In Asia the first things I learned were:
1 Beckoning
Beckon a taxi with your hands palm down like patting a dog.
2 Business Cards
Present your business cards with both hands and a nod or slight bow. Receive a business card with both hands and a nod or slight bow.
3 V Signs
Winston Churchill made the V for victory sign popular in WWII.
Wikipedia article on V-sign. Photo in the public domain.
Asians are keen on V signs. With the palm facing forward, that's V for victory. Japanese girls use it as a peace sign.
I never make a V sign in case I get it wrong or the sign is misinterpreted. In Europe a V-sign with the palm towards yourself means up yours.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking thumbs up. Photo from Wikipedia article on hitchhiking. Photo author Drozd.
4 Right Hand Only
Asians who eat with their hands eat with their right hand in the food.
The left hand is reserved for going to the toilet.
5 Hand Shaking, Bowing and Namaste
In the US, UK and most of Europe, you shake hands on meeting somebody new or entering a meeting, greeting the Toastmasters of the day, and leaving the stage and welcoming the Toastmaster of the day or evening to take over, signing and sealing a business deal, often on congratulating somebody for winning a prize, and on leaving and saying goodbye.
Namaste
Namaste is holding both hands together as if in prayer and nodding as a greeting.
Bowing
The Japanese bow. Men sometimes keep their arms to their sides as they bow. Women fold their hands as they bow. Sometimes men hold their hands as they bow.
The West - Europe
UK
A pupil should not address a teacher as Miss, but by their proper name.
In the UK small children who would struggle with surnames may call adult women Aunty and the first name.
In Singapore, the prefix, Uncle or Aunty, is a sign of respect and warmth towards an older person.
However, in the UK you would not call an adult stranger uncle or auntie, wich incplies they are related to you. Nor would you call an older person Grandad can be an insult, implying they are a grumpy old man.
Kissing
The French will kiss other on or near the cheek, not lips on lips, but kissing the air beside your cheek, as a greeting.
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Up - Numbers
A thumb up is one in the UK but five in Japan.
OK
The OK or round sign formed by the thumb tip and next finger is OK in the USA but rude in several other countries. Rather than learning which countries, forgetting and getting it wrong, just avoid using the OK sign.
Useful Websites
Japanese etiquette
https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000211/
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, author, speaker.
Author of Etiquette For Every Occasion. You can buy it from Amazon or Ebay, new or second hand. If you read it, please give me a review. I have other posts on etiquette around the world. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.
1 Beckoning
Beckon a taxi with your hands palm down like patting a dog.
2 Business Cards
Present your business cards with both hands and a nod or slight bow. Receive a business card with both hands and a nod or slight bow.
3 V Signs
Winston Churchill made the V for victory sign popular in WWII.
Wikipedia article on V-sign. Photo in the public domain.
Asians are keen on V signs. With the palm facing forward, that's V for victory. Japanese girls use it as a peace sign.
I never make a V sign in case I get it wrong or the sign is misinterpreted. In Europe a V-sign with the palm towards yourself means up yours.
Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking thumbs up. Photo from Wikipedia article on hitchhiking. Photo author Drozd.
4 Right Hand Only
Asians who eat with their hands eat with their right hand in the food.
The left hand is reserved for going to the toilet.
5 Hand Shaking, Bowing and Namaste
In the US, UK and most of Europe, you shake hands on meeting somebody new or entering a meeting, greeting the Toastmasters of the day, and leaving the stage and welcoming the Toastmaster of the day or evening to take over, signing and sealing a business deal, often on congratulating somebody for winning a prize, and on leaving and saying goodbye.
Photo from Wikipedia article on Namaste: An Oberoi Hotel employee
doing Namaste, New Delhi. Photo author Saptarshi Biswas on Flikr.
Namaste
Namaste is holding both hands together as if in prayer and nodding as a greeting.
Bowing
The Japanese bow. Men sometimes keep their arms to their sides as they bow. Women fold their hands as they bow. Sometimes men hold their hands as they bow.
The West - Europe
UK
A pupil should not address a teacher as Miss, but by their proper name.
In the UK small children who would struggle with surnames may call adult women Aunty and the first name.
In Singapore, the prefix, Uncle or Aunty, is a sign of respect and warmth towards an older person.
However, in the UK you would not call an adult stranger uncle or auntie, wich incplies they are related to you. Nor would you call an older person Grandad can be an insult, implying they are a grumpy old man.
Kissing
The French will kiss other on or near the cheek, not lips on lips, but kissing the air beside your cheek, as a greeting.
Thumbs Up
Thumbs Up - Numbers
A thumb up is one in the UK but five in Japan.
OK
The OK or round sign formed by the thumb tip and next finger is OK in the USA but rude in several other countries. Rather than learning which countries, forgetting and getting it wrong, just avoid using the OK sign.
Useful Websites
Japanese etiquette
https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000211/
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer, photographer, author, speaker.
Author of Etiquette For Every Occasion. You can buy it from Amazon or Ebay, new or second hand. If you read it, please give me a review. I have other posts on etiquette around the world. Please bookmark and share links to your favourite posts.
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