China’s Hubei Province and Ohio joined the Sister Cities Program as partners in 1979 through the efforts of Governor James Rhodes. The two areas have shared cultural and business opportunities through the years. Now we share the coronavirus. How do Ohio and the Hubei Province stack up against one another in dealing with the coronavirus outbreak? …
Coronavirus: Comparing the Hubei Province and Ohio Read More »
“My return trip home from the coronavirus capitol of Wuhan gave me a sense of peace for, oh, about fifteen minutes. Then my thoughts began to run to Yogi Berra’s famous quote “It’s like deja vu all over again.” The recent outbreak of coronavirus throughout the United States brings back the same feelings as Wuhan’s …
“What, me worry?” Alfred E. Neuman, Yogi, and the coronavirus Read More »
A humbled communication professional stands before you. This story tells how Wuhan and the coronavirus continue to teach me about life. Maybe the lessons will help you. I wrote a book called Seeking Balance. The work provides common-sense advice on speaking English in daily situations. I was proud of my two-year effort and considered myself …
Lessons from living in a coronavirus-ravaged Wuhan Read More »
The last few days provided me the rare view of seeing inside real fear on a large scale as a tense pall envelopes Wuhan, a city of humans not statistics. Here a few examples. The second rescue plane was cancelled two days ago. People leave frantic messages on WeChat about babies and paperwork problems. Real …
Today, a former student of mine posted the simple yet eloquent plea on WeChat “Please, do something humans.” He sums up the feelings in Wuhan, the sense of facing a crisis alone. I live in Wuhan, the coronavirus capitol of the world. We’re all germ-infested suspects, the Chinese, Americans, and all other nationalities. We’re accused …
Monday, January 27: A battle between masks, hand washing and germs plays out in this central China city. Will Wuhan explode into a sea of coronavirus patients overwhelming all medical facilities or will a hidden population wearing masks turn the tide? This week could tell the tale. Wuhan doctors estimate 250,000 carriers of the deadly …
I live in Wuhan. Few had ever heard of the city before last week. Now it sits at the center of the worldwide coronavirus scare. Thursday morning, January 23rd, the news that Wuhan closed all public transportation in, out, and around the city came out, setting the city into a coronavirus panic. Realizing you can’t …
English speaking 2020 Speaking English to Americans create challenges for those from other cultures. People from countries such as China or India may misinterpret words when American culture seeps into a conversation. English Speaking 2020 will examine several cultural aspects of talking to Americans over the next few weeks with the goal of effective …
English speaking 2020 Day 3 Are you open-minded when speaking English? Do you consider other points of view when discussing a hot topic or do you abruptly cut others off if you disagree? Today, Americans furiously debate President Donald Trump, the most polarizing man in the world. Conversations between family and friends cannot take place …
The power of active listening Day 2 A person has four choices when talking to another person. Actively listen, provide silent feedback like nodding of the head or leaning forward, and ask questions to better understand the person’s perspective Think intently on their own next words Interrupt the person Ignore them and think of other …
