Manners for tourists

[Mercator]

I disagree with the 'don't take pictures too much' suggestion. While we find it odd, it is unlikely to hurt anyone.

I was more or less playing off a common stereotype that Chinese take many pictures, wasn't being serious

 

[Mirewen]

"Aya"

LOL I catch myself saying that (kinda like "oh shit" or "good grief")

And like you said, mix with other people ffs.

I have lost of Chinese friends and we all hang out together BUT they seem to also have a group of Chinese only friends, they refuse to mix the two groups. Our 'group' is white, black, east indian and asian. I guess the Chinese group is race exclusive?...

I don't get it.

 

[Warseth]

I have a friend in China who asked me if I could do a 2-3 min recording on good manners for tourists to America.

As I sit in my house and don't go outside besides for school or work, I'm not sure what foreigners normally do that we see as rude.

Anyone care to indulge?

(inb4 don't cut peoples heads off)

I was really thinking about it and I came up with a list vs my rambling I did earlier.

IN public walking around stores.
1. Speak at normal volume levels. Don’t yell or shout. Walk over to the persons and speak at volumes that others don’t have to hear across the room.
2. Look before you cross the street. Acknowledge someone who has been polite with a nod ,smile, or wave if they do let you cross.
3. When going through doors in public. Try to hold the door for the person behind you to not let it shut in there face. (don’t expect a thank you but you may get one)
4. If you happen to bump into someone or accidentally cut them off , Say “Excuse me”.
5. DON’T SPIT ON SIDEWALKS…try to spit in a piece of paper and toss it in the trash. Its gross and unsanitary.

Restaraunts:
1. Don’t chew with your mouth open
2. speak in normal volume don’t shout and make your conversation overtake the tables next to you.
3. Don’t speak with your mouth full.
4. Don’t Belch loudly. Cover your mouth. Same goes for sneezing and coughing.
5. Keep your kids in check.

And tell them when speaking to new people just smile and be themselves. A nice person in any culture is welcomed by normal folks.
I’ve had many occasions meeting nice random people who were nice and smiley ..even in a piss poor moode I was able to crack a smile for the moment. It will help them in conversation if they tried smiling more as they talk with people. Not they don’t but it should help. They will be pleasantly surprised by American hospitality if you give us a chance.

 

[Warseth]

LOL I catch myself saying that (kinda like "oh shit" or "good grief")

And like you said, mix with other people ffs.

I have lost of Chinese friends and we all hang out together BUT they seem to also have a group of Chinese only friends, they refuse to mix the two groups. Our 'group' is white, black, east indian and asian. I guess the Chinese group is race exclusive?...

I don't get it.

It's called what one shares in common with the others syndrome...i call it "Self inflicted segregation" I can see why someone may do it. Your main language is "insert country"..your culture base is that. You would more than likely hang with those who share the same base background for comfort.

EDIT: Sorry I sounded rude in the rest of my prior comment. Deleting.

 

[Xalioniaf]

A lot of these seem more like general etiquette than manners specifically for tourists.
Kinda sad.

 

[Khajit]

A lot of these seem more like general etiquette than manners specifically for tourists.
Kinda sad.

Not really. Different cultures, different customs. I'm quite sure people in America would get uptight if a guy randomly kissed them when he met them yet in Europe it can be a fairly standard greeting. Sure it might be a family only greeting but when was the last time your brother kissed you on the lips? Same idea here.

 

[Xalioniaf]

But things like don't belch, don't chew with your mouth open, hold the door for people behind you...
I know I myself don't limit these to just visiting other countries.

 

[Nyett]

But things like don't belch, don't chew with your mouth open, hold the door for people behind you...
I know I myself don't limit these to just visiting other countries.

Have you ever eatten in China Town?

 

[Khajit]

yeah. the belching/slurping stuff is being mentioned because doing so in many eastern countries is actually considered polite.

 

[Eilistrae]

I want to reitterate Mercator's suggestion! Personal space is a HUUUUUGE issue for Americans

 

[Lukas]

I will probably get a lot of heat for this, but from my experiences travelling, I have found that people from East Asian countries are least likely to find themselves on the offending side of cultural misunderstandings because their respective cultures are very centred on formality. Whilst Americans (again, in my own personal experience!) tend to... stretch it quite thin when it comes to adjusting to customs in a foreign country. Sorry!

There are however a few little quirks that your friend might want to be aware of:

• In some Eastern cultures, it is considered disrespectful to make eye contact with people you are talking to. In the West, it is considered rude to not do so.
• It is not rude to refer to people by their first names.
• Bowing is not a standard greeting. Shaking hands is common. Western coutries do not subscribe to the clean/dirty hand rule.
• The standard size of "personal space" is larger in East Asian countries than it is in America.
• Do not interrupt people when they are speaking. Some Chinese customers I've encountered have done this frequently, and I was told that businessmen in China have a particular habit of doing this and it is not considered rude.
• Table manners are different. Don't tap on the table when asking for the bill. Slurping is not a compliment to the chef. Plates and more specifically bowls are not lifted off the table when eating.
• Tipping, while not compulsory, is polite.

When purchasing something, the sale price is the definitive price. In China, a lot of things are purposefully over-priced with the expectation that customers will haggle. This is not the case in the States.

Also I agree with the integration aspect brought up in this thread. Although it's not so much an issue of taboo, it benefits a traveller greatly to actually interact with local people whom you would not normally get to speak to at home. There is a sense of safety in the familiarity of your own culture, but if you're in another country why not immerse yourself a little in the unfamiliar?

 

[Warseth]

A lot of these seem more like general etiquette than manners specifically for tourists.
Kinda sad.

Our General Etiquette is going to be what tourists need to know. What you find as something everyday normal to abide by is not for others.

Like in Thailand guys literally will have there arms around eachother but its not sexually its how friends hold each other sometimes. Not some embrace just arms over ones shoulder like when "we" walk with our girlfriends/boyfriends in the usa. Try putting your arms over your friend and walk like that..I know I wouldn't make 2 steps before i would get shoved and asked "WTF are you doing dude?". =p

Also religion does play a roll in other countries to when it comes to public manners.

Like here in the usa you can walk up to a priest and shake hands give him a hug in. You meet a monk in asia specifically thailand again.. and if you are female and touch that monk even by accident ... you will have very many angry folks staring at you. It's things you wouldn't even think of as a tourist.

The point is what we find general etiquette is not theres. So teaching them what we would teach our kids is probably the best foundation to manners.

Can't expect them to know everything but teaching the general etiquette like you called it would work best.

 

[Rayn]

If they are coming to San Francisco, I would say don't stand in the middle of the god damn busy intersection at the top of Nob Hill taking pics of the Bay Bridge. The amount of traffic that has to hold up since we can't hit them (rage) is pretty annoying. If they rent a car, God help us all.....

 

[Eilistrae]

My friend told me that while she was in France, she was taught to place money on the counter instead of handing it directly to the cashier because that is considered to be rude. If someone were to do that to a cashier here in America, we'd likely find them rude for not handing it directly.

 

[Mirewen]

It's called what one shares in common with the others syndrome...i call it "Self inflicted segregation" I can see why someone may do it. Your main language is "insert country"..your culture base is that. You would more than likely hang with those who share the same base background for comfort.

EDIT: Sorry I sounded rude in the rest of my prior comment. Deleting.

Yes but in my circumstance, all of my Asian friends were born here and speak English. Actually, they have more of a Canadian accent than I do as well.

 

[Mattaru]

Tipping.