Do's and Don'ts for different cultures. • Non-Gaming • Travel • Eurogamer.net

DodgyPast 25 Nov 2005 05:48:35 9,353 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

Just wondering which ones people can think of.

Actually was thinking what are the no-no s in England and I actually couldn't think of many.

For the U.K.
Ask someone's age.
Ask how much they earn.
Eat with your mouth open.
Sniff
stare at someone
pick your nose
spit

For Thailand:
point at someone with a finger or your elbow.
reach over a person
blow your nose in public
your feet a very low... so don't point them at people or put them higher than someone's head... especially don't put your foot on a picture of the king's head ( e.g. money )
stare at someone
don't dress immodestly... especially if your going to a temple
take your shoes off before going into a house
don't open a present when your given it
use your right hand to give things to people
never lose your temper

Genji 25 Nov 2005 05:55:39 19,682 posts
Seen 10 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

It's important not to get too worked up about these things, important as they are. Most people are understanding if you stuff up every now and then.

DodgyPast 25 Nov 2005 08:51:41 9,353 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

MGSfan wrote:
In Thailand it's also illegal to speak ill of the royal family, isn't it?

Pretty much.

I suspect people do it anyway, but whatever.

oh boy is this one fun.

The Thai's are rightly very fond of the King, Queen and the eldest daughter, after that it gets a lot more complicated.

Friends might discuss others when in private.... the only time I've heard anything negative from strangers is in a taxi... but that just means taxi drivers are the same the world over.

ssuellid 25 Nov 2005 08:57:38 19,142 posts
Seen 2 days ago
Registered 20 years ago

Ex work collegue is a Thai and his Scottish wife said the worst Thai habit is the public nose picking. Family occasions around the dinner table or out eating and everyone starts nose picking.

GrandTheftApu 25 Nov 2005 09:15:45 6,117 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

Deleted user 25 November 2005 09:17:00

Don't drink someone elses pint.

squaylor 25 Nov 2005 09:21:10 3,737 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

When I was in Japan I was politely warned against blowing my nose in public too. Pointing directly with a finger is frowned upon, as is talking on your phone on the subway. Everyone snaps their phones shut when they board the train and then flip them open to start texting instead. The oddest one I came across was not eating and walking at the same time. Even ice-cream stalls have benches outside where you sit down and eat your green tea ice-cream before continuing. A Japanese lady I talked to said tht most of these guidelines are being flouted by today's youth - seems even in Japan the young'uns lack the respect of their parents generation. I don't think they have chavs, though. Yet.

DodgyPast 25 Nov 2005 09:42:29 9,353 posts
Seen 4 hours ago
Registered 16 years ago

ssuellid wrote:
Ex work collegue is a Thai and his Scottish wife said the worst Thai habit is the public nose picking. Family occasions around the dinner table or out eating and everyone starts nose picking.

it's quite unpleasant...

very popular with bored students in class.

but put your hands in your pockets and it's apparently very rude.

Deleted user 25 November 2005 09:50:39

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

It's what makes our country great dammit! Queueing and tea!

Every visitor to the country should be warned that jumping a queue (especially a queue for a nice cup of tea) leaves you liable to being tutted at and for old ladies to purse their lips at you. Not pleasant.

Salaman 25 Nov 2005 09:59:59 24,162 posts
Seen 6 days ago
Registered 17 years ago

Belgium:

Not finish your drink. Sorry, you MUST finish your glass, then we can go to the next pub/let you start the next galss, etc.
There's a bit of margin to play with, you can get away with deserting a glass with say a finger worth of beer at the bottom but no more.

Germany:
A few that I noticed. There's a certain amount of "protocol" involved in celebrations.
Any proper celebration will involve a toast with a glass of champagne (or non champagne sparkly wine).
This does not involve everyone raising there glass and shouting "cheers!", this means you all *clink* your glass together individually with everyone else.

When toasting with an indiviual, you must look them in the eye.
When a lot of people are all toasting, you musn't cross accross each other.

Greetings were slightly different (for me as a Belgian) as well.

A Belgian arriving to meet a group of his friends will casually raise his hand to the group at large and say "hey all", giving the people nearest to him an individual greeting, maybe an individual wave or nod to the rest.
A German will greet each person individually with a handshake (eye contact please) a kiss or hug for tghe girls, possibly a bear-hug for closer befriended guys.

Greeting people you don't know is a lot more common in Germany as well I thought.
People will acknowledge each other with a nod or even say "good day" in the street.
Everyone you pass as you come into work gets a "good morning", everyone you pass in the corridor as you walk around work gets a good day or a nod of acknowledgement.
In Belgium & here in the UK, people will just walk past each other.

Colleagues you pass at lunchtime will wish each other "Mahlzeit" which I found very bizarre but that may have been local.

