English Is Challenging

English Is Challenging

Here is a thought provoking, fun, interactive exercise that demonstrates how challenging English can be. It is written by Mary Beth Marino, The Writing Editor. It’s time for a good laugh! A belly shaking, rolling on the floor laugh…AND an English lesson to boot! My love affair with words was nourished by an email that was sent to me by a friend. It challenges the English language while giving a good laugh and marvels the astonishment about how things get to be what they are and why. Curious? Read on. Can you read these right the first time? 1) The bandage was wound around the wound. 2) The farm was used to produce produce. 3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse. 4) We must polish the Polish furniture. 5) He could lead if he would get the lead out. 6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert. 7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present. 8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum 9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes. 10) I did not object to the object. 11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid. 12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row. 13) They were too close to the door to close it 14) The buck does funny things when the does are present. 15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line. 16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow. 17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail. 18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear. 19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests. 20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

5 Tips On How to Feel Comfortable, Confident and Carefree Your First Time Overseas

5 Tips On How to Feel Comfortable, Confident and Carefree Your First Time Overseas By Karla Scott, MBA


 Are you intimidated by the notion of traveling overseas on business?
 Do you dream of taking a crash course on how to be effective in your new destination?
 Are you worried you may make mistakes in this unfamiliar culture?

Relax! You are not alone! Here are steps you can take that can help make you feel competent and confident in your first overseas venture.

1. Do your homework
If you choose to do business in another culture, you must accept its protocol, norms, and ways of doing business. Be insatiably curious. Go to your local bookstore and use the internet to research the other culture’s history, geography, key symbols, tourist attractions, national dishes, popular sports, non verbal communication rules, leaders and celebrity culture. Study the local map including the mass transit or metro map and the area surrounding your hotel. You will feel more comfortable exploring and communicating when you have gone the extra mile to learn something about your new culture. The best part is that by taking an interest in the other culture, your actions will convey genuine respect. Your efforts will be appreciated by most (if not all) whom you meet. It will set you apart from many Americans who don’t bother to learn something about the other culture. Remember, people all over the world know U.S. popular culture, government, history and many even speak English. Isn’t it reasonable for us to make the effort to meet them at least half way?

For a crash course in local customs and etiquette, I recommend the easy-to-read Culture Shock series. They are compact guides (250 pages) that provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of culture in more than 35 countries, with practical tips on how to be effective there. They are well-researched, authentic, and entertaining. You can order Culture Shock online from all leading book sellers.

2. Learn a few commonly used words and phrases
Rest assured you do not need to enroll in a 3-month immersion class. Most of the world accommodates English speaking guests. In fact, it is the second most spoken language, behind Mandarin, in the world. Your experience can be greatly enhanced by showing basic respect. You can accomplish this by learning some common courtesy expressions such as hello; goodbye; thank you; and please and one of my favorites: “Where are the toilets?” “How much is that ________?” also comes in very handy when bargaining.

You will be amazed by how instantly connected you feel when upon arrival, someone says hello in their language and you can respond in the same language or when they say thank you, you can reply appropriately.

I strongly urge you to refrain from bursting into a conversation leading with English words. Instead (or what is more respectful is to) always first ask “Do you speak English?”

You can listen to a basic language tape daily before you go that provides language basics including numbers, useful questions, shopping terms, hotel/taxi/ and airport expressions, and dining phrases.

3. Prepare for time zone change realities and make travel as easy as possible
Go a day early, if possible, to help your body and mind adjust to time zone differences. Going a day early can also help you to get your bearing on the new destination. Your first day there, don’t go to sleep until 10PM no matter what. That way, you can wake up with the locals and it will help you function effectively, more quickly. While you sleep, always turn the clock around so you won’t see the time that could distract your sleep pattern. It’s best not to know the time while you are attempting to sleep.

