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

E-mail etiquette tips

E-mail allows you to communicate privately, one-on-one, with friends and family, and it can be a lot of fun. But technical issues can affect how your message is sent, and what it looks like once it gets to wherever it's going. It seems very complicated, but thankfully, it isn't really, because almost every piece of online etiquette advice can be boiled down to just two e-mail etiquette tips: format well and forward well.

1. Formatting

The subject line: Please put one in! And make it useful enough that people can tell at a glance what the message is about. This makes it easier for people who sort their messages by subject, and subject lines such as "re: your message," "please read," or "hi!" don't offer any incentive to open your message right away. A lot of people categorically delete forwarded messages as well, so if you are forwarding something and you want it to be read, delete the "Fw" that your email program will add when you hit reply.

The "to" line: This is probably the first blank in the e-mail message, the line where you type the other person's address. If you are replying to someone else's message, this might already be filled in for you. Before you send the message, double check which addressees are on this line. If you are replying to a message that was sent to more than one person, your e-mail program might have put all of their e-mails in, and the message might not need to go to everyone. "Reply" is one command. "Reply to all" is something different. If you get them confused, you'll wind up cluttering everyone's e-mail inbox with extra messages. Before you send the message, do a quick scan of the "to" and "cc" lines and make sure that only one address is there - unless your message really does need to go to the entire group.

Replying: Many e-mail programs helpfully copy the text of the message you are answering into the message you are sending. This can be wonderful because it allows you to quote the message and reply point by point. But it can be tedious if the message you are answering was very long. It is considered polite to "snip" the message: to cut out all the text except the lines you are directly responding to. Long messages that haven't been snipped are slower to load and slower to read, especially if they finally get to your response and find only a one-word "I agree" for their trouble.

Formatting: Try to make your type as easy to read as possible. Tab, bold, italic and other text formatting options may be available in your email program, but if the other person is using a plain-text reader, they won't be able to see it, or worse, their system may translate your formatting into a slew of meaningless cluttering symbols. Use plain text only, and avoid using capital letters for emphasis: that's considered shouting.

Signatures: The signature allows you to add text automatically to the end of every message: e-mail or phone numbers are often included, but some people try to liven up their e-mails by appending little quotes or jokes as well. This can be a fun way to express yourself, but keep it short: under three lines is considered acceptable. And if you include anything beyond your name and e-mail address, change it from time to time to keep things light.

2. Forwarding

Attachments are useful. They allow you to send documents, photos or even programs to other people. But because they take longer to download and they can contain viruses, they may be viewed as an annoyance by the recipient. Rule number one then is to be frugal. Send attachments only when necessary. Files are fine, and photos are generally all right if you don't send more than one with each message. But that cute little animated fish that someone on your e-mail list sent you - maybe not.

Message forwards: Urban legends, cute little poems and anecdotes and virus warnings can sometimes seem urgent or amusing, but by the time you send it along, most people have already seen it. Keep in mind that genuine virus dangers are often reported in the mainstream media, so it is very unlikely that your e-mail will truly alert someone who didn't already know. And most urban legends on the net are hoaxes.

Before you forward that story about the little girl with cancer who is trying to set a world record for e-mails, or the sister's cousin's friend who was stuck with an HIV-infected needle at the Santa Claus parade, check an urban legend site such as snopes.com to see if it has already been identified as a hoax. And if a message tells you to "forward this to everyone you know," please don't.

Source: MSN

How to deal with Nosy questions....

How to handle (and sometimes even ask) the nosiest questions:

Nosy question: How much do you weigh?



How to respond: "Enough" or "I don't know -- whenever I step on the scale, it says, 'Perfect,'" suggests Claudia Michelle Wallace, a comedian with Chicago's Second City. Or try responding in a cleverly vague way: "The British would say I weigh nine stone" or "One and a half Mary Kate Olsens."

How to ask: Don't. The only people who have a legitimate reason for asking this question are doctors, your personal trainer, and the amusement-park carny who runs the Guess Your Weight game (but even he shouldn't ask, since he's supposed to be guessing).

