And there was a lot to tell, from greetings such as bowing instead of handshakes, to eating habits and clothing. Yi, who obtained a masters in English at Northeastern University and doctorates from Penn State and the University of Georgia, currently is a professor in UGA's Department of Comparative Literature. She was invited to the school by teacher Clarence Harris and the Multi-Cultural Committee, which hosts monthly talks on various cultures around the world. Rice is a major stable of food in that region and they drink a lot of tea, rather than coffee. She said there are many cultural differences between China, Korea and Japan from religions to language and writing.
China has the oldest culture.
How much the Chinese characters play a role in script depends on the country, she said. In Japan, Chinese characters are used often, whereas in Korea they try to avoid Chinese characters. Each country has a distinct sense of identity, she said. They also eat different kinds of food. Chinese foods are often fried and Korean food is hot and spicy.