- laughing out loud – in Japan, people believe that laughing with your mouth wide open is impolite. When locals start laughing, they hold a hand over their mouths;
- giving a thumbs up – in many countries, such as West Africa, South America, Greece, or several Middle Eastern countries, giving someone a thumbs up is no good. That’s because this gesture is considered equal to holding up your middle finger. If you want to show someone that you agree with them, keep it simple and smile or nod.
- adding condiments to the foods you are being served – this one is a little bit weird because you can’t expect all people to have the same taste buds. At several restaurants in Spain, Japan, Italy, or France, asking for extra condiments and spices to add to your plate is not well-received. They expect you to like what you are being served, and not make alterations to the food. Unless the condiments are already on your table, such as salt and pepper, you shouldn’t be asking for any extra spices, like tomato sauce or chili;
7 thoughts on “22 Ways You Are Being Rude Without Realizing It”
I can’t believe that I’ve survived without any of this information. This is excellent stuff. Thanks for all the research that went into this article.
Italians may not like to get a cappuccino after lunch, but if you do it is not considered rude, maybe just slightly strange, cause it’s a heavy drink usually consumed for breakfast or late afternoon snack.
I am left-handed. I know it’s considered worse than rude to eat with that hand in much of Asia, especially when you’re using your fingers and not a utensil.
So…my strategy to avoid giving offense was to place my left thumb into a belt loop on my pants and keep it there throughout the meal.
It was awkward…but it worked.
When you are driving and you let another car go first,, The other driver should wave and say THANK YOU.. If you (the driver) let someone cross the street in front of you, That person should say thank you..
I always used to buy a book about travel in a specific country that I would go to. I always would get great tips that would help me a lot in my travels. Like which stand cheated on a certain market, or where I could get a cheap clean hotel, or where they had customer government services sitting there on the corner just to help you with everything. Reading those books before I left I always would help other foreigners in need. I often became a “leader” of “tourist groups”. I usually traveled with my mom.
These are fantastic. Think I’ll make a short list, even though I’m sure I won’t get to most countries LOL. These are things people from 90day fiance should be aware of.
Very interesting and educational, I really like this item. I have traveled to many different Countries and never thought of many of these rules, I am busy getting the language so I can commutate.