Here are a few helpful hints:
□ Sleep on the flight if at all possible.
□ Wear eye shades to notify flight attendants you prefer not to be bothered.
□ Wear a noise reduction headset to tune out noises and engine roars.
□ During the flight, eat light, drink lots of water to stay hydrated, and minimize alcohol consumption.
□ Bring a bean-filled travel pillow (they really do help!).
□ For longer flights (8 hours+), prepare to walk around periodically in order to allow your blood to circulate properly. It is not uncommon for people over 50 to suffer from fatal blood clots during long overseas trips, because the victims failed around during the flight.
□ Pack a couple of bagels or oatmeal bars in your carry on in order to fill in “food gaps”.
□ Pack a toiletry kit so you may freshen up on board prior to landing.
□ Pack one wash cloth for each hotel (wash cloths are not common everywhere).

If possible, strive to negotiate to sit in the business class section where it is quieter. The seats are roomier and they recline substantially. However, if you must fly coach, book early enough to select a comfortable window or aisle seat. You do not want to be trapped in a middle seat in coach for 8-15 hours! Be sure your carry-on bags are wheeled because you will walk long distances inside international airports. Also, they are often long flight delays in some parts of the world. Don't carry on anything you are now willing to cart around for unlimited periods of time.

Finally, wear a round-the-neck pouch that contains your passport, travel itinerary, ID, business credit card, small bills (US and other currency) and a pen. This way you won’t need to go digging thru bags at numerous security checkpoints. Once, I observed a woman miss her connecting flight because she could not produce her travel documents in a timely manner. You will be forever grateful if you wear one of these pouches on a lanyard available at most luggage stores for $20 or less.


4. Upon arrival, sink into the rhythm and flavor of the culture
After you check in, you can choose to either explore the area around your hotel, or to take a taxi to a busy section of town. Here are suggestions on what to do there:
 Sit at a café at a busy intersection and people watch to see the written and unwritten rules (you have already read about), in action.
 Go to a market or grocery store—you can learn a lot about people by watching how they connect with their food.
 Visit a park; sit and watch the show.
 Dine where locals dine; match their behavior.
 If you are daring, take public transportation. Be sure you’ve studied the maps in advance and have exact change or a ticket before you board. Find out from your hotel’s concierge the best mode of returning to your hotel. [Beware of trying this in countries where signage is in a script different from Roman such as Chinese/Japanese characters, Arabic, Persian, Ethiopian, Russian (Cyrillic), India (Brahmi), or Greek.] I have taken public transportation alone in many parts of the world because I learn to recognize the destination words. In Tokyo, I was thankful to be accompanied by a Japanese person during my subway ride: I don’t read Japanese characters! I would probably still be trapped in the Tokyo subway system had I ventured to do this on my own.
 Watch popular television shows in your hotel room while you are getting dressed. This gives you a feel for local values, humor, aesthetics, nonverbal communication rules, and popular marketing campaigns.
 Memorize exchange rate(s). Know basic currency conversions in denominations of 1, 5, 20, 50 etc. For example, prepare to recognize what 20 Euros or 2500 Yen means on the menu.
 Avoid renting a car when traveling abroad alone. The rules of the road are significantly different, and you probably will not be able to read road signs. By American standards, traffic overseas is at best, chaotic.

Always carry a few essential tools while traveling around:
□ something with the name of your hotel written in local script (take hotel pen, matches, or pad) to show taxi driver how to return you to your hotel.
□ a roll of toilet paper—just in case! Often, you will not find toilet paper (especially the soft version we know and love)
□ camera
□ guidebook containing useful words and phrases
□ notepad for journaling

5. Let your host play host--don’t rush into business.
If you are being hosted, let your hosts set the tone and pace. Allow them to welcome you and guide you around. If possible, accept all invitations. Show appreciation and respect for their culture by allowing them to take pride in showing you their world. Keep an open mind. Leave judgmental thinking at home and practice the platinum rule: Do unto others as they would have you do unto them.

Make the unfamiliar familiar by learning about the culture in advance of your trip.
The best part is that by taking an interest in the other culture, your actions will convey genuine respect. Your efforts will be appreciated by most (if not all) whom you meet. It will set you apart from many Americans who don’t bother to learn something about the other culture. Remember, people all over the world know U.S. popular culture, government, history and many even speak English. Isn’t it reasonable for us to make the effort to meet them at least half way?


