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Delta Safari International

“Let’s Know Each Other to Better Know Ourselves!”

Thanks a lot

Have a great Easter weekend

Amadou M. Sall

Do you have an international sales negotiation coming up? Are you nervous about how it will go?

Most people don’t give much thought to the actual cross cultural communication process prior to their first real cross cultural negotiation. They get obsessed with secondary details.

Cross Cultural Negotiation Skills

Imagine you are in a long line of people waiting for a taxi at the busy Paris airport. With people swarming everywhere. The noise of the street traffic competing with the noise from the airplanes in the background.

And then you hear such a large commotion, right up at the front of your taxi line. You think it is yet another bomb scare and crane your neck to get a closer look with your bags in your hands ready to move. But out of the confusion you hear laughter.

What happened?

It was only someone who began to try bargaining the price of his ride before he got inside the taxi…with a Parisian taxi driver. The tension breaks as a ripple of laughter mixed with annoyance runs down the taxi line.

It is an old story. But it does highlight cultural differences in negotiation very well.

Different Cultures Have Different Negotiation Practices

Negotiation practices differ from country to country. Some cultures expect clients to negotiate over things that would be totally unacceptable in other countries. Some cultures get upset or angry by things that are totally acceptable in other cultures.

Different cultures simply have different approaches when it comes to negotiation.
This can be intimidating when you travel to a new country to negotiate for business.
And even more so if it is your first time.

It is important to know what is culturally expected of you when it comes to negotiation.

If you are just starting out in developing your international markets, it is wise to do some homework and identify the standard expected negotiating habits in the country you are travelling to.

No matter how much research you do prior to your first cross cultural negotiation communication road blocks can easily come up. This is even more likely if your negotiation is taking place in a foreign environment to what you are used to.

So it is even more important to develop skills to ride through communication hurdles.

A Beginners Guideline

Prior to your first cross cultural negotiation give some thought on how you will keep on track.

Here is a guideline to help beginners.

If you find yourself on your own in a country where negotiation practices are different to your own, there is a strategy to follow.

Prior To Your Negotiations

Do your research on what will be expected of you. Define your schedule, and what you are expected to wear and bring. If you are a woman, be sure to verify standard practices beforehand.

Are there any standard culturally specific negotiating practices? Remember to ask for advice prior to cross-cultural negotiations.

If you feel you will be in a different environment than you are used to you have two options to consider:

Hire local representation. Some large multi-national companies hire local company representatives to facilitate all business procedures in certain countries in the Middle East and the Far East.

Arrange for a local third party to accompany you. Look for someone who can tell you if you are making any cultural blunders. This will give you a certain peace of mind.

Prior research helps, but even so, it is not always easy. You will also need to keep your own behavior and attitudes turned towards your negotiation.

This is where the following 8 points are important.

Best Practices During Your First Cross Cultural Negotiation

Ask and find out what is expected of you.

Explain that you are looking forward to the business opportunities open to both of you.

Explain that this is your first trip and you have not done business in their country before.

State your good will and that you do not mean to do anything awkward.

Ask to be told or shown what to do.

Apologize if you do or say something that seems to be out of place.

Continue to show your desire to proceed in the negotiations.

Continue to say that your look forward to doing business with them and learning more about their culture.

Keep this guideline in mind during your negotiations.

Remain constantly aware of your environment so you can implement any of these points if needed.

Use each point appropriately when needed.

Do not go overboard. Overly stating your enthusiasm or apologizing incessantly can be destructive to your negotiations in some cultures.

Use this guideline as a gentle reminder to stay tuned to where the other party is at. If you feel in any way that you need to refer to one of the points above, do so, and continue your negotiation.

Cross cultural communication is a process where you adjust your communication a little and learn to meet another culture in the area where you both feel comfortable. It is about knowing when to ask discretely for feedback to make sure you are all on the same path. (Read the Whole Story)

Very best wishes for the New Year 2011, and beyond

Amadou M. Sall

In response to public outrage surrounding the Transportation Security Administration’s recent changes to airport security procedures, TSA administrator John Pistole stated: “We all wish we lived in a world where security procedures at airports weren’t necessary but that just isn’t the case.”