People leaving will also wish everyone they pass a "Shoenen Feierabend"

Same in the shops.
A Belgian shop keeper will greet you, take your orderm thank you and say goodbye, yes.
But somehow, the German exchanges are a lot more elaborate.
There's always a bit of "thank you have a good day" "thank you and you too".
"Have a good night" "thanks have a good night as well"

it seems somewhat over the top at first and as I wandered past colleagues lost in thoughts, I was startled by their greetings sometimes and found it annoying. You soon get used to it though and it does make life more pleasant in a way, everyone sbeing cheerfully friendly

Other weird Don't:
Don't cross a street on a red light if young children are waiting at said red light. It's seriously frowned upon.

Funny Do:
Alcohol in public. Enter a subway on a Friday or Saturday and 40% of the people will have a bottle of beer or other drink in their hand. People pick them up at the "kiosk" on their way to a party and start having one on the way there.

GrandTheftApu 25 Nov 2005 10:20:17 6,117 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

In a number of countries I've been to (China, India) staring is not considered rude at all, so you have to get used to people openly gawping at you. I can be a bit disconcerting, such as in a train station in china trying to repack some items in my rucksack with over 300 people watching intently.

Deleted user 25 November 2005 10:35:10

Salaman wrote:
Belgium:

Not finish your drink. Sorry, you MUST finish your glass, then we can go to the next pub/let you start the next galss, etc.
There's a bit of margin to play with, you can get away with deserting a glass with say a finger worth of beer at the bottom but no more.

It's not just the social acceptability of not finishing your drink. It's also the fear of Ray Liotta turning up on your doorstep and berating you for it!

Same in the shops.
A Belgian shop keeper will greet you, take your orderm thank you and say goodbye, yes.

Other weird Don't:
Don't cross a street on a red light if young children are waiting at said red light. It's seriously frowned upon.

I always say hello, thank you and goodbye to people in shops too. Is that odd? Thought it was just polite!

I don't cross on red lights when kids are there either. Don't want to teach them bad habits or risk them running out with me i suppose. Actually, i don't even cross if someone's training their dog to sit at the kerb and wait before crossing

Salaman 25 Nov 2005 11:08:45 24,162 posts
Seen 6 days ago
Registered 17 years ago

Fozzie_bear wrote:

Same in the shops.
A Belgian shop keeper will greet you, take your orderm thank you and say goodbye, yes.

Other weird Don't:
Don't cross a street on a red light if young children are waiting at said red light. It's seriously frowned upon.

I always say hello, thank you and goodbye to people in shops too. Is that odd? Thought it was just polite!

No not really. It's what is polite and it's what you do.
It just seems more elaborate in Germany.

Here's a Belgian shop convo:
-Hi
*Hello, I'd like XYZ
- there you are, thank you. Bye
* good night

Here's a German shop convo:
- Hi
* Hello, I'd like XYZ please
- There you are thank you.
* Thank you
- You have a good night then
* Oh thank you, you have a lovely night as well, ok?

It's just different. A bit more elaborate and it always seems very sincere, not just a pro-forma exchange bein rambled off.

smoothpete 25 Nov 2005 11:27:25 37,743 posts
Seen 7 hours ago
Registered 17 years ago

squaylor wrote:
Everyone snaps their phones shut when they board the train and then flip them open to start texting instead.

Interesting you should say that. My mate travelled on the train there a lot, she said there would be groups of rowdy youths on their way to a night out, as soon as they got on the train they shut up and sat in silence, then as soon as they got off it was back to being rowdy again

Edited by smoothpete at 11:34:22 25-11-2005

sam_spade 25 Nov 2005 13:11:02 15,745 posts
Seen 1 week ago
Registered 20 years ago

Cyprus: Say hello to people you are approaching. Don't expect older people to say hello as you walk up to them, they just won't because they are waiting for you to start pleasantries.

Milk 25 Nov 2005 13:18:18 2,253 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

I unfortunatley have nothing to contribute to this thread, but I just thought I'd post and say that I'm enjoying reading it none the less...

/also enjoys the HSBC adverts

Salaman 25 Nov 2005 13:45:01 24,162 posts
Seen 6 days ago
Registered 17 years ago

rdexter: I was living in Cologne

Another US:
No-no: wearing the same clothes 2 days in a row
I think it's changedchanging in Belgium but you'd usually wear your same clothes to school 2 days in a row, or even a third. Then you put them in the laundry as they are indeed dirty.

In the US you couldn't do that. You'd wear something one day, then hang it up again and wear somethign else, then wear it a second time later.

Also a big no-no in the US, use of profanity.
A bit annoying as English profane words are very proliferated in non native English speaking countries and as they are foreign words, they seem fairly inoffensive and noone takes offense.
So Shit, fuck, damned were a regular part of my vocabulary as I arrived in the States. They were an equally regular part of all the other kid's vocubulary as well as long as they were amongst themselves.

They have the long since trained themselves to swap to fudge, sugar and darned when at home or adults are around.

Not me, oh no. I was fully unaware of making a faux-pas when visiting a friends house and saying "aaw fuck" when his dad was neaby.
:-/

Not a no-no but cultural differnce nevertheless. Kleenex vs cloth handkerchiefs.
The first time I pulled out my handkerchief in class, blew my nose and stuffed it back in my pants, I god a few O_o o_O faces. They thought I'd just blown my nose in my sleeve.
Pulling out the handkerchief to show them what really happened didn't change the look on their face much.
They found the idea of blowing your nose in a piece of cloth and then carrying said piece of cloth around with you all day in your pocket with the explelled mucus and snot in it a bit repulsive.
I guess it is in a way.

