Thang Nguyen 555

Cultures on Collision Course

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With some short-term relief work in Asia/Africa and long stint in Telecom, Thang also earned a B.A. at Pennsylvania State University. M.A. in Communication at Wheaton Graduate School, M.A. in Cross-Cultural Communication at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Boston. In addition, he earned a CELTA – classes taken in Hanoi for cultural re-immersion.

Author: Thang Nguyen 555

  • The Vietnamese pleasantry

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: A few days ago, we were entertained with a lavish meal, of all things, in a  wedding banquet hall. Being the first customers that evening, we ate in this huge wide open space. One by one, the dishes arrived. To me, that’s a lot of cholesterol in one shot.…

  • And the band plays on

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Your corporate planners booked an award trip at a remote location, complete with mixer party and Gala. Except for the entertainment part. How would you feel? Just pop in a DVD, have a few drinks? or resort to karaoke to save a few bucks? We need artists, musicians and…

  • Always exiled

    Some make a career out of an event (memorial etc…). Others completely blocke it out to cope with new realities. I am in between. I know the elephant is in the room. I can use it as backdrop for my Facebook photo. Or I can go on pretending it isn’t there. Like tomorrow, here in…

  • Fallible leadership

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Former Google CEO, in a recent interview, admitted that he was too busy to see Social Network coming. Former Microsoft CEO, at the turn of the century, admitted he too missed the significance of the Internet. The Vatican, after years of floundering, decided to settle sexual abuse cases (…

  • Trading down: Gap to Goodwill

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: You know how good the economy is by seeing how many Hummers are on the street. But we 2.5 per cent growth 1Q 2013, we go from Hummers to Hyundai, from Gap to Goodwill. With 90% debt level, half-a-million debt per man woman and child, trading down is the least of our worries (Patriotic…

  • Life’s soundtrack

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: I have just received a photo showing a hot-air balloon over Seattle, with me and Geoffrey in the basket. We just need a soundtrack to add to it. The puffy hot air, the wind which carried us over the lush-green scenery with Bill Gates himself living on the ground. If…

  • Dilemma called Life

    30+ Chinese women start protesting the label of “unwanted” goods. Tunisian Topless Jihad set a World Religion on fire. Men teetering on retirement seeking work and love in the wrong place. A friend in search of affordable physical therapy and health care coverage. Dilemma called Life. If it’s easy and smooth, it wouldn’t be called…

  • Asian self-awareness

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: In some cultures, people felt ashamed to put on clothes, or if they dressed at all, they would go to the middle of the house in plain view instead of the far corner (where it would draw more attention to the act of changing). Au contraire, at 24-hr fitness,…

  • Technology doesn’t sleep, but we do.

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: I had my share of empty TV studio, that is, between broadcasts (6PM and 10PM). Now, there is no recoup time. We have evolved to Office 365, with servers resided in the “cloud” instead of the (telco) closets. Mobile working has evolved from CB radio, to Motorola brick phones, from…

  • Camel, container and call center

    Originally posted on Thang Nguyen 555: Each represents a distribution venue in various era. Now, the man behind “As Seen On TV” wants to do away with call center altogether. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/business/media/30adco.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&hpw=&adxnnlx=1309474819-WalLu/L4Q4AdzzCWZqpw4g Essentially, he just keeps the container, while relying on the “cloud” and the credit card to elicit impulse buying. Welcome to the future, where…