A smile, a hand shake, a Y, a “hello” or xin chào or sawadee ka.... A “thank you” or cảm ơn or kop khun ka… All of these little gestures can mean big things as you move through your day to day life with people. "Oh, but I don’t know their language or their culture!" Well, that maybe true AND I would encourage you, do what you can do to show you notice them and care for them as a person. It has been amazing to me how through the barrier of language and culture, love can still get communicated and felt. Love is an amazing force in human life. And it is the little things that can communicate that love to others. Acts of kindness are amazing things!! Another little thing that can produce bigger results than you suspect is PICTURES. I have found that keeping my words simple and using pictures bridges gaps of communication. There is the saying “A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS”. YES!!! This is so true!! When I entered into expat living in Asia, I would chuckle at the LINE app we used with friends for communication. There were so many stickers! And many of our Thai friends used the stickers to communicate feelings, expressions, & actions across the language barrier. I found it funny communicating this way and yet helpful and convenient. THEN I got introduced to the emojis and stickers on FB!! Wow! Where have I been?? In my 50 plus year old American culture thinking…that’s where. I now find it FuN and helpful to use stickers, emojis, and pictures in communicating…even to my English-speaking friends! Part of my life is creating and presenting power point presentations of various types to groups of people. Again, I find pictures communicate volumes to people by capturing their attention, sparking their curiosity, and clarifying points being made. For fun take a look at the pictures below and think…(CLICK READ MORE) 1. "What do these pictures communicate to me? And then ask yourself… 2. "What Little Things can I do to increase connection with people in my life?? THEN.... 3. "What stories can I create with each picture?" Do this with a friend or 2 and make it a game! "The best story wins!" hahaha! Have Fun! Be Creative! And Enjoy connecting with others!
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Have you ever had one of those surprising and quite sour experiences like tasting a lemon? Probably YES! I think everyone of us have had those wide-eyed moments that leave us wondering "how did this happen?!" These are often defining moments for us in our lives. Turning points and opportunities for change and adjustments. Being an expat and living most of the year in another nation other than my mother or home nation has afforded me some special Lemon Moments. It is always interesting how I can think I have communicated so clearly and completely only to find that I haven't. Even such a small thing as saying "haven't" vs "have not" can make a huge difference in another country where English is a 2nd language. The little nuances of English such as the hyphenated words of do not (don't), have not (haven't), is not (isn't), can make communication challenging until you learn to say "do not" versus "don't". Some of these communication hiccups can be avoided through good planning, and some will just happen because we speak and think in another language and cultural perspective. And these moments can definitely be Lemon Moments! When I think of lemons, I then think of lemonade. Wow what a different thought and taste! Lemonade is that cool refreshing sweet-tart drink of summer. That right mixture of the sweet and tart is often enjoyed by many. So just by adding some sugar to the lemon, it can turn from sour and yucky to sweet and yummy!! Is there a life lesson in this? I think so! When life gives us lemons...make lemonade. So how does this really happen in the practical side of life? Well....let me tell a story from my life to see what we can learn.... (click READ MORE) |
AuthorCindy writes about her adventures, observations, and other nuggets from living in another nation. She and John live in SE Asia. She will also share nuggets from her 58 plus years of life. Categories
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