Yes, Mr. Pistole, we can all agree with that, but what many people – including me – don’t agree with is the way in which the TSA is allegedly attempting to increase airport security. How things stand right now, air passengers are faced with the option of going through a body scanner which produces virtually naked images, submitting to an invasive pat down, or leaving the airport under threat of an $11,000 fine.

As these new, stricter, procedures were rolled out in airports across the US during the last few weeks, the internet buzzed with horrific stories of women being forced to remove prosthetic breasts, a bladder cancer survivor being covered in urine after a TSA pat down, and a young boy having his shirt removed during a secondary screening.

Americans are questioning whether this invasion of privacy and personal rights – having to choose between getting a nude image of yourself produced or basically being groped in public – is worth it.

Not only are the TSA security procedures not worth the hassle, but they are simply just not effective at doing what they are supposed to do, which is find and prevent terrorist attacks. Here are 10 reasons why:

1. Only a percentage of air travelers go through the TSA’s enhanced security measures

Currently 68 US airports have the new imaging technology machines in use, yet there are over 5,000 public-use airports in the country. At many international airports like San Francisco International, only one full body scanner is located at each major entrance to the departure gates.

It’s easy for passengers to see which queue will end up going through the scanner rather than the metal detectors, and unless you’re pulled out of one line and asked to go through another, you can basically choose if you’ll go through the scanner or not. In one incident, several people opted out of the body scanners and were just sent through metal detectors instead.

If a passenger had something to hide, he or she could walk through the line for the metal detector instead of the scanner. Alternatively, a passenger with ill intent could simply board an aircraft at an airport or terminal that does not utilize the scanners.

2. Airports can legally opt out of TSA services and hire private security instead

In addition, airports are under no obligation to utilize TSA services; they can hire private security companies instead. This means that some airline passengers will be screened by TSA agents, while others will not be.

Once a passenger boards a domestic flight, he usually does not have to go through security again even if he catches a connecting flight in another city. If airports administrators exercise their right to hire private security, people flying out of those airports will then be transferred to other airports, and passengers on a single plane may have been subject to vastly different security measures.

TSA security procedures are based on submitting ‘everyone’ to enhanced security checks, but in reality, only a small, random minority of travelers are subjected to these checks, which will be even less logical should some airports start utilizing non-TSA security services.

3. Real threats are detected by intelligence, not by screening

As Marijn Ornstein, security boss at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport has recently stated:

If you look at all the recent terrorist incidents, the bombs were detected because of human intelligence not because of screening … If even a fraction of what is spent on screening was invested in the intelligence services we would take a real step toward making air travel safer and more pleasant.

4. TSA procedures focus on finding objects, and they tend to be one step behind the terrorists

What TSA does is often based on a response to the previous threat. A bomb is found in someone’s shoes, and hence all passengers must now remove their shoes for screening. Liquid explosives are found, and so now we must all meticulously organize our 100 ml bottles of shampoo in zip-lock baggies. The ‘underwear bomber’ spurred on the latest phase of body scanners and genital area pat downs.

Bruce Schneier, long-time critic of the TSA, argues that “the whole system is designed to catch stupid terrorists” and goes on to describe how a smart terrorist could easily make his own knife in an airplane bathroom.

5. TSA protocol leaves passengers more vulnerable

Discarding all liquids (supposedly because they could be explosive), and then keeping them stored in a trash bin right there where hundreds of people are wrapped around the line makes little, if any, logical sense. If the TSA really believes that some of these liquids could be explosive, wouldn’t it make more sense to move them out of that crowded area of people?

Personally, I felt more comfortable with the security procedures in Lahore, Pakistan, where you aren’t even allowed to drive up near the airport without showing your airline tickets. When you approach the airport parking lot, you’re confronted with huge cement barriers, guards armed with AK-47s and an automatic assault weapon aimed directly at your vehicle.

The guards question you, may ask you to show ID, and if they have any reason to be suspicious they’ll question you right there, far away from the airport and any crowds.

