As we rapidly approach the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, many school schedules are preparing to slow down or take a break in the warmer months, as some work schedules do too. With this in mind, please enjoy this special reissue of our 35th episode on work-life balance in cultures around the globe, “‘Work to live’ cultures, and ‘live to work’ cultures”, from October 2022. We here at ‘Oops, Your Culture’s Showing!’ will also be taking a break from releasing episodes over the coming months, as we soak up some sun (hopefully on a beach with a cold drink in one or both hands), travel, and time with family and friends. We’ll see you out there on the beach, dear listeners – and while getting those rays, it’s a perfect time to visit/revisit our entire back catalogue of episodes!

Listening to this while eating lunch in the workplace? Fais attention (be careful!) because if you’re in France, that’s illegal. In this episode, Dean and Tom get to work contrasting how countries from France to Japan to the US value, and even legislate, work-life balance – and, bien sûr (of course!), how it’s all grounded in culture. Plus, a Grammar Time segment somehow sneaks up on all of us…est-ce possible?

(Here are the referenced NPR articles on the French lunch law and the Portuguese ‘right to disconnect’ law, from June 2022.)

***Dean’s book, “Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”, IS OUT NOW – order it today! And: Subscribe to Dean’s Substack to find all of Dean’s “Culture’s Consequences” articles, CultureQuizzes, and much more!***

Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com.

Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson

Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson

Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com

Whether you’re enjoying the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, or autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s a great time for an outdoor stroll – with ‘Oops, Your Culture’s Showing!’ playing in your ears, of course. But when you’re navigating street crossings on this stroll, are there cultural implications attached to what you and those around you are doing? (Hint: There are!) Find out more about those, and much more, in this special reissue of our 34th episode, “There’s no chicken lane in Amsterdam!”, from August 2022. Enjoy, and don’t forget to look both ways!

Why did Dean, the global cultures expert, cross the road? To chat with Tom about navigating street crossings in cities from Rome to Hong Kong, and the corresponding cultural implications – of course! Plus: Don’t miss the exciting premiere of Wordplay!, a subset of Grammar Time, later in the episode. We’re giving you the walk sign to stroll through this episode and enjoy it, hopefully without jaywalking involved (but if you do, we won’t – and can’t – tell on you).

***Dean’s book, “Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”, IS OUT NOW – order it today! And: Subscribe to Dean’s Substack to find all of Dean’s “Culture’s Consequences” articles, CultureQuizzes, and much more!***

Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com.

Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson

Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson

Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com

Merriam-Webster defines “talking turkey” as “speaking frankly or bluntly”, but, honestly, where’s the fun in that…so instead, we’re talking about Turkey, the country, in this episode. Dean brings Tom and Torin along on his recent expedition there: from “fabulous, glorious center of the word” Istanbul, to the “fascinating” fairy chimneys of Cappadocia and the “enlightening” ceremony of the whirling dervishes – all while sipping on the freshest of pomegranate juice. There was so much Turkey to talk that they balked at trying to fit all the Turkey talk into one overstuffed pod-block (i.e., episode); therefore please enjoy this Part 1, and stay tuned for Part 2 next month! (‘Enjoy!’ in Turkish: ‘Tadını çıkar!’)

[As this episode was recorded remotely, please forgive any technical hiccups and/or audio oddities. Thank you!]

***Dean’s book, “Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”, IS OUT NOW – order yours today! And: Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here to find all of Dean’s “Culture’s Consequences” articles, CultureQuizzes, and much more!***

Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com.

Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson

Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson

Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com