|
While you are travelling abroad，cultural mistakes are more serious than linguistic mistakes，which can lead to serious misunderstanding and even ill—feeling between individuals． 36 ●Touching Someone 37 In Mediterranean countries，if yo u don’t touch someone’s arm when talking to them or if you don't greet them with kisses or a warm hug，you’11 be considered cold．But backslap(拍背)someone who isn’t a family member or a good friend in Korea，and you’ll make them uncomfortable．In Thailand，the head is considered sacred—never even pat a child on the head． ●Talking Over Dinner In some countries，like China，Japan and some African nations，the food’s the thing，so don't start chatting about your day’s adventures while everyone else is digging into dinner． 38 It's not because your group is unfriendly，but because meal times are for eating，not talking． ●Removing Your Shoes or Not Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you uncivilized，but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia，Hawaii，or the Pacific Islands and you’11 be considered disrespectful．So，if you see a row of shoes at the door，start undoing your laces． 39 Once you are on the ground of a different country，remain highly sensitive to native behavior． 40 And don’t feel offended if something seems offensive—like queue jumping． | 
