MANNERS AND OTHER MATTERS

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Photo:  The West Australian) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II arrives in Perth, Western Australia tomorrow afternoon.  There is great excitement among those who are traditional Monarchists and also those who will meet and greet her as the Australians who will probably vote for a Republic in the not too distant future. Quite aside from politics, Her Majesty has reigned as Head of the Commonwealth since she became the Queen in 1952.  This remarkable lady has outlasted many Prime Ministers, Presidents and Heads of State during her reign.  One can only imagine the stories she is able to tell about them. And certainly from the public images we have, Her Majesty has seen the change of century, world tribulations, crises, technical innovations and more with courtesy and graciousness. My family were staunch monarchists.  I remember my mother taking my sister and me down to stand under one of the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 196...

I have just finished writing a presentation on Modern Chinese Business Etiquette and Protocol for a workshop I am presenting next Tuesday. Here in Western Australian the corporate community is necessarily looking towards a greater understanding of the manners, etiquette and rituals of the Chinese as the country is now the biggest trading partner as a result of the “boom”in the resources sector here. I was fortunate to have a full time office of The Percy Institute in Singapore for 3 years from 2000. Despite many early difficulties, including learning the nuances of communication with Chinese business partners, the experience was extremely fulfilling. In 2002 we also opened an office in Shanghai. I used to stay in the apartment our company rented in a “middle class”(Chinese description!) area and one of the most joyful moments for me was joining the Chinese at dawn to practice the art of tai chi under beautiful trees. It was a gentle moment before 10 hours a day training, throu...