Living in Asia makes for lots of funny stories. We don't realize quite how strange we are until our basic, un-considered habits are hit smack in the face with a different reality.
East-West culture clashes constantly amuse those of us living in cultures very different from our home country's. We laugh about the funny situations and strange things we encounter as if it were "their" fault, but I'm sure we provide just as many laughs for our Asian friends.
Here are some of the humorous stories I've collected from my own experience and from friends. Where I could find suitable photos in my collection to illustrate the stories, I've included them. Please remember though, the pictures are public domain photographs free for your use, but the text is not. If you want to share these stories with friends, please just direct them to this page.
A simple invitation gets muddled in translation, and Uncle Wu wonders whether anybody in Canada gets enough to eat.
How many friendly Chinese strangers does it take to help a foreigner get a couple stitches removed... or stir-fried?
The Candy Pot (an Embarrassing Story)
It seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to check what that is supposed to be used for.
Over the years I've collected a lot of funny stories and I'll include more here as I have time. The humour of living in a different culture is one thing that makes it bearable. If you can't laugh at yourself and appreciate the funny side of life, then don't bother to try living in Asia as a foreigner.