Blog | RLCC

Tips to understand Chinese

Dear swedish friends, when you communicate with Chinese, keep in mind that:

• Nonverbal messages and gestures may be as important as what is said;

• Status and identity may be communicated nonverbally and require appropriate acknowledgment;

• Face-saving and tact may be important, and need to be balanced with the desire to communicate fully and frankly;

• Building a good relationship can contribute to effectiveness over time;

The biggest difference between Sweden and China

Don't disappear from the internet after entering China

I don't mean to do advertisement for this APP, but if you are going to China, you need it.

WeChat, more than 600 million active users in China. You can not only chat with your friends with it, you can pay, you can book taxi, you can even order meal...It's connected to your bank account and mobile number, a kind of identification. Not so many Chinese are still using SMS any longer.

Lost in two cultures

I came to Sweden in 2006. Except the name of "the land of forest" and they speak the best English among all scandinavia countries, I knew nothing more about this country.

From 2006 to 2009, I finished my master program of Sustainable Management and did half year thesis work at a local company. With the protection of school and employer, that was the easiest time of my life in Sweden. Hard time came from the begining of 2010, since I started my own company.

10 things you didn't know about China

Chinese names always start with the surname, then the given name.
It is important to think of the social status of the person when addressing someone. A doctor is called Surname+doctor.
Chinese people do not like to be exposed in the sun, they use an umbrella to protect themselves against the sunshine.
Half of China’s population today live in cities.
China’s national goal is for renewable energy to reach a share of 15 percent of total energy demand by 2020.

Crazy Chinese 4 – there are so many police on street in Sweden

Last winter I got a group of Chinese visitors. They were so curious about everything in Sweden. I drove them to different places with my car. One day evening we drove to swimming pool. One of these Chinese spoke: “We have heard how safe it is in Sweden, after these days’ observation, I finally know why”...

Avatar is polluted!?

Last week, I visited Chengdu with a group of Swedish friends. If you haven’t heard about Chengdu, at least have heard about famous Chinese panda? Yes, Chengdu is the home of panda. It is located in southwest China, where residents’ average height is a bit low. I went for shopping with two Swedish girls, who are nearly 180cm. The scene was very funny...

Konstiga Svenskar 3 – Nej, jag tror på dig!

Min pojkvän och jag köpte en TV från Elgigantens butik förra år. TV kostade 3500 kr. Vi var jätte glad tills min pojkvän såg att priset på samma TV var bara 2450 kr på Elgigantens webshop. 1050 kr var ganska mycket pengar. Det är säker att vi ville få pengarna tillbaka.

Crazy Chinese 3 – When are you going to marry?

Every time I visit my family in China, I got asked the same question again and again by almost everyone I met “When are you going to marry?” Believe me, that’s not the worst. If you dare to say that you are not in hurry, they will tell you “you are already too old, how dare you not make plan for your life”. How do you think about that?

Konstiga Svenskar 2 – Varför ringed du inte mig

Under hösten 2006 kom jag till Örnsköldsvik för att studera för ett masterprogram som erbjuds av Umeå Universitet. Vi var det enda internationella programmet i Örnsköldsvik med ca 10 elever, vilket innebär att det inte fanns någon elev samhället eller aktiviteter. Om jag inte kunde hitta några vänner utanför skolan, skulle mitt liv vara så tråkigt.