Nosy question: How old are you?

How to respond: "I'm old enough to know better." You can also claim a ridiculous age, or say, "I'm aging rapidly just thinking about it," says Amy Dickinson, author of the Chicago Tribune advice column Ask Amy. "Or try Dustin Hoffman's response in Tootsie," says Dickinson. "'Age means nothing to me -- I'm a character actress!'"


How to ask: Flattery will get you everywhere: "You're so accomplished for your age! What are you -- 25? You look like it." Or casually mention your last high school reunion, or where you were when some major historical event occurred. The person may chime in with a story that will help you do the math.


Nosy question: What's your salary?

How to respond: Be deliberately vague. You can say, "I do OK" or "I'd like to make more." If the person presses on, let your parents take the fall: Say, "My mother told me to never discuss money," and stop there. "Don't explain your response -- simply change the subject," says Dickinson.

How to ask: If you're trying to find out how much a particular job or industry pays, phrase it in this manner: "What could I expect to make as an account executive?"

Nosy question: What did you do on your date last night?

How to respond: "The usual -- dinner, dancing, hot-air-balloon ride." Most of the time, you don't have to answer someone's nosy question directly. You can creatively answer around it. The person asking is probably trying to find out whether you had a good time. So tell him if you did (or didn't) and leave it at that.

How to ask: Don't ask specifics. (Do you need to know where they had dinner, how long the date lasted, etc.?) Simply ask if they had fun. They'll cough up details if they want to.

Nosy question: How much is your rent/mortgage?

How to respond: "Rents in this building go for..." Or say, "I have a great Realtor you should try." This gives your friend information without compromising your privacy. Asking about someone's mortgage is more invasive. Simply say, "That's between me and my bank" or "My credo is to not discuss anything about money."

How to ask: Wait for the right moment, such as a dinner with a group of friends who are all in the throes of house hunting. Still, don't ask for specifics. Instead, make it general: "How much do houses go for around this neighborhood?"" If your friends are comfortable talking about it, they may offer up their price, but don't expect it.

Nosy question: How much did you pay for those shoes?

How to respond: Simply say, "I don't remember -- I have no idea," "They weren't much," or "They were a treat for myself." Most of the time, this is a harmless, innocent question -- the person is admiring your shoes and thinking about them for herself, not probing into how much importance you place on material objects or how much money you have.


How to ask: Instead of asking the price, ask where she got the shoes or what the brand is, then go find out how much they cost.

Nosy question: What Was Your Doctor's Appointment For?

How to respond: "You don't want to know" (said with a smile) or "I'm just fine -- thanks for asking." You don't have to go into any detail. A vague answer will satisfy most people. They will understand you don't want to answer and back away.


How to ask: Don't ask specifics -- just express your concern. "Is everything OK? Can I help you with anything?" That shows you care without invading privacy.


Nosy question: Why are you all dressed up? Did you have a job interview?

How to respond: "I just wanted to dress up" or "Isn't every day a job interview?" This is often just a comment, not a real question, "so it doesn't necessarily require a response," says Marjorie Brody, an executive coach and the author of "Professional Impressions.


How to ask: Try the "butter up" method: "What a gorgeous outfit! What's the occasion?" You've tossed out the bait. If she wants to pick it up, she will. Otherwise, let it slide.

Nosy question: Why did you call in sick?

How to respond: "I wasn't feeling well." Then stop right there. No one needs to know about your gastrointestinal distress.

How to ask: Make sure it's clear you're asking because you are genuinely concerned about the person, not because you're the work-attendance police. Deliver this question lightly and with concern, not in an accusatory manner.

Nosy question: What was that you were talking about?

How to respond: "The price of tea in China." "Nothing exciting enough to share." This question is often used as an entrance into a conversation. If the question comes from someone who overheard a phone conversation, apologize for talking so loud.

How to ask: It's all about the context. If you walk by a group of friends and they're laughing, you may be able to break in and say, "Did I miss something fun?" But don't presume that your need to know is greater than their need to continue the conversation.



source: CNN