If you are a fan of manga, anime or Japanese culture as a whole, then you know pretty well that kawaii is not just another Japanese loanword. Kawaii is an…
Category: Culture of Asia
Chinese Moon Festival – a story of love, hard work, and self-sacrifice
Chinese culture is steeped in intricacies and wonderful tales, and with a 4000-year history, there are bound to be some stories that are more memorable than others. This is the…
5 Asian ways to call you a “foreigner” and the meaning behind them
Whether you’ve decided to settle in Asia for good or are just visiting, as a foreigner in Asia, you will want to be as fully prepared for Asian culture as…
Ikigai – the Japanese “reason for being”
Every person has their own pace of life and each of us decides for themselves just how much work is enough work. There are some that prefer leisure to hard…
Japan and Korea – the different aspects of Children’s day
Almost every country has a holiday that celebrates children. Youngsters are a very important part of society and there are a lot of traditions all around the world linked to…
Cultural differences: saying “no” in India – how to read between the lines
In this blog, we’re often writing about cultural differences and peculiarities – habits some cultures have adopted that some of us cannot even imagine. Today we are going to go…
The marathon craze in Asia – combining healthy with fun
With spring going full force and summer waiting just around the corner people have already fully woken up and are searching for new challenges and adventures. As we can conclude…
The evolution of the Songkran Festival in Thailand
The Songkran festival is one of the most important celebrations in Thailand and is officially celebrated annually between the 13th and 15th of April. It is a guaranteed mixture of…
A linguistic journey through Japanese restaurant culture
Naturally, wherever we travel, we want to get to know the local cuisine. But each country has its own rules and subtleties, even in such simple matters as going to…
Mulan – a true Chinese legend hitting the box offices in March 2020
A Synopsis of Mulan Hua Mulan was a Chinese warrior woman who lived during the Northern and Southern dynasties (a period of time that took place between 420 and 589…
The differences between Western and Eastern storytelling
This might come across as a topic that people rarely think about, but if you happen to be a fan of books and novels and have a background that involves…
India: Meeting spring with a splash of color
With spring just around the corner, we’re here to share with you an exceptional and colorful celebration of life and new beginnings in India. The Holi festival, held in India…
How to call a waiter in different countries in Asia
Have you ever witnessed tourists being unconsciously rude to the waiters in your home country? Or the other way around – have you ever unintentionally offended a waiter, just because…
PARASITE – the translation work behind-the-scenes
With the Golden Globes stepping off the stage for this year, you have probably started coming across the name “Parasite” quite often. This is because of the 6-times-nominated and, consequently…
Yuki Matsuri – the coolest festival in Japan!
Winter has come to Japan, and a great deal of fun arrived with it. Contrary to the common tourist beliefs, Japan is charming not only in the spring — during…
Exquisite or downright scary? Asia’s most peculiar dishes.
When traveling to Asia, trying the local food is a must. The incredibly tasty, yet funky dishes of the continent make it a perfect place for food tourism to flourish.…
Asia shows how different the beginning of the New Year can be!
We’ve already acquainted you with some fascinating Christmas traditions taking place in the continent of Asia, and today we’ve prepared something with that same spark of holiday spirit. We’ve engaged…
Inching our way into the peculiarities of Asian systems of measurement
Measurement units in the translation industry We might not pay a lot of attention to doing so, but we use vocabulary that relates to measurement very often in both our…
How do Asians celebrate Christmas?
In the upcoming festive season, we’ll be taking a look at how Christmas is perceived in Asian countries. Is it a big celebration occasion, or just a commercial festival? Is…
Age & Asia: how old are we, according to the East Asian age reckoning?
While in the western world, asking someone about their age might be considered taboo (especially women) — if you travel to Korea, you’ll notice that the first thing someone will…
The Chinese dragon – an ancient protector of the Chinese people
China – a country of many impressions. When people refer to China, the things that usually come to mind are facts such as the population of the country, the difficulty…
What is the Asian version of Bon Appétit?
When you’re in Asia as a foreigner, the main focus usually falls on the food. Asian cuisine is a masterful – as strange as it might sound, look or taste!…
The Four Great Classics of China – truly great reads with a tinge of ancient modernism
As autumn is already knocking on our doors I come with an exquisite list of must-reads for those who consider themselves fans of Eastern culture. How I discovered the Four…
Kyaukse Elephant Dance Festival in Myanmar
Myanmar (also formerly known as Burma) is a country in South-East Asia surrounded by China, India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Laos. The country has over 100 ethnic groups and is home…
Manga – a creative way to learn Japanese in Indonesia
We all know that Manga is one of Japan’s most popular genres, which is famous all over the world. An interesting Japanese occurrence that has its fans everywhere along with…
The Sun in Different Asian Cultures
June is hot and sunny and we are starting to think about vacations and beaches. And this is when, while staring at the bright blue sky, I got that small…
8 Interesting Words & Phrases of Asia
What’s fascinating to me the most about this phrase is its literal translation, which is, “Did you eat rice?” While recently doing some research on Asian Cultures, I came across some…