Test your cultural expertise with our weekly quiz question.
Last week we asked about Weltverbesserungswahn in Germany. Here’s the correct answer:
C. Both are likely to come from the desire that the world could be a better place, the meaning of Weltverbesserungswahn.
This week’s question is about Japan:
Which of the following are seen as good or bad luck in traditional Japanese superstition?
A. The first person you meet on a particular day is a woman
B. The first person you meet on a particular day is a Buddhist priest
C. You get a bird dropping on your head
D. You are overtaken by a funeral procession on the street
Know the answer? Know any more Japanese superstitions? Leave a comment, and check next week’s post for the explanations.
Thanks to GSI for providing the quiz questions. ©2011 GSI. For more information about diversophy® games, click www.diversophy.com
I am an American who lived in China for 10 years. I want to warn everyone of what can happen to Americans if they live overseas too long. I have been having a moral crisis because I recently realized that everything I want to do in China is illegal or immoral. I cheat on girls, live with my Chinese girlfriend, work illegally, can’t use net cafes, watch pirated movies, don’t pay income taxes, and want to buy a car, house, and a business, but I don’t know how.
I want to have my own place, but all the hotels I have been to tell me that foreigners aren’t allowed to stay there.
I tried to use net bars in China, but some of them wanted a Chinese ID card even though I am a foreigner.
I want to watch legitimate movies, but every movie here is counterfeit.
I don’t pay taxes in the US or China.
I also don’t have a degree and I work illegally.
I do not qualify for Social Security benefits if I become disabled because I did not pay in to Social Security for 10 years in the USA.
My US military college benefits have expired.
I have not paid my medical, credit card, and student loan debts in the USA.
My college credits have expired.
I am risking my health. Chinese air is dirty, I have lost a tooth because drinking water in China does not have fluoride, and I was once beaten and robbed.
I rarely read books.
I haven’t voted in years.
I am not religious anymore. There aren’t even real churches in China.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/04/world/asia/04iht-web.0504vatican.html
I would like to leave China, but my girlfriend wants to stay here.
I don’t want to live overseas if everything I do makes me feel like a criminal. Not all of my problems are the result of living in Asia, but I just wanted to let foreigners know that if you live abroad, get careless, and let things slip, you might regret it.
Other laws expats should be aware of when living in foreign countries are:
Sex tourism has been outlawed.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2004-02-18-sex-tourists_x.htm
Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba.
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/05/travel/bush-administration-showing-willingness-to-enforce-law-on-visiting-cuba.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm
People who owe child support are not allowed to have passports.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-welch21aug21,0,123074.story
Americans must report any currency that they carry over $10,000.
http://imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5859&Itemid=2
Americans must pay US taxes on worldwide income.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/26/business/worldbusiness/26iht-tax.html?pagewanted=all
Americans must also pay income taxes to foreign countries when they work overseas.
http://www.sars.gov.za/home.asp?pid=44773
Americans must pay taxes on foreign gifts given and received.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/24/your-money/24iht-nwgift.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/article/0%2C%2Cid=200722%2C00.html
Americans cannot have US or foreign bank accounts while living overseas.
http://blogs.wsj.com/hong-kong/2011/03/10/red-white-and-through/
Americans who do have overseas bank accounts must report them to the US government every year.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124804796387763807.html
Foreign workers are forbidden from working in many countries.
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/9/23/central/2090943&sec=central
Some countries require websites to be licensed by the government.
http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/08/world/fg-chinaweb8
Airline passengers can now be added to “no-fly” lists, searched, and required to have an ID.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/us/22tsa.html
Americans are now required by law to have health insurance.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2011-06-29-health-care-ruling_n.htm
Americans are now required to have a passport to visit Canada and Mexico.
http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2009/03/14/business/doc49bb9a6967f18615571979.txt?viewmode=fullstory