Cross Cultural Understanding

1.         Country   :     AMERICA (USA)

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :    

ü  (American) English (82.1%)

ü  Spanish (10.7%)

ü  Indo-European (3.8%)

ü  Asian/Pacific islander (2.7%)

ü  Others (0.7%)

Ø  Music/Movie    :    

ü  Literature (Mark Twain: greater writer in American History)

ü  Music (genre: Classical, Jazz, Country, Folk, Bluegrass, Hip hop, Pop, Rock)

ü  Movie (generally referred to as Hollywood)

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Traditional “Thanks giving” with turkey

ü  Submarine sandwich

ü  (breakfast) Pancake with maple syrup

ü  Hotdog sausage

ü  Meatloaf with tomato sauce topping

Ø  Clothing              :     They tend to wear casual clothing (jeans and T-shirt)

Ø  Housing              :     Apartment and semi-detached house (urban), single family home (suburb)

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

There are lots of festival held is USA, some of them are classified as:

ü  Arts and crafts festivals

ü  Beer festivals

ü  Culture, heritage and folk festivals

ü  Earth and nature festivals

ü  Film festivals

ü  Fine art and theater festivals

ü  Flower festivals

ü  Food, harvest and wild game festivals

ü  Holiday festivals

ü  Innovation festivals

ü  LGBT festivals

ü  Music festivals

ü  Pioneer festivals

ü  Religious festivals

ü  Etc.

Ø  Sports                  :     American football, Baseball

Ø  Religion              :    

ü  Christianity (59.9%)

ü  Unaffiliated (atheist or agnostic)(15%)

ü  Judaism (1.2%)

ü  Islam (0.6%)

ü  Buddhism (0.5%)

ü  Hinduism (0.4%)

ü  Unitarian Universalism (0.3%)

ü  Wicca/Paganism/Druidry (0.1%)

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :

ü  In a restaurant do not sit at an occupied table that has a vacant chair.

ü  Do not talk with food in your mouth.  Finish chewing and swallow it.  Americans will understand what you are doing.

ü  Leave a tip for your waiter at a restaurant of 20%.  This is important because waiters are underpaid and not leaving a tip is rude.  You do not need to tip at a fast food restaurant.           

Ø  Requirements  :     When invited to dinner banquet, start your meal only if it is welcome by the host

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2.         Country   :     ARAB EMIRATE

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Arabic  

Ø 

شكرا

Expressions       :

·        

أحبك

Thank you          :     shukraan  

·        

تصبح على خير

I love you            :     ‘ahabak

·        

صباح الخير

Good night         :     tusbih ealaa khayr

·         Good morning  :     sabah alkhyr sabah alkhyr

Ø  Music                   :     Riq (musical instrument)

Ø  Food                     :                                                              Beverages         :

ü  Dates

ü  Kebab

ü  Kuboos (flatbread)

ü  Camel meat

ü  Al Jabab bread

ü  Kabsa

ü  Khabees

ü  Sheep

ü  Yeast bread

ü  Camel milk

ü  Tea

ü  Water

ü  Juice

Ø  Clothing              :    

Women:

ü  Hijab

ü  Abaya

ü  Niqab

Men:

ü  Dishdash (long white robe)

ü  Keffiyeh (headscarf)

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :      UAE Awafi Festival

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  No kissing/touching

ü  No swearing/making indecent gestures

ü  No taking pictures of others without permission

ü  Disrespecting any religion

ü  No sharing private space with opposite sex

ü  No indecent clothing

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Any clothes that are somewhat transparent, low-cut, or short should be left at home and what’s more, it is absolutely imperative for women that the stomach, shoulders, and back are completely covered when in public.

ü  Men must cover their chest, and all underwear should be out of sight. Such rules are more relaxed when it comes to the beach and at swimming pools owned by hotels, but topless sunbathing is a big “no” in any location.

ü  Muslims pray five times a day, which is when mosques call people through their speaker systems. During this time, it is important that you turn off all music so that daily prayers can be given.

ü  During Ramadan, it is also important to know that drinking, smoking, playing loud music, and dancing during daylight hours are strictly forbidden. Nothing can enter your body, not even your finger, so no picking your nose or nail biting. Breaking these observations can result in heavy punishments – even for non-Muslims. 