6. Increased wait times at security checkpoints create greater risk

In addition, TSA security checks tend to be time consuming (particularly with the pat down option) and result in long lines at completely unsecured security checkpoints. If someone wanted to wreak havoc at an airport, all he would have to do is approach a security gate and detonate a bomb right there. It seems crazy that this “last line of defense” is so far inside the airport and is an area where passengers become bottlenecked.

The US should learn from the example of Israel, where getting passengers through different layers of security happens quickly and with much less hassle.

7. The new imaging machines do not detect all explosives

Former chief security officer of the Israel Airport Authority, Rafi Sela, has expressed doubt about the capabilities of these machines:

“I don’t know why everybody is running to buy these expensive and useless machines. I can overcome the body scanners with enough explosives to bring down a Boeing 747,” Rafi Sela told parliamentarians probing the state of aviation safety in Canada.

“That’s why we haven’t put them in our airport,” Sela said, referring to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, which has some of the toughest security in the world.

8. Money spent on current TSA staff and procedures is a waste of resources and is making private companies rich off of fear-mongering

The TSA payroll includes over 67,000 employees and continues to grow. At the same time, although the TSA is a federal government organization, many privately-held, for-profit companies are making significant profits due to these security increases. Each full-body scanner costs up to $170,000, and the TSA expects to have at least 500 total machines in place by the end of 2010 – currently there are 385 in use.

This money would be much better spent on having a smaller, more highly trained staff and focusing more on intelligence gathering and less on screening.

9. TSA security procedures could ultimately lead to more driving deaths

According to economics professor Steve Horowitz, “Driving is much more dangerous than flying, as you are far more likely to be killed in an automobile accident mile-for-mile than you are in an airplane,” said Horowitz. “The result will be that the new TSA procedures will kill more Americans on the highway,” provided Americans choose to avoid flying in light of the procedures.

This scenario could ultimately pan out, as according to the National Safety Council, the average American has a 1 in 85 chance of dying in a car accident during his or her entire lifetime, while the odds of dying in an air or space travel related accident are 1 in 5,862.

10. Passengers are more likely to contract cancer from full-body scanners than to be killed by a terrorist attack

While the government claims the effects of radiation from the body scanners’ technology is negligible, many prominent scientists and physicians have disagreed. A group of faculty from the University of California at San Francisco put together a report that ultimately states:

There has not been sufficient review of the intermediate and long-term effects of radiation exposure associated with airport scanners. There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations.

Bruce Schneier even goes so far as to say that the machines could end up being statistically more dangerous than terrorists, as estimates are that out of every 1 billion passengers who go through the scanners 16 people may contract cancer; “Given that there will be 600 million airplane passengers per year, that makes the machines deadlier than the terrorists.” (Read the Whole Story)

Have a great weekend!

Amadou M. Sall

A few weeks ago I pointed out how to ready your website for international business — everything from translating your website text, to search engine optimization in other languages. That article sparked thoughtful discussion. So this week I thought I’d expand the discussion beyond your Web presence, and focus on how to prepare your business as a whole to go global.

Depending on the industry you are in, and where you intend to seek business, here are 5 considerations before you take that big leap:

1) Don’t assume you have to be big to go global – A few years back the Council on Competitiveness coined the term “micro-multinational” to describe startups that go global from day one (or nearly day one). In fact, we’ve published an entire series on micro-multinational companies. So rather than following the old-fashioned path to global growth, which meant expanding regionally, then nationally before finally going international years later — today you can leapfrog over those steps. It’s largely thanks to inexpensive technology and services designed to help small businesses operate across borders with the same efficiencies as large businesses.

2) Research the legal, HR and tax environment in any countries where you will have a physical presence, before you leap — If you need or plan to have a presence in or ongoing sales to another country — such as local employees, local warehouses or exports of goods to that country — be sure to investigate all legal, HR and tax implications. They can add considerable cost to doing business, not to mention getting your business into hot water if you don’t comply with local laws and regulations. That’s a distraction you don’t need!

