There is little more eye-opening than traveling to another country. With just one or a few more plane rides, your surroundings suddenly change from the familiar to things you may have never experienced before – the language, the money, the architecture, the food, and – this is a biggie – the social norms.
It’s so easy to make a social faux pas when you’re in a foreign country. And yes, of course, the “locals” are going to immediately know you’re “not from there” (it’s more than going to a country where the people’s skin may be a different color than yours – I’m talking about how Americans can be identified by their dress and demeanor, just as I can point out British tourists all over Orlando without hearing them say a word) and might give you a pass if you make a social mistake (but you may wind up helping where you live to win the award for the country with worst behaved tourists). But I, for one, would rather fit in when it comes to social and cultural norms, if I can. Here are a few things you may or may not have known about how they do things in:
Continue reading “Learning The Social & Cultural Norms Of A Foreign Country Before You Visit, So You Don’t Look Like A Jerk”
