This post comes a little late, but the subject of this recent
Forum held in Beijing is quite relevant to the theme of this blog in terms of cross-culture / intercultural matters. Below is part of the news report by Xinhuanet:

The 2006 Cross Culture Communication Forum, organized by China Foreign Languages Publishing and Distribution Administration, also known as China International Publishing Group (CIPG), was held Thursday, August 31, 2006, in Beijing. Attending the one-day forum on “cross culture exchange and soft power building,” are 12 well-known writers and entrepreneurs.

The forum will undoubtedly deepen our understanding of cross culture exchange and soft power building, which is the focus of China’s external publicity work and an important component of the broader publicity strategy. It is China’s major task to build soft power by facilitating cross-cultural communication and exchange and promoting the country’s cultural attractions and influence. As part of its opening-up program, China should carry forward the rich culture of the nation, give full play to its cultural advantages and embrace the impact of external cultural exchange upon cross-culture communication.”

A lot of research must have been done regarding the topic of cultural identity and national identity, but in reality there are practical issues surrounding the Third Cultural Kids (TCKs), as indicated in a very recent news article entitled Canadian Third Culture Kids struggle to find their identities on Yahoo Canada. The story of Khan in the article gives us a live example.

“I always struggle with that question,” says Khan, who was born in Toronto. “It’s very hard because I carry a Canadian passport, but does that identify who I am, do I identify with this culture, and is cultural identity your national identity at the same time?”

The term of Third Cultural Kids (TCKs), sometimes referred to as Trans-Cultural Kids (TCKs), was created 40 years ago by American sociologist Ruth Hill Useem, who studied the children of expatriates in India. She found that TCKs cope, rather than adjust, and become both a part of and apart from the situations they are in.

Citing Ms Robin Pascoe, “an expat expert, is an author and speaker based in Vancouver who has written several books on the challenges faced by expatriate families and TCKs when they come home”, the article points out that TCKs can have some real issues related to the question of identity.

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Inspired by some of the recent new themes, and after some quick adjustments, this blog is having a new look, trying to be more seasonable. It is still based on the 3-column-relaxation, but it looks quite different from its past. I hope you like it and feel free to leave your comments.

By the way, to resolve the spam issue, that is also getting serious here, we have put in place some security measures to reduce the possibility of spam attacks. You will notice it when leaving comments.

Enjoy reading.