Wesak (or Vesak) is one of the most important Buddhist holidays. It is always celebrated during full moon in May, which this year falls onto May 5^th.

Enlightened Buddha

Wesak celebrates the birthday, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. The death of the Buddha is not a sad occasion because it simply marks the day when the Buddha finally reached Nirvana, a heavenly state where there is no pain or suffering…

Confucius is the person accredited most with shaping the deep
elements of Chinese culture that we can still see today. When looking at cross-cultural differences between East and West, Confucianism (long-term orientation and knowing your place in society) stands out as being the major difference from the short-term, individualistic orientations of the West. Thus, Confucius has influenced Chinese thought for over 2,500 years. Confucius’s Birthday, otherwise known as ‘National Teachers Day’ takes place in China and Taiwan each year on 28^th September. Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC – 479 BC).

I was recently sent an email with some amusing photos
comparing overcrowded trains in India and Pakistan (as pictured on the right) with slick, modern trains in other parts of the world. I began to wonder just how stereotypical were these pictures and whether any of them depicted a true-to-life view of train travel around the world. My investigation led to some interesting blogs and some stunning pictures.

 Originally got this via @raykwong through one of his Tweets. Interesting to read the attitudes of young Chinese shoppers and how global companies are looking to China to help them meet their turnover targets.

People in the Far East are NOT casual so be very respectful
of their way of dressing; if you do not conform they will think you are being disrespectful. The Chinese have seven layers of wrapping presents, so wrapping YOU should be equally important- it’s all about FACE. The dominant feature of business practice is your Personal Network: based on duty, obligation and trust.

So far in this section you’ll find the  Top Ten Tips for doing business in five countries of East Asia, along with opening times, holiday dates and festivities. These are: China, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Myanmar (Burma). 

Having had a client whose blueprint for a very hush-hush new radar system was copied and manufactured by the potential customer they were in discussions with in the Far East , I’ve witnessed the problems connected with holding on to intellectual property rights. (See below two new books on the subject). That incident happened over ten years ago and still other similar battles are erupting all over the globe.

The scope of the problems surrounding intellectual property rights in our globalised world is vast – how far can copyright and patent-holders go in preventing others from taking their property? Intellectual property protection is not a field of bright lines and clear rules. And, the economic consequences of the dispute are also immense.

Marks & Spencer has just learned how expensive the transaction costs in international business are when you don’t do your homework properly. The opening of the first Marks & Spencer store on the Chinese mainland has been beset by many cultural problems – most of which could have been foreseen with a little research.  One of the most costly though was their complete lack of Market Research. Sir Stuart Rose, executive chairman of Marks & Spencer, admitted that the company “had misunderstood the local market” by assuming Hong Kong sizing would also apply to the mainland. “Shanghai clothing sizes were based on Hong Kong sizing, but the smaller sizes rapidly sold out” he explained. (FT February 10th 2009). Remember to do your cultural research – you can’t afford to get things wrong!