Post by goldie on Jan 2, 2010 0:27:38 GMT 2
Country Customs; Amended from MSN’s report
Want to signal to someone you've met on holiday how blisteringly all right, fine and generally OK things are? Stop! Beware making the round “OK” sign with thumb and forefinger. In Greece and Turkey, for example, this gesture can be taken as highly vulgar. You are telling someone that they resemble a similarly shaped part of the human body and, by extension, that they are homosexual. In some Middle Eastern countries, such as Kuwait, the OK sign signifies the evil eye.
If you ever find yourself in an Iranian carpet souk and want to signal to the rug dealer that he’s finally named a price you can agree on DON’T give him the thumbs-up. You’d actually be telling him where he could stick his offer!
Giving someone the finger – showing them your raised middle digit, palm towards you – might be the most widespread obscene gesture in western countries (it probably originated in ancient Greece and was spread by the Romans) but almost any protruding digit will cause offence somewhere. In the Philippines summoning someone with a finger is considered suitable only for dogs and is punishable by arrest.
Is this the way to your famous shrine/mosque/temple? Be careful how you ask such questions when travelling. Pointing with your finger is rude in so many countries it’s probably wise just to abandon the gesture altogether. Use an open hand instead to indicate direction
Nodding your head means yes, shaking it means no? Well, not necessarily. In Greece, Lebanon and Turkey, a slight downward nod of the head means “yes” and tilting it upward, often with a tongue-click or a sucking sound, is “no”. Life and death decisions could hang on getting these things right!
In India shaking your head is likely to be mistaken for the famous Indian head waggle, about as common as breathing on the subcontinent, a movement which doesn’t necessarily mean no, but nor does it definitively mean yes, and may simply often be taken to mean: “Oh, you’re standing in front of me talking. How interesting.”
Don’t eat anything with your left hand in Muslim countries or in India. That part of the body is used for an entirely different function in such places, one people don’t want to be reminded of when eating!
You should also avoid gesturing or shaking hands with your left hand. (If you’re left-handed and want to travel widely, it may be time to retrain.)
If their right hand is wet or dirty Senegalese people offer their right wrist for a handshake or their left hand, but with an apology.
If you see two males walking down the street holding hands, or arm in arm, it’s generally a sign that they’re (homosexual) partners – in Britain. But in India and in Muslim and African lands it doesn’t in any way denote a sexual relationship, just ordinary friendship.
Don’t take a clock as a gift to your hostess in China, where clocks are a symbol of death. And don’t give anything in a set of four, such as placemats, either. To the Chinese, four is like the number 13 in other cultures.
Be wary about giving flowers anywhere. In some Scandinavian countries, white roses are associated with mourning. In many Latin American nations, purple blooms are. In France, white lilies and chrysanthemums are signs of death. And in Latvia, funereal flowers are red. (Perhaps, on reflection, avoid giving flowers at all as gifts in a foreign country.)
A good gift to give someone in a Muslim country? A compass. The recipient can use it to direct him or herself towards Mecca.
Slurping your soup (or indeed your coffee or tea) in Japan is considered good table manners. Slurping indicates you’re enjoying the meal.
Arriving 10 minutes late to a dinner party or drinks bash might be considered ok but is actually rather modest by some countries’ standards. An hour’s lateness is standard in Argentina. And even three hours would not be thought rude for some informal occasions.
And which country in the world puts the most emphasis on turning up exactly on time? Why, Germany of course.
When you ask someone in Britain, “How are you?” the last thing you want is an honest response. The question has become a largely empty formality.
But in Scandinavian countries you would only ask, “How are you?” of a really close friend and you would have to be prepared for a genuine – and possibly lengthy – reply. Likewise in Muslim countries where, (should you know the language) formalities can be long and elaborate and you’d be expected to enquire after seemingly every close relative too.
And never greet a Ukrainian over any kind of threshold, such as a doorway. It’s considered incredibly bad luck.
It’s easy enough to be offended in your own country by intrusive tourists snapping your photo without permission. On other occasions, you might be that intrusive tourist yourself. But the offence can go much further in certain African countries, such as in rural Ghana, where people might fear that by photographing them you are stealing their soul.
“Oh, I love your dress!” Be wary of making such a remark in Arab and African countries such as Jordan, Senegal and Nigeria. Your host might think he or she is obliged to give you the item in question. Much safer to say something like “that dress looks good on you.” However – if you are offered something three times, you should accept it on the third offer.
In many non-western countries it is customary to sit down cross-legged for a meal or a chinwag.
If you do, make sure you’re not pointing your soles in anyone’s general direction. It’s a serious affront in Muslim countries.
Baring your soles can also offend in Russia, and in Buddhist countries, such as Thailand, sitting with your feet pointed in the direction of a Buddha statue is a no-no.
Showing anger is generally not ok when you travel. Many countries around the world still put a premium on emotional control in most settings. Your anger could be radically misinterpreted. In some African countries, such as Kenya, it could be taken as a sign of mental illness.
