2025 Manxuan’s Blog

Romantic things always seem far away from who I am. I'd describe myself as quite pragmatic–roses, love songs, or love letters hardly move me. Maybe 5 years ago I'd have been touched, but now I'd rather get something practical as a gift, like a good meal.  Though I've never been in a relationship, I found our answers to the question "which of these do you think is a stronger sign of love between partners" interesting. More people chose "talking openly and honestly", while the rest, including me, thought "being able to notice or guess your partner's needs without words" shows a deeper bond–almost like soulmates reading each other's minds. After all, emotions are not easy to express directly. But don't get me wrong, I value open and honest discussions too. Lastly, about the long-term and short-term orientation. Both China and Japan are on the long side, and I do see a lot of similarities between us. We tend to downplay achievements...

When I first saw this week's topic, I felt a bit awkward. There isn't a strong extracurricular culture in China, at least not in the way it's portrayed in other countries–where clubs and circles seem colorful, vibrant, and central to school life. But I did join a volunteer association at the university level, and I was also a member of the News and Communication Department of the Student Union.  Now let's rewind a little, I wasn't part of any club during junior and high school. The reason was pretty clear: we were expected to focus entirely on studying. Only students aiming for university admission through special skills–like sports, art, or music–were allowed to participate in extracurricular activities, and even then, those weren't really considered "extra". According to Hofstede, uncertainty avoidance is the extent to which the members of a culture of a national society feel threatened by ambiguous and unknown situations. At first, I assumed China r...

Hi, girls! Sup? This week, we talked about shopping cultures and made comparisons between those of our home countries and Japan. I really enjoyed the class–especially there's a King who prefers being treated like "royalty" when shopping. 😹 Just as I said in a previous class, I am a shopping person. So I connected deeply with the topic.   In China, online shopping is so advanced and convenient that I rarely did in-store shopping before coming to Japan. That's why I sometimes feel a bit stressed when Japanese shop staff try to explain products to me or make too much eye contact. Most of the time, I think to myself,  "Just leave me alone..." Regarding Hofstede's Femininity & Masculinity model (though we didn't discuss it much in class), the video was quite thought-provoking. From an emotional perspective, Hofstede highlighted key points such as the emphasis on family and work, the length of vacations, the connection with wealth, and the sympathy fo...

Rainy days aren't my cup of tea–and neither is the "inviting guests over" thing. In China, I rarely invite friends to come to my house. The only time my family has people over is during Spring Festival when a few relatives or neighbors drop by for a meal (which, let's be honest, feels more like tradition than choice). If I had to pin down a reason, I guess it's that in my family, private spaces are kind of "sacred"–like VIP access. Only the super close people get invited into that zone. For most friends and coworkers, meeting up in a café or restaurant feels totally enough.  When it comes to Hofstede's Individualism & Collectivism model. Both China and Japan are often labeled as "collective cultures". I won't argue that–our parents, schools, and society do constantly remind us of the importance of groups and interdependence.  However, I don't think this model works for everyone in this era. The model, based on data from the 1...