6 embarrassingcultural mistakes you should never make abroad
Learningabout another ｃountry's cultures while you travel is all part of the fun — butnot knowing enough in advance can sometimes lead to accidental offense. Thesesix cultural norms are unknown by many Western travelers, so take careon your next trip abroad!
Observing your surroundings and using goodcommon sense can also help you avoid mishap — wethink most people would know not to make the shocking fourth mistakeon this list (but sometimes, people can surprise us).
1. Don't Raise Your Arm to Wave in Greece
To most Westerners, waving seems like a friendlygesture, and one you'd never expect to be misinterpreted. But in Greece, takecare.
"Generally you don't want to raise your armand wave your hand to say 'hi' to someone, as to a Greek it means, well,F-U," says James Stathis, President of CelebrateGreece.com.Specifically, the insulting gesture is called a mountza and typically involves extending all five fingerswhile raising your arm.
2. Don't Blow Your Nose at the Table in China
This isn't considered particularly politeanywhere, but in many Western ｃountries no one would look at you askance if youhad to use a tissue at a meal. But in China blowing your nose in public at allis a major faux pas. "Chinese people find it disgusting if you blowyour nose at a table," Veronika Hradilikovafrom travelgeekery.com says.
Emily Minor, Shopping Tour Guide atwww.shoppingtoursshanghai.com, agrees, and equates it to how Westerners reactto the Chinese habit of spitting out phlegm in public. "The phlegm isspat out harshly almost anywhere on the sidewalk, in a trash can,even sometimes on the carpet and then ground in with a foot. We think thisis disgusting they believe it is necessary to expel the 'cold' andharmful things that will make you sick," she explains. "Chineseview us blowing our noses as equally disgusting, especially when we tuckthe used tissue into our pocket or purse."
So if you're in China and feel the urge to blowyour nose, it would be more acceptable to hock a loogie instead.
Some other tips for traveling in China? Don'twear a green hat, which in China means that you are a cuckold, accordingto Minor. And don't be surprised to see Chinese children peeing in public,which Minor says is considered acceptable there.
3. Don't Shake Hands over the Threshold of aDoor in Russia
Shaking hands with someone may be a gesture ofgreeting in many parts of the world, but in Russia you have to be careful whereyou do it. Redditor JohnnyJournalist described accidentally trying toshake the hand of his host father in Russia over the threshold of a door, whichis considered extremely unlucky. "He literally smacked [my hand] away andswore at me — saying I was not allowed to stay in his house. I was allowed inafter my host mother berated him for being impolite, but that night hehad that look in his eye when we exchanged glances like you sorcerer! I didbuy him a bottle of vodka a day later and all was forgotten," hewrote.
4. Don't Ask for an Irish Car Bomb in an IrishPub
In the U.S., an Irish Car Bomb is a common namefor a cocktail made up of Guinness and Baileys, in which you ｄrop a shot ofBailey's into the Guinness before drinking (or chugging). The name should provide a clue to manythat it's probably not a polite drink to order in Ireland.
But unfortunately, not everyone. Parag Raja, CEOof TravelMore.co, said he was in Dublin with a group of Americans whenthey ordered a round. "They weren't aware of the treacheroushistory of car bombs in Ireland and the bartender was so offended that hekicked them out of the bar and said that it was the equivalent of anIrishman going to New York and asking for a round of 9/11s. Needless tosay, they learned their lesson," he says.
5. Don't Accept Anything with Your Left Hand ina Hindu or Middle Eastern Country
In many Middle Eastern ｃountries and ｃountrieswith large Hindu populations, such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore, the lefthand is considered the bathroom hand — the one that you use for clean-up aftera trip to the toilet.
In these ｃountries, "it is considereddisrespectful to offer or accept anything with your left hand, especially food.This is especially true if you visit a temple and choose to make an offeringand/or participate in a prayer or ceremony where you are asked to takesomething such as holy water," says Sriram Srinivasan, travel bloggerfor UPGRD.com.
6. In an Asian Country, Don't Wear Your Shoes inSomeone's Home
In Asian ｃountries, it is expected, andrespectful, to remove your shoes before entering someone's home. In someｃountries people eat at low tables while sitting on the floor, and sleep on thefloor on futons, making it especially important for the floor to beclean — and dirty shoes are considered especially offensive in houses that havereligious altars set up inside.
We've even enｃountered this tradition in certainparts of Asian hotels at the Santhiya Koh Phangan Resort & Spa, guestswere expected to remove their shoes before entering the lobby building.Tourists are asked to remove shoes before entering many local shops in Thailandas well.
Article Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/embarrassing-cultural-mistakes-you-should-never-make-abroad-2015-6
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Offense(n.) ~ annoyance brought about by a perceived insult or disregard
2. Norm(n.) ~ something that is usual, typical, or standard
3. Mishap (n.) ~ an unlucky accident
4. Faux pas (n.) ~ an embarrassing act or remark ina social situation
5. Cuckold (n.) ~ a husband with an adulterous wife
6. Berate (v.) ~ scold or criticize someone angrily
7. Treacherous (adj.) ~ guilty of or involvingbetrayal or deception
8. Futon (n.) ~ a flat mattress
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Have you ever been to any of the ｃountriesmentioned in the article? If yes, which one/s? If no, which one/s would youlike to visit in the future
2. Are there any “no-no” social behaviors in yourｃountry? Give examples.
3. How important is it forforeigners to respect the culture of the ｃountry they are visiting? Discussyour answer.