So now you know ....
Want to signal to someone you've met on holiday how blisteringly all right, fine and generally OK things are? Stop! Beware making the round “OK” sign with thumb and forefinger. In Greece and Turkey, for example, this gesture can be taken as highly vulgar. You are telling someone that they resemble a similarly shaped part of the human body and, by extension, that they are homosexual. In some Middle Eastern countries, such as Kuwait, the OK sign signifies the evil eye.
If you ever find yourself in an Iranian carpet souk and want to signal to the rug dealer that he’s finally named a price you can agree on DON’T give him the thumbs-up. You’d actually be telling him where he could stick his offer!
Giving someone the finger – showing them your raised middle digit, palm towards you – might be the most widespread obscene gesture in western countries (it probably originated in ancient Greece and was spread by the Romans) but almost any protruding digit will cause offence somewhere. In the Philippines summoning someone with a finger is considered suitable only for dogs and is punishable by arrest.
Is this the way to your famous shrine/mosque/temple? Be careful how you ask such questions when travelling. Pointing with your finger is rude in so many countries it’s probably wise just to abandon the gesture altogether. Use an open hand instead to indicate direction
Nodding your head means yes, shaking it means no? Well, not necessarily. In Greece, Lebanon and Turkey, a slight downward nod of the head means “yes” and tilting it upward, often with a tongue-click or a sucking sound, is “no”. Life and death decisions could hang on getting these things right!
In India shaking your head is likely to be mistaken for the famous Indian head waggle, about as common as breathing on the subcontinent, a movement which doesn’t necessarily mean no, but nor does it definitively mean yes, and may simply often be taken to mean: “Oh, you’re standing in front of me talking. How interesting.”
Don’t eat anything with your left hand in Muslim countries or in India. That part of the body is used for an entirely different function in such places, one people don’t want to be reminded of when eating!
You should also avoid gesturing or shaking hands with your left hand. (If you’re left-handed and want to travel widely, it may be time to retrain.)
If their right hand is wet or dirty Senegalese people offer their right wrist for a handshake or their left hand, but with an apology.
If you see two males walking down the street holding hands, or arm in arm, it’s generally a sign that they’re (homosexual) partners – in Britain. But in India and in Muslim and African lands it doesn’t in any way denote a sexual relationship, just ordinary friendship.
Don’t take a clock as a gift to your hostess in China, where clocks are a symbol of death. And don’t give anything in a set of four, such as placemats, either. To the Chinese, four is like the number 13 in other cultures.
Be wary about giving flowers anywhere. In some Scandinavian countries, white roses are associated with mourning. In many Latin American nations, purple blooms are. In France, white lilies and chrysanthemums are signs of death. And in Latvia, funereal flowers are red. (Perhaps, on reflection, avoid giving flowers at all as gifts in a foreign country.)
A good gift to give someone in a Muslim country? A compass. The recipient can use it to direct him or herself towards Mecca.
Slurping your soup (or indeed your coffee or tea) in Japan is considered good table manners. Slurping indicates you’re enjoying the meal.
Arriving 10 minutes late to a dinner party or drinks bash might be considered ok but is actually rather modest by some countries’ standards. An hour’s lateness is standard in Argentina. And even three hours would not be thought rude for some informal occasions.
And which country in the world puts the most emphasis on turning up exactly on time? Why, Germany of course.
When you ask someone in Britain, “How are you?” the last thing you want is an honest response. The question has become a largely empty formality.
But in Scandinavian countries you would only ask, “How are you?” of a really close friend and you would have to be prepared for a genuine – and possibly lengthy – reply. Likewise in Muslim countries where, (should you know the language) formalities can be long and elaborate and you’d be expected to enquire after seemingly every close relative too.
And never greet a Ukrainian over any kind of threshold, such as a doorway. It’s considered incredibly bad luck.
It’s easy enough to be offended in your own country by intrusive tourists snapping your photo without permission. On other occasions, you might be that intrusive tourist yourself. But the offence can go much further in certain African countries, such as in rural Ghana, where people might fear that by photographing them you are stealing their soul.
“Oh, I love your dress!” Be wary of making such a remark in Arab and African countries such as Jordan, Senegal and Nigeria. Your host might think he or she is obliged to give you the item in question. Much safer to say something like “that dress looks good on you.” However – if you are offered something three times, you should accept it on the third offer.
In many non-western countries it is customary to sit down cross-legged for a meal or a chinwag.
If you do, make sure you’re not pointing your soles in anyone’s general direction. It’s a serious affront in Muslim countries.
Baring your soles can also offend in Russia, and in Buddhist countries, such as Thailand, sitting with your feet pointed in the direction of a Buddha statue is a no-no.
Showing anger is generally not ok when you travel. Many countries around the world still put a premium on emotional control in most settings. Your anger could be radically misinterpreted. In some African countries, such as Kenya, it could be taken as a sign of mental illness.
So now you know ....