#interculturalcommunication

Top Customer Review: Great book for leisure reading or research papers. I gained a lot of knowledge about the experiences of my parents and other mien refugees and the mien american experience in the context of marriage and family. —Muang

What I have noticed since my arrival on this island is that the local population is a very small and close community. Time is passing by and I am realising that the inhabitants live like a family. Everyone saying “Hello” to each other in the streets and it didn’t take me long to become a part of it. Observing their attitude towards tourists, I had the impression of a certain kind of “resistance”. Even though, tourism is the main income during summertime, the locals feel threaten from it because the popularity of this island is increasing more and more and this might undermine in a future, the very strong traditions and the environment.

I don’t want them to perceive me as a tourist and many of them don’t speak English. Thus, with Kostas’ help, I am focusing this week on improving Greek language with the hope to overcome language barriers and better reach the target and run some interviews. Moreover, being empathetic, open minded and respectful are fundamental skills of intercultural communication for reach a genuine social interaction.

The island is self-sufficient and food production is at the core of the culture. Goat cheese is one of the main product and almost every family produces his own. At the farm, I experienced how to milk a goat and produce a delicious and 100 % natural ricotta in only 2 hours. Unbelievable! I also had the chance to visit last week the local cheese factory and follow the procedures from the pasteurization to the dry-salting, everything made by hands.

At the farm, as mentioned previously, cooking together Greek traditional food is a must and would like to share with you some pictures of the products we sell and of the healthy, delicious meal characterized by fresh ingredients that the farm and this special land offers. By the way, now the sun is going down, and this is the time in which people gather together around a good dinner, that for Greek, as much as for the other Mediterranean populations is not meant to be only food and is not limited to the act of eating itself. On the contrary, food has a social aspect and it is a way of “being together”, while transmitting precious knowledge to the youngest members of the family, setting special emphasis on traditions and culture. Time to go now…so, enjoy your meal or maybe I should better say:” KALIOREXI”.

"Traditional family systems are shaken by many factors that force families to accept and adopt foreign forms of family structure that can create relationship barriers within the family circle. Immigrant and refugee families are facing the most challenges in marriage and family life." —Intercultural Communication by Dr. Youd Chao

"The increasing dominance of Chinese populations, resistance to heavy levies imposed by the Chinese government, the desire to search for freedom, and famine and drought in China were all contributing factors that forced the Mien to leave Shantung and central China and into the mountainous regions of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. There they hoped to be able 13 Intercultural Communication to continue their diligent, hard-working agricultural lifestyle in order to survive and support their loved ones." —Intercultural Communication by Dr. Youd Chao