Previously, I interviewed Larry Harding of High Street Partners, a company that helps small businesses navigate the compliance issues of doing business internationally:

According to CEO Larry Harding, a handful of issues come up repeatedly when companies desire to expand overseas. “It’s easy to do the things that are readily apparent, but below the surface there are so many more things to look out for. It behooves companies that are in the planning stages of international expansion, to factor in the costs of compliance.” He pointed to these two typical pitfalls as examples:

* Employment Regulations and Practices – These are very different overseas. A typical pitfall might involve a company sending its U.S. offer letter to a prospective employee in the European Union, without realizing that they really need a full-blown employment contract that complies with local regulations. The ramification is that it immediately tilts the balance of power greatly to the employee, at the expense of the company, and makes termination difficult.
* Shipping and Importation – Many U.S. companies don’t have a good handle on shipping product overseas. There are a complex set of rules about importation and logistical issues. A typical pitfall is that something arrives on the dock and a duty must be paid. The company shipping ends up paying and it can be sizable — sometimes 17% — eating up the profits.

3) Invest in technology from the get-go – The right technology, especially cloud based software, can position your business to scale without adding incremental cost or a large staff base. Web-based software services, email, social media and inexpensive telecommunications bring the world to your fingertips, helping bridge wide distances. And just as importantly, technology can make the job of gathering market intelligence and marketing your business internationally, much easier.

Laurel Delaney, CEO of GlobeTrade.com, noted the importance of social media and the Web in a recent article about small businesses considering international expansion. Laurel wrote:

How else will cross-border customers find you? If you are still thinking about whether your business should launch a blog or be on Twitter, forget the notion of taking your business global. You are too myopic! You need to position yourself on relevant networks and beef up your communication efforts. So for all you aspiring global enthusiasts, pony up the nominal fee to set up a regular website, start a blog, and get on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Use effective marketing to get noticed. The more online platforms you use, the better your chances of being discovered. When a customer bites, test out your price, see what reaction you get and then negotiate from there.

If you offer products on an e-commerce platform, can customers buy … at every destination point? Make sure you focus on customer support, fulfillment and being user friendly. Accessibility is paramount considering all the different time zones we operate in. Make it easy for customers to get help should they need it. Your site should be attractive and functional. Speed is also important when considering users in remote parts of the world with dial-up connections. Do what you can to help them buy from you without a hassle.

4 ) If you plan to export physical goods, get exporting help – There are many considerations tied up in the decision to export. You have to understand your market in the country you are targeting. You have to understand exporting laws and regulations, both here in the United States and in the target country. Sometimes licenses are required. The U.S. Federal government has done a good job on a website to provide you answers to these and many more questions. On Export.gov you can: take advantage of international market research; learn about trade missions and trade events; begin your investigation into export licensing requirements; and even get personalized answers to your exporting questions via email and phone.

5) Figure out how you’re going to get paid – Doing business internationally used to rely heavily on letters of credit. Letters of credit are still widely used. But luckily today there are easier and faster options, especially for smaller-ticket transactions. PayPal and American Express’s FX International are two of the most popular options for international payments. Moneybookers.com, Xoom.com and even Western Union are lesser-used alternatives, but still may fit in situations where PayPal or FX International are not available, or as an alternative. For instance, while PayPal covers many countries, your buyer may not have access to PayPal in the country you are selling into, but one of the other alternatives may fit the bill. Decide up front your desired method(s) of payment, and know the ins and outs so that you aren’t rudely (or expensively) surprised.

These are but a handful of the issues to consider when going global. For additional insights, read: (Read the Whole Story)

What is your experience of going global? Please share with us!

Amadou M. Sall

Summary: John Astor offers five simple steps for those who work abroad. From reacting carefully to speaking clearly, his five steps can help you avoid costly mistakes.

As the world shrinks and we work closer and closer together, accepting and understanding each other becomes more essential every day. It also becomes more perilous for business people to make costly mistakes that can ruin a relationship and can be avoided.

For organizations, large and small, having the ability to grow geographically is a brave new world that can bring many benefits if they can transcend cultural differences. We don’t need a cultural anthropologist or even a psychiatrist. But what we do need is a universal method for interacting free of bias and prejudice and inclusive of grown differences.

By considering basic behavior, we can observe distinctions in each culture. But are there some common traits that we can use with everyone? Absolutely!

