International Faux Pas
As an anthropology nut, I must tell you the single most important thing you should do before traveling overseas is to learn a little bit of the culture. Throw in some language too and people will be nicer, you’ll have an easier time getting around, and the understanding you gain will give you an appreciation for the country and people you encounter.
Get a book on the place you plan to go. Until then I found a nice little list of faux pas (things that will rub people the wrong way) across the globe. I selected the following countries for a variety of reasons, but you can check out the entire list here. Of course, nothing is better than the real thing, if you have anything to add, we’d love to hear it.
Thanks!
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Check out what others are saying about this post...[...] people as they interact, as the picture above from a park in France demonstrates. Proxemics, like international faux pas, are highly culturally variable should be brushed up upon before venturing to a new place – [...]
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[...] Be Nice Without A Smile – It almost goes without saying but be polite. A smile might give you away as naive though because in many places it’s an international faux pas. [...]
[...] 10 minutes before you go and research online. Read about the safe and sketchy parts of town, any local faux pas, and common scams.An image search on Flickr or Google of the people gives you an idea of what [...]
[...] people as they interact, as the picture above from a park in France demonstrates. Proxemics, like international faux pas, are highly culturally variable should be brushed up upon before venturing to a new place – [...]
[...] why you can still bargain if you don’t know the local language. You should always check your international faux pas before venturing to a new locale, but know that through evolution, some facial expressions and body [...]
[...] on the time or amount of alcohol you can purchase.As always, do your best to blend in and avoid international faux pas to get the best experiance to avoid fraud and have fun![photo by: [...]