What is CultureMutt and why should you bother reading it? Let me answer those questions by giving you some reasons to stop reading right now:

1) CultureMutt will be shamelessly biased.
2) “Cure Culture Clash” the byline of this new blog, is obviously an impossible suggestion.
3) CultureMutt will not even pretend to be academic in its approach to cross-cultural relations.
4) Some may find topics discussed offensive, disturbing or somehow inappropriate.
5) There is ridiculous complexity to the area of cross-cultural relations and CultureMutt will revel in it.

And now for the sales pitch: Cross-cultural savvy is an absolute MUST whether your goal is wooing that exotic new tight-T-shirted addition to accounts payable; landing the lucrative Tokyo account or simply avoiding looking like a complete idiot on vacation in Florence. Gone are the days when complacent isolationism worked. As Pulitzer-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman puts it, “The World is Flat”. His advice for his daughters is, “Girls, when I was growing, my parents used to say to me, ‘Tom, finish your dinner — people in China and India are starving.’ My advice to you is: Girls finish your homework — people in China and India are starving for your jobs.”

If you want success in today’s increasingly globalized landscape then you have to understand people that come from other places and think entirely differently. In the words of Mexican poet and diplomat, Octavio Paz, “Life is plurality, death is uniformity.” The future belongs to those who can understand cross-cultural complexities.

Here are some upcoming blog post titles:

1) “You’re Hired.” When being in the multicultural know can mean a paycheck.
2) Seduce a Swede. Steps 1-5.
3) Offend Anyone Anywhere With These Five Simple Screwups.
4) Haggle like a pro. Navigating a Filipino market without looking tightfisted or being ripped off.
5) Border Skirmish: Boundaries in Cross-cultural relationships.

Your comments and opinions are more than welcome so don’t be a stranger. See you soon.

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Bjorn Karlman

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