First consider what some CEO’s say about making agreements abroad. Ralph Tashjian, CEO of SMC Records in San Francisco says, ‘When I go to Europe to develop contacts and make deals, I am very restrained with my normal personality style. I react carefully and with great care to show respect. I also speak very clearly and precisely so I’m not to be misunderstood’.

I couldn’t have said it better. Examining Mr. Tashjian’s articulate observations, there are five essential points that everyone working in an international setting can benefit from.

1. Be cautious with behavior. You have developed your behaviors in a certain region with people. Many mannerisms and gestures will not be understood. Watch others carefully and try to adapt for better communication. Don’t speak in idioms and colloquial terms. Be sure to communicate in ways that will be understood.
2. React carefully. Your spontaneous reactions are usually conditional responses that are based on your place of origin.  You will be much better off pausing before reacting when you feel one of your buttons being pushed. Many times the impulse to react is misjudged when seen in retrospect.
3. Show respect. We respect others when reach for understanding and listen very attentively. Try to grasp the meaning behind their words and body language. If. you don’t understand, ask politely and without being patronizing.
4. Speak clearly. Remember your best teachers. Speak in a way that transmits the message without extensive use of tangent conversations, and above all keep your objectives in mind.
5. Be understood. Take the time to ask if you’re getting your point across. If not be prepared to phrase your words differently. Be able to break your message down to simple words, if necessary.

(Read the Whole Story)

What do you say?

Amadou M. Sall

Many global companies, like Coca-Cola, Nike, Google, Intel and Microsoft, choose to use the same brand name in multiple countries.

This is not possible for every brand, but it can often be an advantage. Think of the degree to which a single brand name simplifies marketing and increases return on advertising investment. By comparison, how much more would one of these companies need to spend to achieve the same results with a different localized brand name in every market?

Proctor and Gamble likely understood the benefits of a single global brand nearly 70 years ago when it considered launching a new soap named “Dreck” in the United States. According to the book New Products Management by Charles Crawford, shortly before the company introduced the soap to U.S. consumers, it discovered “Dreck” sounded like German and Yiddish words for dirt, garbage, body waste and a four-letter expletive that can not be published here. Fortunately, because Proctor and Gamble did its homework, it had time to change the detergent name to “Dreft” and has since sold it successfully in the U.S. and many other countries.

Some products may never have the chance to go completely global because companies have already been branded with names that have embarrassing meanings abroad. For example, an Iranian company named Paxan Corp. currently produces a line of soaps and detergents under the name “Barf.” This word has a positive and clean meaning of “snow” in Iran, but what English speaker would ever choose to use a cleaning product with this brand? Likewise, if the Japanese sports drink “Pocari Sweat” were exported to the United States, how many English speakers would choose to drink “Sweat”?

In Japan, automakers have marketed the Nissan Moco and the Mazda Laputa. Unfortunately, these product brand names would never export well to Spanish-speaking countries where “moco” means booger and “laputa” sounds like a slang word for prostitute. (Read the Whole Story)

Tell us about your experience!

Amadou M. Sall

One of the challenges of small businesses going global is the complexity of dealing with language and local requirements. However, if you do your homework, you can sell your products and services outside the U.S. even if your sales and marketing budget is small. One of the most cost effective ways to sell across borders is to use your website, either for eCommerce, or as an informational and lead generation site. Here are 4 key ways to ready your website for international business:

(1) Internationalize your website content

Buyers are much more likely to buy if a website is in their own language.  For the small business, providing website content in other languages can be a particular challenge because it’s costly to translate text into multiple languages.  One way to keep costs in control is to translate text or provide country-specific sites only for the country or countries where you sell the most.  Organizations like Lisa.org and Gala Global provide resources to help businesses localize their products and websites, including links to translation services.  Don’t forget Spanish speakers in the U.S. — more and more businesses are providing Spanish translation specifically for this market within our own borders.

And remember, too, that it’s more than just text to consider.  Take into account cultural differences, which may call for different graphics.  Consider voiceover translations or subtitles for business videos.

Finally, if you’re not able to afford translating your entire website into other languages, there are some other techniques to consider.  For instance, translate a single landing page in your site into key languages.  Or, consider writing the text of your site in Simplified English.  Simplified English is a standardized way of writing that reduces ambiguity. It makes English website copy easier for non-native English speakers to understand.