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3.         Country   :     AUSTRALIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     (Australian) English

Ø  Music                   :    

ü  Bullroar

ü  Clapstick

ü  Claves

ü  Didgeridoo

ü  Fairlight CMI

ü  Lagerphone (monkey stick)

ü  Wobble board

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Balmain bug

ü  Fish and chips

ü  Granny Smith apple

ü  Vegemite

ü  Pavlova

ü  Kangaroo / wallaby meat

Ø  Animals               :    

ü  Koala

ü  Kangaroo / Wallaby

ü  Tasmanian Devil

ü  Platypus

ü  Emu

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Winking at women is considered rude.

ü  The "V" sign (made with index and middle fingers, palm facing inward) is a very vulgar gesture. The "thumbs up" gesture is also considered obscene.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Shake hands with everyone present upon meeting and before leaving. Allow women to offer their hands first.

ü  Women generally do not shake hands with other women.

ü  Use titles, Mr., Mrs., and Miss when first introduced.

ü  To beckon a waiter use a quiet hand motion.

ü  When yawning, cover your mouth and excuse yourself.

ü  Always arrive on time or a few minutes early for a dinner.

ü  The person who makes the invitation generally pays the bill in restaurants. However, it isn't unusual for friends to split the bill.

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4.         Country   :     AUSTRIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :    

ü  German (98%)

ü  Croatian (0.5%)

ü  Hungarian (0.1%)

ü  Slovak (0.1%)

ü  Others (1.3%)

Ø  Capital                 :     Vienna

Ø  Music (instrument)      :               (together with German)

ü  Glockenspiel

ü  Accordion

ü  Harmonica

ü  Concertina

ü  Breton Flute

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Apfelstrudel

ü  Wiener Schnitzel

ü  Germknodel

Ø  Clothing              :     Lederhosen, dirndl and Tracht.

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  imPuls Tanz Festival

ü  Grafenegg Music Festival

Ø  Religion              :    

ü  Roman Catholic (74%)

ü  Protestant (5%)

ü  Muslim (4%)

ü  Other (17%)

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  It is not wise or polite to make jokes about the Nazi past of Germany and Austria. It's just not polite.

ü  Watch where you walk!!! Austrians have lots of dogs and……. just watch it are you will be cleaning your shoes all the time.

ü  However, it is extremely rude to ever touch anyone's dog without express permission of the owner. This will get you in trouble and people will often get very angry. Dogs are trained not to be approached and to protect the owner. Touching someone's dog is a very bad idea.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  When going into a shop, especially smaller ones, but even larger ones, greet the sales person. A "Guten Tag" or "Gruss Gott" is simply expected of well-mannered persons. This even includes out-door markets and such.

ü  Some Austrian men, particularly those who are older, may kiss the hand of a female.

ü  A male from another country should not kiss an Austrian woman's hand.

ü  If invited to dinner at an Austrian's house, bring a small gift of consumables such as chocolates.

ü  If giving flowers, always give an odd number as except for 12, even numbers mean bad luck.

ü  Do not give red carnations, lilies, or chrysanthemums.

ü  Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be shown to a particular seat.

ü  Put your napkin on your lap as soon as you sit down.

ü  Do not begin eating until the hostess says 'mahlzeit' or 'Guten Appetit'.

ü  Cut as much of your food with your fork as possible, since this compliments the cook by saying the food is very tender.

ü  Finish everything on your plate.

ü  Indicate you have finished eating by laying your knife and fork parallel on your plate with the handles facing to the right.

ü  The host gives the first toast. Everyone lifts and clinks glasses, looks the person making the toast in the eye and says, 'Prost!'.

ü  An honored guest offers a toast of thanks to the host at the end of the meal. 

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5.         Country   :     BRAZIL

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Portuguese

Ø  Music                   :    

ü  Samba

ü  Bossanova

ü  Forro

ü  Corro

ü  etc.

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Brigaderio (chocoball)

ü  Feijoada

Ø  Clothing              :     Casual and Comfortable (influenced by TV)

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :      Rio Carnival

Ø  Religion              :    

ü  Roman Catholic (64.6%)

ü  Protestant (22.2%)

ü  No Relion (8%)

ü  Spiritism (2%)

ü  Other (3.2%)

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Never blow your nose in Brazil

ü  Dogs are not welcome or accepted in indoor public places. No dogs are allowed in the shopping center, in the bakery or on the train.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  When people meet it is common to ask “How are you?” The answer should always be positive. So just answer that you are doing great, even if it has been one of those horrible days.

