16 Gestures Can Get You in Trouble Abroad

oh you're dining in paris with a full belly of french onion soup and a mouthful of double chocolate souffle okay enough of that bad accent the waiter approaches asking how your meal was and mouthful you give a satisfied expression and make the a-ok gesture you expect to see happiness on the waiter's face but he looks at you with irritation well it turns out that making a circle with your index finger and thumb does not mean okay in certain countries in france it means zero or worthless instead of praising the delicious food you called it worthless oops in venezuela turkey and brazil it's a hand gesture you shouldn't use either in these countries this is a sign that will offend pretty much anyone you flash it at nuff said just give them your biggest smile and wait till you finish what's in your mouth to give your proper thanks all over the world giving a thumbs up is seen as a positive thing it's an expression of your liking towards something that everything is good in parts of italy west africa iran and greece though it carries a stigma as an incredibly offensive gesture when visiting malaysia you use this digit to point at things so next time you're trying to hitchhike in these countries you should reconsider sticking your thumb out for a ride you might never get picked up trying to order two of anything or showing someone the peace sign in the uk australia or new zealand is fine as long as you don't have your hand the wrong way do this just you're wrong and you're giving a very offensive hand signal which isn't going to win you many friends so make sure that when you have your index and middle fingers pointed up in the v shape your palm is facing outwards and you'll have a great time mate bowing is used a lot in east asian cultures to greet each other and guests the deeper the bow is the more respect you are being given fortunately most japanese don't expect foreigners to understand the bowing etiquette right away they'll generally also accept a handshake or a nod but being familiar and practicing your bowing etiquette before going to japan will impress all the locals how low can you go using your index fingers is considered impolite in several european latin american and african nations it's particularly rude in china japan and indonesia when pointing at a person the gesture might be taken as you singling someone out to blame or insult them if you ask for directions in the philippines you might be left scratching your head wondering where they're pointing don't be alarmed the locals use their lips instead of raising their hands when in doubt wherever you are in the world just gesture toward a person or place using your entire hand you might think that sticking your pinky finger out makes you look fancy but in china it's frowned upon this gesture is the same as giving a thumbs down and meaning that something is making you unhappy when taking photos with others you want to be respectful and don't want to make any obscene hand gestures two gestures to avoid in particular are sticking up only your pinky finger and pointing at something with a dirty object like a used fork or a chopstick now it's fun to eat with chopsticks but you might accidentally cause a fence if you put them down the wrong way when you're in china south korea or japan don't make the mistake of sticking your chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice this is considered bad luck if you have to put your chopsticks down simply place them on the side or across the bowl instead likewise when eating in south korea or china don't ask someone to pass you some food in these countries you have to join in the action and grab what food you desire and you're not going to offend anyone if you take that last bite either in some places it's acceptable to blow your nose while at the dinner table not all of us are even prepared for the sudden trickle of the nose but as long as you excuse yourself and turn away everything is okay except if you're vacationing in japan china or south korea where the chiles can make your nose runny very quickly so never blow your nose in public if you must clear your nostrils consider leaving the table and blowing your nose in the restroom or hiding away from any other observers while being quiet it's considered rude and unhygienic to the people around you always use a paper tissue not a handkerchief and throw it away after use fiji is one of the top destinations in the world beautiful beaches and friendly people spending your vacation on this island you're bound to meet a few local fijians that'll want to shake your hand for a very long time it's customary to hold your hand for the entire time that you're exchanging greetings no matter how long you should also make sure not to pull away too quickly it's considered very rude if you end the handshake abruptly if you are in india you put your hands together instead of shaking a person's hand holding your hands in a prayer formation tilt your head down slightly and greet the person with namaste with your hands close to your chest crossing your arms means nothing in most countries maybe you're cold bored or it just feels more comfortable in finland though it's likely to send the wrong kind of message having your arms crossed means major disrespect finnish people see this as a sign of arrogance and defiance it's done mainly to tell the people around you that you're looking for trouble yikes this body language will be taken as a dare so you're likely to be confronted if you do it specifically avoid crossing your arms at people directly you don't want to cause any trouble if you're over there on holiday it might be tempting to shake hands with a person as soon as you meet them in russia but if it's in a doorway forget about it it's not the end of the world if you forget this simple rule but some russian people consider it to be very unlucky step all the way through the doorway before you extend your hand for a handshake this goes for restaurants homes shops and just about anywhere else you can think of with a doorway avoid this simple mistake and you'll save yourself some trouble and bad luck the head is the most sacred part of the body in thailand so patting anyone on the head can be seen as a serious offense in the united states patting or ruffling someone's hair is meant to be playful or even an indication that someone's done a good job but in thailand it's best to keep your hands away from other people's heads to avoid disrespecting or making them feel unclean it's also wise to not point with your toes as feet are considered the dirtiest part of the body well on holiday the last thing you want to be doing is insulting people looking at your watch in the middle of a conversation can be considered extremely rude in the middle east it looks like you're in a hurry to get away from the person you're talking to even if you've got an appointment for something you don't want to be rude let the conversation run its natural course before checking the time in arabic culture once communication has started it must take its time get it don't ever use the palm out fingers up stop gesture in greece you might not like the outcome if you do this to a local this gesture is a huge insult to greeks a stigma that dates back to the byzantine times likewise in south korea don't hail a cab or wave someone over to you with your palm facing up if you do you might be stuck there for hours waving your hand like that is how koreans summon their dogs the proper way to wave is to stick your arm out while having your palm facing down and moving your head up and down vertically this isn't the only thing to keep in mind in south korea if someone older than you offers a drink the proper etiquette is to receive it with both hands and then turn your head away as you take the first sip it's a show of respect and respecting one's elders is taken very seriously in south korea hey want to have your very own bright side to your hoodie click the link 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Channel: BRIGHT SIDE

Views: 534,590

Rating: 4.9106483 out of 5

Keywords: bright side, brightside, travelling, travel tips, travel guide, gestures definition, gestures meaning, hand gestures, gestures around the world, gestures and body language, gestures across cultures, gestures and facial expressions, gestures body language, gestures examples, travel advice, travel around the world, travel and tourism, travel and places, cultures around the world, cultures and traditions around the world, cultures differences, do's and don'ts body language

Id: YtmIaQAZOOo

Length: 8min 48sec (528 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 04 2021

Reddit Comments

[u/emanjamalikhan]

dont use these gestures👍