Simplified English also makes machine translations more accurate.  Thus, you could add links to your website to the Google translation tool to provide a rough translation in seconds.  Insert small clickable flag images to enable visitors to launch the translation tool in their language.  A machine translation is no substitute for a fluent human translation, but it is an alternative for startups on very low budgets.  (We previously used a Google translator plugin for WordPress here at Small Business Trends.)

(2) Calculate buyer’s costs and estimate shipping

Shipping internationally can take longer and cost more than domestic shipping.  On top of that, you have differences in currencies.  An even bigger challenge is figuring the “landed cost” of your product to the buyer.  Landed cost refers to the entire cost of a product when it arrives in the buyer’s country.   This is the cost including payment of tariffs and duties (taxes and fees) in the buyer’s country.  (This Export.gov video has a good explanation of landed costs.)  These taxes and fees vary by country, and can be quite complex.

Luckily today there are shipping management software packages that do the heavy lifting.  The software will automatically figure the costs and delivery times for overseas orders, giving a close estimate.  It also converts the currency for the buyer.   Large shipping carriers (such as UPS) provide this software, as do some other companies — this article in Internet Retailer gives more information.  By integrating this software into your website, you provide a seamless experience for the customer.

(3) Optimize your site and search marketing for international Web visitors

As cross-border selling grows, we’re seeing a growing specialty among search marketers:  optimizing websites for visitors from specific countries, and employing techniques to attract international visitors through search engines and search ads.  This can involve using country specific domain names, localizing spelling variations (“customized” versus “customised”),  using keywords in other languages, and geo-targeting Google AdWords to specific countries — to name a few techniques.  Spanish SEO is an example of this breed of search marketing firm.  Spanish SEO caters  to businesses in the U.S. that wish to reach Latinos and Hispanics online.

(4) Comply with government export regulations

For most goods and services, you do not need government approval to sell across international borders. However, there are notable exceptions.  For example, certain “defense” or “military” goods have restrictions on what can be sold and/or where it can be shipped outside the United States.  An export license may be required for them.  Agricultural, plant and food items are another category of goods that may have restrictions or special labeling requirements.  Start with the Business.gov Guide to Exporting/Importing Specific Products to identify  any requirements that apply to what you sell.

Address such restrictions on your website.  For instance, if you offer eCommerce or online sales, you’ll need to program your catalog and shopping cart to restrict sales of any item requiring an export license, or accept orders only in certain countries.  Even if you don’t sell directly online and your website is primarily informational, not transactional, consider posting a notice of any special exporting requirements or geographic restrictions on your site.

Another document worth reviewing is the OECD Guidelines for consumer protection (PDF download), applicable to 28 countries including the United States.  These Guidelines contain a handy checklist of best practices to self-assess  whether your business and website are consumer-friendly for international e-commerce. The Guidelines are fairly general, but contain good practices to follow even for domestic sales and domestic Web visitors. (Read the Whole Story)

Your comments?

Amadou M. Sall

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Jakarta

Did you receive any cross-cultural training for your move abroad? If yes, was it before or after the move?

The (British) company my husband works for had an Indonesian lady come & tell us about faux-pas other expats had made & what was taboo in Indonesia. About 3 weeks before our move (from Texas) they decided to send someone to teach us basic Indonesian, not a good move as 3 weeks before moving across the globe you’re not in the right mind set to listen or learn. Besides the teacher thought it would be a good idea to teach my husband pick up lines instead of office language. After the move my husband, got costly lessons but HR were merky to whether I was entitled & I didn’t get any lessons despite being the linguist (I already speak 3 other languages), my husband is a tongue-tied scientist.

If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language? If yes, did you learn the language before you moved or while abroad? If no, are you planning to learn the language?

I can understand most of what the locals say, but I do not speak with confidence. What I know I learned here.

Were you worried or concerned about culture shock before you moved abroad? Not really, since I have traveled within Asia for work prior to marriage as a translator/interpreter. Jakarta is a very cosmopolitan city & most things are written in English & Phoenician Alphabet is used everywhere so reading is easy for westerners. I also did a lot of “homework” prior to moving to Indonesia…I read “Culture Shock Jakarta” amongst many other publications & the web.