Helpful Resources

For a crash course in local customs and etiquette, I recommend the easy-to-read Culture Shock series. They are compact guides (250 pages) that provide a comprehensive and accurate portrayal of culture in more than 35 countries, with practical tips on how to be effective there. They are well-researched, authentic, and entertaining. You can order Culture Shock online from all leading book sellers.

Other helpful sources are:
CIA World Factbook Sheets. The US government provides profiles of countries and territories around the world. Information on geography, people, government, transportation, economy, communications, and more. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

Culture Grams Cultural reports for more than 200 countries each include 25 categories such as land and climate, history, personal appearance, greetings, gestures, family, diet, arts, holidays, economy, education, religion, health, a country map, and events and trends.

Each individual Culture Gram four-page report (there are 201) is available individually for download for $4 per report.
http://www.culturegrams.com/products/individual.htm

Consular Information Sheet The US State Department’s Office of American Citizens Services and Crisis Management (ACS) administers the Consular Information Program, which informs the public of conditions abroad that may affect their safety and security. Country Specific Information, Travel Alerts, and Travel Warnings are vital parts of this program. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html#F
Executive Planet™ provides valuable tips on business etiquette, customs and protocol for doing business in more than 50 countries. http://www.executiveplanet.com/index.php?title=Main_Page
Lonely Planet Destination Guides. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/

Guess which nation has the lowest birth rate in the world?

Guess which nation has the lowest birth rate in the world?

Did you guess the USA, no
Italy, no
France, no
Japan, no

It is Taiwan

Here is an article by Cindy Sui, of BBC News, in Taipei, about government measures to attempt to reverse this trend.

Taiwan's government has acknowledged its birth rate declined last year, even as it introduced a series of measures to encourage people to have babies.
These included stipends for giving birth and childcare subsidies.

Taiwan's total fertility rate - the average number of children women have during their childbearing years - dropped to 0.9 last year, down from 1.03 the previous year.

That gives Taiwan the lowest fertility rate in the world, the statistics show.
Some Taiwanese women are reluctant to have children.

"We think it's not suitable to raise children, especially in Taiwan. In Taiwan, when a girl gets married she has to sacrifice a lot," one says.

"Once she reaches a certain academic level she can't just stay at home and take care of kids and her parents-in-law, but that's still what the older generation expects from them."

Another says: "Taiwan's work hours are really long. That makes it difficult to get married and have kids. You might not have much free time and it's hard to relax."
These women's views reflect those of many Taiwanese people. Wages here are considered low compared to the cost of childcare and property prices.

Many couples still live with their parents or in-laws. Many Taiwanese women also delay getting married to pursue academic degrees or careers.

Some complain it is hard for them to find a husband once they reach 30 because of old-fashioned views about women.

In addition, many employers frown upon female workers taking extended maternity leave, and expect mothers to work the same amount of overtime as they did before they gave birth.

The government, however, blames the lower birth rate on superstition.

The year 2009 was considered an unlucky year to get married, and 2010 - the year of the tiger - a bad year to have children.

However, officials say this year is considered a lucky one as it is the country's 100th anniversary.

Between January and July, the number of marriages rose more than 12% compared to the same period last year, and the number of births also shot up.
Next year, the year of the dragon, is especially auspicious for having children.

Baguette vending machine? Ca n'est pas vrai!

French baker Jean-Louis Hecht opens the back of his baguette dispenser, which loads 120 baguettes in Paris, Monday, Aug. 8, 2011. The baker from northeast France has rolled out a 24 hour automated baguette dispenser, holding out the promise of warm, fresh bread available for hungry night owls, graveyard shift workers, and anyone else who forgot or didn't have time to pick one up during the corner bakery's opening hours.

I would have been very skeptical of this had I been still living in France where le pain is sacred!!

China Vows Crackdown On Sex-Selective Abortions

It’s about time!!

From the AP

China is vowing to strengthen enforcement to prevent sex-selective abortions and narrow the infamous gender gap in a country that already has tens of millions more boys than girls.

The pledge is in the outline of a plan for childhood development through 2020 but has no specifics. The plan said authorities would increase efforts against the non-medical use of ultrasound tests and abortion of fetuses based on gender.

