Travel Etiquette - When in Rome....

Remember when an Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at George Bush on a recent farewell tour in Iraq? Bush later said that that incident was one of the weirdest of his life. But anyone who understands Middle Eastern culture knew that exposing the sole of the shoe to someone is considered a strong sign of disrespect. It is not a weird incident, just a part of Middle Eastern culture. Unfortunately, too many of us have travelled to a foreign country only to be bamboozled by the strangeness of their customs. It does not have to be that way, as long as travellers understand a culture and display the proper etiquette.





Etiquette is the code of principles, such as respect and honour, in any given society. It is really the manner in which you convey those principles to others that can be a little tricky and may make others feel uncomfortable. Travellers want to experience new cultures and live in the moment, but they should also be careful not to offend the locals. There are many ways to travel the world and still be respectful of every local culture you visit, but most of us do not have the time study cultures extensively. The first thing you can do is pick up a book about the country you are visiting. Most travel books have an etiquette section to give you a brief overview of cultural mores.



Meeting And Greeting


Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, meeting your foreign hosts in the correct manner is crucial to achieving a good first impression. If you are unsure of how a greeting should take place, wait for your host to offer the greeting first.



In Europe, North and South America, a greeting usually consists of a firm handshake, eye contact and a smile. In China and Japan, a handshake will suffice, but your host may bow down to greet you. In the Middle East, your handshake should be gentle and should be accompanied with a smile. Men should not shake a woman's hand unless she initiates the handshake. In relaxed occasions, women may greet each other with a kiss on each cheek.




Dress Code


Many cultures around the world have not yet accepted the idea of women walking around in booty shorts and men walking around topless. Your safest bet is to stick to conservative, comfortable clothing. For business, men should always wear a tailored business suit with a tie. He should be well groomed. In North and South America and in Europe, women can wear a business suit as well. In Middle Eastern and Asian countries, women should opt for a long skirt and long sleeved shirt or blazer. Women in business suits may come off as too aggressive and masculine in many Asian cultures. No matter where the destination, women must always keep makeup to a minimum so as to appear professional.



International Etiquette


Here are some etiquette tips for some of the most visited countries around the world:



Mexico: Keep your hands above the table at all times.



Germany: Use a fork and knife to eat sandwiches, fruits and most other foods.



Austria: Always arrive on time to social engagements.



France: Do not be nosy, as the French value their privacy.



China: Do not click your fingers or whistle in China; it's considered very rude.



Spain: Never be late for a bullfight, but it is okay to be up to 30 minutes late for any other social engagement.



Italy: Never burp in public and try not to yawn in front of others.



Syria: It is a sign of respect to take off your shoes when you enter someone's home.



UK: Always wait for your host to begin eating before you do.



US: If you are offered a second helping of food, accept it.



When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do


Before embarking on your journey or business trip, research your destination country to learn a bit about their culture so that you do not offend the locals. If you are ever in doubt about your behaviour, just do as the locals do.



Remember, just because something is different does not mean it is wrong. Customs, behaviours and religious practices are unique to every culture and should be respected when you are in someone else's home. Differences in culture should not be considered deficiencies; they are just different.

by: zafana zahili

It's Monday, you could die today....

Yet another study has determined that Monday is the worst day of the week for your heart. I don't mean Monday is bad for your heart because that's the day most people tend to break up. In fact, I really have no idea which day of the week people favour as a breaking-up day, although Monday does sound a good bet. What I do mean is that several studies have found that more people die from heart attacks (and strokes) on Monday than on any other day of the week, especially Monday mornings.

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers looked at all deaths in Scotland attributed to cardiac causes between the years 1986 and 1995, of which there were lots because Scotland has one of the world's highest rates of death from heart attack and stroke, most of which is attributed to all that smoking and sitting around and eating badly that is standard fare in the country of kilts and clans.

The researchers not only found that, as expected, the death rate from coronary events was indeed higher in all age groups on Mondays, but that it was particularly elevated in people under the age of 50.

Why? 2 probable reasons. First, there is the cardiac response to all that heavy "binge" drinking that so many younger people indulge in on the weekend, and younger Scots, as they will quickly acknowledge, take a back seat to no one in how hard they party.

Then there's also the Monday morning anticipation - "dread" or "bitterness" are better words, I think - of another week of uninviting and often poorly compensated labour which is probably enough to push the hearts of some high risk people over the edge.

So what can you do with this news? Well, you can, I suppose, tone down your partying on weekends, especially if you are younger and already have some heart disease risks, as so many more younger people tend to have these days. Or you can do what my son did when I told him of these findings early one Sunday morning before I left to do my weekend call-in show. His reply? "These results clearly mean, dad, that you shouldn't start the week until Tuesday afternoon." And then he went back to sleep.

That kid is going to be a scientist one day, I think. Either that or unemployed.

Source: Yahoo