This is England: not all combs are the same
BRITAIN
- The Victory Sign . Raising your index finger and middle finger in a bar to ask the bartender for two beers is the worst thing you can do if you want to be treated properly. This gesture is something like a ‘made in England’ comb.
INDIA
- Use the left hand. Avoid using it (especially giving it to another person to greet them) because it is reserved for the functions of going to the bathroom or touching objects on the floor. It is also not recommended to use it to eat, give gifts or deliver money.
- Kissing in public. The display of affection during your stay in India is prohibited. It doesn't matter if you're on a honeymoon or a romantic getaway, you have to leave that for the hotel. Sexually explicit actions are highly offensive in this country. If we want to be discreet, it is best not to drink, so we will not do anything 'bad'.
- Wear shoes at home. It is a custom in many countries. If someone invites you to their house, you must take off your shoes when you enter. Otherwise your attitude will be considered rude or in bad taste.
- Touch things feet. The feet in the Indian culture are an interior part of the body, so you should avoid touching anything with it. If you do, apologize quickly. The word to use is ‘maaf kijiye!!’ ( ) .
In China, no getting angry in public
CHINA
- Drink without toasting. Doing so is a good way to limit alcohol consumption in a country where parties are accompanied by a large amount of wine. This system serves to show gratitude to the host and is a sign of respect towards the other guests.
- finish all the food . You are used to finishing everything when you move through Spain or go to visit your grandmother's house. There it is essential not to leave even a grain of rice on the plate, while in China you have to do just the opposite, otherwise the host will think that he did not provide you with enough food. A final burp will be the perfect way to say thank you.
- Getting angry in public. Public displays of anger are frowned upon by the Chinese and they find it especially uncomfortable if those who are angry are foreigners. It is better to swallow hard and leave the discussions for privacy.
The Russian toast, with Za Vas!
RUSSIA
- Smile at strangers. This gesture is considered in the countries of the former Soviet Union as something intimate. If you do, they will think that you are trying to flirt with that person.
- Belching in public is very frowned upon by the Russians, even if the sound is especially long and the author is proud of it. If you can't control it, avoid apologizing because you'll end up giving yourself away. To avoid this, the Russians pretend that nothing is happening and blame the dog.
- Enter footwear to a site. Wear socks or a pair of slippers (tapochki) left for you by the host of the visited house, but above all do not step on the expensive rugs that decorate Russian homes. They will block your way if you try to do it.
- To toast saying Na Zdorov'ye. Contrary to what many think, this expression is not used to toast but to give thanks for a meal. In Poland it is a traditional toast, but in Russia the phrase Za Vas! (VAHS ZUH; to you!)
- Transfer money from one hand to another. To pay in Russia you have to use a small box that you will find in stores and leave the money there, passing it from your hand to that of the clerk will be interpreted as a symbol of bad omen.
The shoes, prohibited in the temples
ITALY
- Enter a temple with legs and shoulders in the air. It is a rule that we must not only have when we go to the Vatican, we must follow it in all religious temples, otherwise we expose ourselves to not being allowed to pass. A good trick if it's summer and it's hot is to wear a scarf that serves to cover the shoulders or turn it into a long skirt as needed.
- Add Parmesan to the seafood paste. There is a culinary commandment for any Italian: cheese and seafood cannot go hand in hand. Mixing it is almost a sin, so if we want cheese, it is better to ask for another dish.
- Cut the spaghetti. That's what the spoon and fork are for, to be able to take them to the mouth without slurping and without having to cut them. If we have problems with this management, it is better to ask for short pasta.
MALAYSIA
- Use the index finger to point. It is not well seen and there is only one possible way to do it. To do this, close your fist and indicate with your thumb down. Otherwise it would be an obscene gesture.
KUWAIT
- OK gesture with the index finger and thumb. In some Middle Eastern countries, such as Kuwait, the ok sign means the evil eye.
In Italy, it is forbidden to cut spaghetti
THAILAND
- Enter a temple with shoes. It is a lack of respect to do so, you have to remove them as soon as you arrive and store them in the special booths at the entrance.
- touch someone's head because it is considered a sacred part of the body and this is especially if we talk about children. In the same way you can't touch your feet either because they are something unworthy and doing so is rude.
- go topless . Bathing without a bikini top may be fine in California or Caños de Meca, but totally inappropriate in Thailand. There you have to cover up and be discreet.
A gesture with multiple meanings
JAPAN
- Open gifts. If you receive one, you should avoid opening it in front of the person who made it for you. In Japan you have to wait for that person to leave the site in order to discover what is hidden behind the packaging.
- Touch someone else's chopsticks with your own. It is important not to pass the food from one toothpick to another, there must be a transfer with a plate in between. And at the end you can not cross the chopsticks on the plate because it can be considered a symbol of death.
- Leave a tip. Do not even think about it. The waiter may see it as an insult and will feel offended because he will think that he has not provided impeccable service.
- Sneeze in public. Do your best to control it and also avoid burping in front of people. It is considered rude to do so.
In Japan, everyone with their chopsticks
GREECE
- Make OK with the index finger and thumb. Be careful because if you dedicate this gesture to someone, they can interpret it in a very different way than we do in Spain. For us this is something like perfect whereas a Greek will think that you are calling him homosexual. It is exactly the same as in Turkey.
- Raise the palm of the hand as a 'stop' signal. Don't do it because the meaning has little to do with what you believe. Doing this in Greece is like telling someone to go to hell.
These are some of the main rules of behavior that exist abroad, but there are more. Therefore, in order not to screw up, we must follow that maxim that says 'wherever you go, do what you see'.
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