Spurred by the one-child policy and a traditional preference for boys, sex-selective abortion has created a male-female ratio at birth in China of about 119 males to 100 females, with the gap as high as 130 males for every 100 females in some provinces. In industrialized countries, the ratio is 107 to 100.

Do you know which ten cities have the largest foreign-born populations?

Before I reveal the winners, here is a Wikipedia definition of foreign born:

Foreign born (also non-native) is a term used to describe a person born outside of their country of residence. Foreign born are often non-citizens, but are also frequently naturalized citizens of a country.

The term foreign born encompasses both immigrants and expatriates but is not synonymous with either. Foreign born may, like immigrants, have committed to living in a country permanently or, like expatriates, live abroad for a significant period with the plan to return to their birth-country eventually.

The status of foreign born — particularly their access to citizenship — differs globally. The large groups of foreign born guest workers in the Gulf States, for example, have no right to citizenship no matter the length of their residence. In Canada and the United States, by contrast, foreign born are often citizens or in the process of becoming citizens. Certain countries have intermediary rules: in Germany and Japan it is often difficult but not impossible for the foreign born to become citizens.

Now, here is the list from highest to lowest:

Dubai
Hong Kong
Toronto
Miami
Los Angeles
Riyadh
Sydney
San Francisco
Melbourne
London

How do you think this effects economics, poltics, and culture in these cities? The answer is, of course, every situation is influenced by different variables.

France bids adieu to the words Facebook and Twitter from broadcast journalism

It was 2003. The Culture Ministry in France announced a ban on the use of "e-mail" in all government ministries, documents, publications or websites. Some say it was considered yet another step to stem an incursion of English words into the French lexicon.

Now, in 2011, French officials have banned the use of Twitter and Facebook on public airwaves.

Are the French further protecting the integrity of their language from the influence of Anglo-Saxon culture or simply just trying to remove product placement from public broadcasting. Or is it, as one blogger states, It isn't so much that the words are in English that upsets French sensibilities. It is the fact that the whole thing, the idea of open to everyone, free circulation of information, spreading gossip, mayhem, self-regulating, social cacophony is UN-FRENCH.

You decide—

Here is an article about Frances latest move to ban words that happen to be non-French, from public use:

Twitter and Facebook reminders banned from French airwaves by Kim Willsher in Paris for the guardian.co.uk

How do you say Facebook and Twitter in French? You don't – at least, not if you are on radio or television, where French officials have banned any mention of them unless they are specifically part of the story.

The internet sites have fallen foul of a 1992 decree that outlaws the advertising or promotion of private business on programmes. Journalists will no longer be able to end their reports by saying "Follow us on Twitter" or "Have a look at our Facebook page", because the French government deems this as either blatant or subliminal promotion, and has decided it is unfair to other similar networks.

Christine Kelly, spokeswoman for the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA), the government broadcasting authority, said: "Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are other social networks that are struggling for recognition. This would be a distortion of competition. If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it's opening a Pandora's box. Other social networks will complain to us, saying 'Why not us?'"

Kelly said the CSA was not seeking to block the networks, only to foster fairer practices. "We encourage the use of social networks ... CSA members spend hours on them. Perhaps one day Facebook will become a generic term, but for the moment it is a commercial enterprise – a leading one, certainly, but not the only one."

No details have been given on how the rule will be enforced or what punishment might await those who continue to say Facebook and Twitter on air.

The ban comes less than two weeks after President Nicolas Sarkozy's internet and digital technology summit, the e-G8, where he was given a Facebook T-shirt by the site's founder, Mark Zuckerberg.

Some commentators have suggested the ban is another effort by France to control the influence of Anglo-Saxon cultural influences, particularly those seen as encouraging the use of English.

The two sites have been particularly cited in relation to the scandal surrounding the arrest of Socialist presidential candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn on sexual assault charges in New York.

"The CSA hasn't understood that above being trademarks, Twitter and Facebook are public spaces where more than 25% of the French public discuss and exchange information," said journalist Benoît Raphael.
Kelly said broadcasters must not use the website names unless it was "pivotal to the story". Instead, they should say: "Find us on social networks."