Hello everyone !
from the title you may have guessed what am I gonna tell you about.
Some of you may have already started laughing whereas some others may have started mumbling "...oh my God..." in the memory of an awkward - shameful situation that may have found yourselves...
It is important to recognize that people from different cultures are different in a variety of ways, including :
- different ways of looking at things
- different ways of dressing
- different ways of expressing personality/goodness
For example :
- Shaking your head horizontally, in most countries means "no", but in India it means "yes".
- Laughing is read as a sign of happiness in the majority of the countries, while in Japan it is a sign of confusion, insecurity and embarrassment.
- In Russia, when a man peels a banana for a lady it means he has a romantic interest in her.
- In many countries, showing the thumb up means "everything's ok", where in some Islamic countries it is considered as a rude sexual sign !
- In Africa, saying to a female friend that she has put on weight since the last time you've seen her, it means she is physically healthier than before, but in Europe, America and Australia, this could be considered as an insult !
- In the US, a firm, short handshake indicates self-confidence and (heterosexual) masculinity. A limp handshake by a man can be interpreted (usually wrongly) as a sign of homosexuality or wimpiness. But in most parts of Africa, a limp handshake is the correct way to do it. Furthermore, it is common in Africa for the handshake to last several minutes, while in the US a handshake that is even a few seconds too long is interpreted as familiarity, warmth and possibly sexual attraction.
- In Britain, men do not look at women on the streets. The French do. Recently, a French public figure mentioned in a speech that the Brits are all gay -- the evidence was their lack of overt interest in women.
Ok, some of us may have faced awkward situations where we unintentionally offended someone else and embarrassed ourselves. Those things happen. And some times it's a way to tease a colleague or a friend for his gaffe for a looong time. However, things could also turn into something really bad.
Apart of the funny side of the story, paying attention to customs and cultural differences can really give us better chances of acceptance by the local community. On the contrary, ignoring them not only could leave us in the sideline but unsuspectingly could get us into trouble.
As tourists in other countries or continents, we find it intriguing, amusing and part of our exploration to learn some things about this country's culture and every day habits.
And generally speaking, our tourist status could mitigate a cultural mistake.
But as new residents of a country aiming to the locals' embrace, we should be more careful in the basis of both being respectful and avoid any difficult situation.
We should realize that behavior and gestures are interpreted differently not only among continents or countries but also among cities.
So, let's do our homework in advance and be in the limelight !
