Category: Culture

Business, Culture

Tipping is not the Only Way to Improve Service Quality in Shanghai


I went to a steakhouse on Nanjing road (city center of Shanghai) with one of my American friends the other day. It’s a fancy restaurant which charges 488 RMB ($78) for a meal set per person. The environment was elegant and the food was tasty. It stands to reason that we expected decent service. Unfortunately, the waiter still gave us one menu to share, like … Continue reading Tipping is not the Only Way to Improve Service Quality in Shanghai

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Culture, Parenting, Society

Grandparenting, not Parenting


One of my oldest friends Judy just delivered a baby boy a couple of months ago. As a Shanghainese woman, she followed her life path arranged by her parents: no boy in high school, went to college, found a boyfriend after graduation, got married after dating for two years and then had a son when she reached 26 years old. Everything seems perfect. But when … Continue reading Grandparenting, not Parenting

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Culture, Education, Society

Gifting Headaches on Teachers’ Day


September 10th is Teacher’s Day in China. Some people believe that giving gifts on Teachers’ Day is a way of establishing interpersonal connections between parents and teachers. Most parents, even those with low salary are compelled to do so for fear that their children may not get enough attention in class, or to encourage extra care for their children. This year’s Teachers’ Day fell on … Continue reading Gifting Headaches on Teachers’ Day

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Culture, Life, Society

A wedding for the parents


Weddings are highly valued in the traditional Chinese mind-set. However, they also put lots of pressure on children, especially those of us who were born in the 1980s. More and more people from this generation are seeking greater independence when it comes to planning their weddings. As a member of that generation, I can say that this reflects the change in our views about love … Continue reading A wedding for the parents

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