The cultural differences which would impact the learning of Mandarin Course and Mandarin Classes (Part 1)

As I discussed about the different number unit between English and Chinese, I would like to talk more about the cultural difference between China and other countries today.

First of all, let me share with you a real case happened on one of my female friends. She is a Taiwanese and she studied abroad in Canada several years ago, where she met a charming Canadian guy then they fell in love. That was a wonder period when they stuck together in Canada; however, she missed her family so much that she came back to Taiwan right after she had graduated from University. Her thoughtful boyfriend could understand her feeling and decided to accompany her to Taiwan. Nevertheless, they broke up finally, why? How could such a sweet couple away from each other? The problem was misunderstandings leaded by cultural difference.

Once her boyfriend arrived Taiwan, just like most American or European, he attempted to visit her family includes her siblings and of course her parents. But in Chinese culture, unless we live alone, we would rarely invite our friends to our home when we live with other family members especially some elders in order not to disturb them. He could not understand this, so he conjectured that she might has not loved him anymore. They argued seriously for that. Eventually, she compromised with him and brought him home. Unfortunately, this is just a beginning of another misunderstanding.

On that BIG day, he waked up early and went to a famous flower market to pick up a bunch of beautiful flowers as a great gift he thought. But her mother was not so happy when she received it, you know why? Because in most of cases, we only take flowers to see a patient in the hospital or a dead man in the graveyard if the relation between the sender and receiver is not lover. Therefore, her mother was definitely unhappy because she was healthy and alive. She saw the “gift” as a “curse” which might cause her ill or even dead.

There are many other true stories about the difference between Chinese culture and others, some of them are comedy while some are tragedy. Please allow me to share with you later.