Living abroad does not only require learning a new
language, but also adapting to a foreign culture. Each
culture have its customs and traditions which can be
very different- even shocking- from your own culture.
Out that there are many more cultural habits to get
used to than just adapting to using chopsticks in China,
or burping to express satisfaction after a meal in Arabic
countries!
In a country like GERMANY, you will see people
knocking on their table rather than clapping to
applaud at the end of a master class or a really good
meeting.
In Beer-land clapping is reserved for theater and
concerts! And talking about beer, if you want to
respect German customs, don’t forget to clink
glasses and say Prost! every single time you start
a new beverage.
Have you never noticed how people introduce themselves in
SPAIN? Spaniards are well-known for being loud and friendly. If
you happen to visit Spain, don’t be surprised if a girl kisses you
twice - once on one cheek and once on the other cheek- to
introduce herself. It’s the Spanish way of saying “Hello!”
Do you like cheese? If so, when you stay with a French host
family make sure to spare some space in your stomach for
the dessert. In FRANCE people tend to enjoy a cheese tasting
plate accompanied by a good red wine after meals.
Oh! And remember: if you are drinking a red wine and
want to change to white wine, please don’t pour it in the
same glass without cleaning it beforehand, if you don’t
want to be the laughingstock of the party.
Italians are very superstitious and for them, nuns and
ambulances are associated with death. So if you plan to spend
your holidays in ITALY and you bump into one of them, don’t
hesitate and bless yourself with the sign of the Cross… Just in
case!
Now a little further afield, in RUSSIA you will discover that
you receive a light stamp if you accidentally step on
someone’s foot. Why? The first thought that will come to
your mind is that it’s due to revenge. Far from this, Russians
do that to avoid future conflict with this person.
In some ASIAN COUNTRIES such as China, Korea or Japan, a
sign of approval and appreciation of someone’s cooking is to
slurp the soup loudly - what is considered rude in most
western countries.
These are some amazing cultural facts driven by
external factors such as religion, idiosyncrasy or even
geography, which determine the way people behave.
Because…to sum up: we are all human beings, but our
lifestyles are exceptionally diverse!
Burping: noisily release air
from the stomach
through the mouth;
belch.
Suffer: experience or be
subjected to (something
bad or unpleasant).
Laughingstock: a person
subjected to general
mockery or ridicule.
Hesitate: pause before saying
or doing something, especially
through uncertainty.
Slurp: eat or drink (something)
with a loud sloppy sucking
noise.
Foreign: of, from, in, or
characteristic of a country or
language other than one's own.
Clink: a sharp ringing sound,
such as that made when metal
or glass are struck.
Themselves: used as the object of
a verb or preposition to refer to a
group of people or things
previously mentioned as the
subject of the clause.
superstitious: having or
showing a belief in
superstitions.
Further: at, to, or by a greater distance
(used to indicate the extent to which one
thing or person is or becomes distant
from another).
In India is usually to see two men walking holding
hands. This doesn’t mean that they are in a romantic
relationship. This is just a sign of friendship. On the
other hand, you will never see a couple expressing
their love in public in India.