you should NOT do when traveling or living in the Middle East!
Some of these are based on personal experience, and some of them (fortunately) I was warned about beforehand!
5. DON'T turn down an offer of coffee or tea while you're visiting someone at their house. Take it and drink at least a sip, just as a formality, if you're not inclined to drink whatever it is they serve you.
4. DON'T be offended when people ask you how much your furniture, clothes, etc. cost. They're not trying to insult you; they want to see how much more you pay as a foreigner, or if they can get you a better deal. More often than not, they're trying to be helpful.
3. DON'T show the bottom of your feet (or soles of your shoes) to another person. It's ... well, I'll just say it's a very rude gesture.
2. DON'T automatically back down if someone offers something for free. Sometimes it's genuine, and sometimes it's just part of the bargaining process. Insist on paying for whatever item or food it is they give you.
1. DON'T be afraid to speak in Arabic, even if you only know a few words. People will be touched that you are trying to communicate with them in their heart language!
I'm sure there are others, but that's all I can think of right now.
Have you ever made a cultural faux pas while visiting another country?
6 comments:
I was just thinking about the time my mom and I visited Dawn in Prague. Dawn lived on the outskirts of town, and my mom and I decided to visit the local grocery store while Dawn was working...we didn't know that you weighed your own produce in the section, so the cashier kept trying to tell us in Czech. :) Needless to say, we didn't understand until we got back to Dawn's flat.
Ha ha, I did the same thing the first time I went to a grocery store in JO. I thought it was so weird. Can't these cashiers memorize produce codes? Not that hard. I even know the banana code: 4011. Lemons, 4033; garlic, 4068. And I never even worked at a grocery store!
That's such a cute photo..should print and frame it!
I've been to Bahrain a lot, it was nice to visit but I've always thought that the middle east would be a difficult place to live.Don't know if you feel that.
Though I have to say that reading your post I felt that there is a lot of similarity between them and Indians - I could relate to some things quite well, eg, the soles of the feet thing. In India one does not, usually, sleep with their feet pointing towards the "Puja" (which is a small little place of worship most Hindus have in their homes where they place the Gods and worship everyday. The word also means "to pray")
Hi Sharon! I learned the hard way to give gifts they like to receive and not the kind I like to give. A basket of baked cookies doesn't go over as well as a set of drinking glasses. :)
@crabbymommy -- Yes, the more I read your blog, the more I think the same thing! Even the styles of music have a lot of similarities.
@Kinzi -- Yes, that's been hard for me too. But, hayk fi sharq il'awsat!
Hi Sharon! What a great post. That is funny, in one of our training simulations we do, one of the cultures asks how much things cost. I never knew the intention behind the question. Thanks for explaining it.
I am definitely going to try and remember this post for the future.
I am trying to think of a post and I think Daniel and I did have some trouble in a grocery store in Barcelona with the baked items. Nothing ever too major.
Post a Comment