Deleted user 25 November 2005 13:51:01

rdexter wrote:
Another thing: In the US it's customary to introduce people to each other. So when you are with a friend and meet another friend (who doesn't know the friend you are with) you introduce them to each other. Nice thing. Loosens up conversation.

Noticed that in florida a few years back. Quite odd at first but it makes you feel very welcome.

Got onto a big rollercoaster and a mulleted bloke a few years older than me sat next to me. Chatted all the way round and by the end i'd been introduced to his two kids in the car infront and he to my sister and gf in the car behind.

MetalDog 25 Nov 2005 13:55:11 24,076 posts
Seen 3 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

I think in the UK eye contact is fairly discouraged, to the point where, even when you're supposed to be looking at someone, if you don't know them very well the tendancy is to have your gaze skitter around the room on a regular basis. Prolonged eye contact being so unusual it's uncomfortable to recieve or to give.

Ginger 25 Nov 2005 13:58:04 7,256 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 19 years ago

Salaman wrote:
Other weird Don't:
Don't cross a street on a red light if young children are waiting at said red light. It's seriously frowned upon.

Ahh, I got this a few years ago in Munich. Causally strolled across the road, not even at a crossing and one of the locals started having a go in German. I couldn't understand, but one of the people I was with explained I was being berated for setting a bad example to the children...

pjmaybe 25 Nov 2005 14:01:53 70,666 posts
Seen 12 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

It's pretty much lost here too. Don't even get me started on the amount of fights I've nearly had in bus queues because of ignorant c*nts ignoring the fact that there's a queue a mile long yet they absolutely positively must get on first, and ensure that they have a double seat all to themselves / put their bag on the seat next to 'em so some other poor fucker cant' sit down.

Peej

GrandTheftApu 25 Nov 2005 14:04:17 6,117 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

Starnge I've never seen a queue for a bus in this country, normally the bus arrives and people get on in order of who is nearest the doors.

Ginger 25 Nov 2005 14:10:53 7,256 posts
Seen 2 weeks ago
Registered 19 years ago

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Starnge I've never seen a queue for a bus in this country, normally the bus arrives and people get on in order of who is nearest the doors.

Yup, You should see the trains in salisbury in the morning. It's a whacking great bundle to the doors

Deleted user 25 November 2005 14:15:21

pjmaybe wrote:

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

It's pretty much lost here too. Don't even get me started on the amount of fights I've nearly had in bus queues because of ignorant c*nts ignoring the fact that there's a queue a mile long yet they absolutely positively must get on first, and ensure that they have a double seat all to themselves / put their bag on the seat next to 'em so some other poor fucker cant' sit down.

Peej

"Excuse me. Would you mind aksing your bag if it minds if i sit down?" usually works

pjmaybe 25 Nov 2005 14:18:53 70,666 posts
Seen 12 years ago
Registered 20 years ago

I gave up being polite about it. Now I just sit on their bag. It's amazing how quickly they move it.

Peej

bivith 25 Nov 2005 14:55:20 2,469 posts
Seen 3 hours ago
Registered 17 years ago

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

But surely a queue is an inevitable phenomenon?? What happens in other countries? do they just beat each other up?

Dynamize 25 Nov 2005 14:56:59 1,672 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 19 years ago

I've often wondered that too. What with all the "haha, you Brits and your queuing." stuff. Well, what other method is there?

Edited by Dynamize at 14:57:43 25-11-2005

Milk 25 Nov 2005 15:00:14 2,253 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 17 years ago

Dynamize wrote:
I've often wondered that too. What with all the "haha, you Brits and your queuing." stuff. Well, what other method is there?

Heh, you have never seen Italians queuing for something have you?

squaylor 25 Nov 2005 15:01:52 3,737 posts
Seen 8 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

I hate resorting to stereotypes, but I was queueing for a ticket at Piacenza railway station in Northern Italy once. There were three queues, patiently waiting for the three ticket windows to open. As soon as the first one did, everyone left their neat queue and pile forward into a mass of people. It was really funny - almost as if the act of standing in a line was the key thing, irrespective of where the line was or where it finished. The other good thing was that the waiting lounge had an original 1980's Supersprint arcade machine, complete with twirly steering wheel...

edit - proving Milk's point...

Edited by squaylor at 15:02:22 25-11-2005

GrandTheftApu 25 Nov 2005 15:04:12 6,117 posts
Seen 2 years ago
Registered 18 years ago

bivith wrote:

GrandTheftApu wrote:
Queueing etiquette is very important in Britain but not always observed elsewhere.

But surely a queue is an inevitable phenomenon?? What happens in other countries? do they just beat each other up?

Well an embryonic queue of say 3 people forms, then the next person to arrive goes and stand to one side of the person at the front; the two people already queueing go to the other side of the person at the front and it deteriorates from there.