Flying into Singapore I feel like I have reached an oasis. It is a haven created by Lee Kuan Yew for those who are suffering from travel fatigue picked up from other cities! Strolling through the clean streets of Singapore, and hearing voices speaking in the Chinese dialects of Hokkien and Mandarin, I thought I was almost home. Continue reading “Three Chinese Cities and I will be home for Christmas”
Language and Cross-cultural communication
Which is more important? To study a foreign language or learn about its culture? I was asked this question after I gave an address to a group of young diplomates from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. My answer is simple: Both. This is not an either or question. Continue reading “Language and Cross-cultural communication”
Confucianism
One day following a lecture on Confucius, a student came up and asked me if he was a real person. I guess he was as real as Jesus Christ, I replied and much older. She thought that Confucius was a mythical figure. He certainly is not a mythical figure. He is still very much alive in fact in terms of the influence of his teachings. They affected billions of people from the Chopstick culture for thousands of years. Continue reading “Confucianism”