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

Hardly. So many people speak English & many western commodities are easily found here (unless the government is having one of it’s temporary crackdowns or buy Indonesian Only phases).

The biggest culture shock for me has been the noise level. For some of the quietest spoken people, the Indonesians can be the noisiest when they get a loudspeaker or microphone in hand…& it can be daunting coming from all directions.

Expats often talk about going through the “stages of culture shock.” Examples include the honeymoon phase, the irritation-to-anger stage, the rejection of the culture stage, and the cultural adjustment phase. Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

There is a flip-side to living another culture & therefore, if you’re not accepting of diversity you will be very unhappy. Of course, it is really annoying when someone takes your order at a restaurant, repeats it more than once & then brings you the wrong meal.

On the whole I’m happy & can laugh but it’s only human to get more than slightly irritated at some people’s lack of initiative. That said, nobody is EVER rude to you, unlike in the west.

I’ve lived in Jakarta for 3 years, some expats (the ones who see themselves as superior) can’t hack it for much longer & become angry & ugly expats. I’m still enjoying it & hope to return one day.

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock? These might include things such as anger, depression, anxiety, increased eating or drinking, frustration, homesickness, etc.

I have always considered myself privileged to be European, not just because I’m born to a truly democratic country, but one where the standard of living has been high.

I cannot be angry at a country or it’s people for not being like me or not always understanding me. Why should they? After all, I am their guest & it’s up to me to make the most of what they have to offer, not complain. To those people who do not like Indonesia & moan about it all the time, I say GO HOME!!

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

No matter how bad things are for the Indonesians, they always manage a smile. They are friendly & kind. Indonesia is wealthy in art & culture & history.

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

You cannot get angry & shout at someone in Indonesia, they will close down totally. To “lose face” is the worst thing for an Indonesian, therefore they won’t own up to not knowing something & shouting at them makes it worse. (Read the Whole Story)

Fascinating, but what is your own experience of living and/or working abroad?

A. M. Sall

Yesterday, President Obama gave his second annual back-to-school address.  In a speech to students at Julia R. Masterman School in Philadelphia, he urged them to take responsibility, work hard and dream big.

The words that really stood out to me, however, came at the end of his remarks when he said, “I want you to take away the notion that life is precious, and part of what makes it so wonderful is its diversity, that all of us are different.” I couldn’t agree more.

Unfortunately, the current system too often limits our students’ exposure to other cultures and languages. If we’re to fully embrace life’s wonderful diversity, this must change.

About a year ago, the President set a goal for our country to reclaim the highest college graduation rate in the world. It’s a worthy goal and one I strongly support, but it’s not enough. We don’t just need college graduates. We need college graduates ready to compete on the world’s stage.

Years ago, my mother immigrated to America at the age of 19, right before our country prohibited travel to China. For the next 25 years, she had virtually no contact with her family. But what isolated her even more was her inability to use English. Until she went to an adult education program to learn her second language, she never fully integrated into American society.

Today, the lack of a second language doesn’t just isolate people. It makes them less competitive. There’s a Spanish proverb that says, “The person who speaks two languages is worth two.” And that’s why neglecting foreign language instruction prevents students from realizing their full worth.

Lacking international knowledge and experience, many of today’s young Americans aren’t prepared for the increasingly global economy of tomorrow. This shortcoming limits our ability to address future international challenges. It restrains our relationships with other nations and could someday threaten our national security.

Moreover, studies show that learning a second language improves cognitive flexibility. Because dual language learners naturally consider multiple meanings for words, they’re better able to manage complex situations. And that’s a skill our next generation of supervisors and executives can all use.

That’s why legislation that creates a multilingual society is so important. These programs don’t just promote a second language; they advance the American workforce. Unfortunately, current instruction in our country lags behind our global competitors’. In Asia and Europe, the question is not whether you speak another language – it’s how many. (Read the Whole Story)

Fascinating story, and so true. Regarding international business, it is a well-known fact that (in foreign countries) “even those who can speak English always prefer to be sold in their own languages”. Your experience and opinion?

A.M. Sall