American culture

Peter Yawitz

Do people care when they ask "How are you?"

I’m from China, and since I arrived in New York people always ask, “How are you?” or “How’s it going?” I never know the real purpose of the

Peter Yawitz

How do I respond to foreign emails?

I received a very long email from a client in Japanese. The only non-Japanese characters showed a gmail address, so I assumed the client wa

Peter Yawitz

Indian English phrases that don't translate to Western English

“Hmm, that’s interesting.” Although we might use the phrase as an automatic response to people when we’re not really listening to them, Indi

Peter Yawitz

Should guys wear undershirts under button-downs?

Contrary to what you think an undershirt keeps you cooler in the summer. Most people don’t want to see though your shirt to see your body to