brushing your teeth once a month would not have the same beneficial impact. Making an impact with diversity uses the same concept. Progress can be made with large actions, but Continue reading