ü  When somebody is eating something – for example during the break at school – it is common to offer it to everybody else. But a polite Brazilian would not accept the food, even if he/she really wants to eat it.

ü  Among women, when a person compliments something that you are wearing, you should usually answer “às ordens”, which means that your friend can borrow your clothes whenever she wants to – which of course she won´t, because asking for to borrow them would be impolite.

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6.         Country   :     BULGARIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Bulgarian (Indo-European)

Ø  Capital                 :     Sofia

Ø  Music                   :     Saz (Bulgarian tambura) and kemençe (Bulgarian Gadulka)

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Baked extravaganza

ü  King of the grill

ü  Head start

ü  Goodness with goodness on top

ü  Childhood favorite

ü  Dragon’s breath

ü  Summer refresher

Ø  Clothing              :    

Women

ü  dvuprestilchena (costume with two aprons)

ü  sukmanena (dress /gown type)

ü  sayana (saya – a dress with a slash in front)

ü  ednoprestilchena (a single-apron costume)

Men (White)

ü  a chemise

ü  gashti

ü  benevretsi

ü  dimii (tight or looser breeches, pants)

ü  poyas (wide girdle)

ü  belt and top clothes made of white home-spun fulled freeze

Men (Black)

ü  a chemise

ü  poturi (loose trousers)

ü  girdle

ü  belt and a top garment: elek, dzhamadan (vest),aba, anteriya (jacket with sleeves) made of black woolen frieze. The poturi are loose with a rich decoration of black braids.

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo & Requirements              :              

Meeting & Greeting

ü  Address people with their titles (if you know them) or with Mr "Gospodin" / Mrs "Gospozha" followed by the surname.

ü  Only friends and family address each other with first names and possibly a hug or kiss.

ü  One should always wait for their Bulgarian counterparts to determine when it is appropriate to become this informal.

Gift Giving

ü  Gifts are generally exchanged at Christmas, birthdays and when invited to someone's house.

ü  The general rule for gift giving is that it more about the thought than value - in fact do not give overly expensive gifts as this may cause the recipient embarrassment.

ü  When going to a Bulgarian's home for dinner take bring flowers for the hostess and a bottle of good spirits for the host.

ü  If taking flowers avoid chrysanthemums, lilies or gladiolas as they are used at funerals. Also ensure there are an odd number of stems.

ü  If giving a gift to a newborn only give an odd number of presents.

ü  Gifts are generally opened when received.

Dining Etiquette

ü  Table manners in Bulgaria could be considered casual, but there are certain rules of etiquette that should be appreciated.

ü  When invited to sit at the dining table wait to be shown your seat.

Napkins should be left folded next to the plate. If others unfold them and place them on their laps, do the same - you will be at a more formal meal. 

·         Flag

7.         Country   :     CHINA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     (Chinese) Mandarin

Expression:

ü  Thank you          :     xiè xiè nín

ü  I love you           :     wǒ ài nǐ

ü  How are you     :     nǐ hǎo ma

ü  Good night        :     wǎn'ān

ü  Good morning :     zǎoshang hǎo

ü  Good bye           :     Zàijiàn

Ø  Music (instrument)        :     Erhu (Chinese violin), Dizi (bamboo flute), Pipa (chinese lute), Gu Zheng

Ø  Food                     :     Rice, bean sprout, cabbage, scallion

Ø  Clothing              :     Tang Zhuang (male); Cheongsam (female) or Qi Pao

Ø  Animal                 :     Panda

Ø  Fact                       :     Ice cream was invented the first time by Chinese people

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo

ü  Number Four (4) – the number four (四, sì) sounds like death (死, sǐ) so the number four is avoided particularly on phone numbers, license plates and addresses.

ü  Shopkeepers may not read a book at work because book (書, shū) sounds like lose (輸, shū). Shopkeepers who read may be afraid their businesses will suffer losses

ü  Young children should not eat chicken feet as it is believed they might not be able to write well when they start school. They may also be prone to get in fights like roosters.

ü  Don’t cry on New Year’s Day. If you do, it is said you will cry all year.

ü  Pointing can be considered rude.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Chopsticks are never placed upright in a rice bowl.

ü  Burping is considered a sign of gratitude.

ü  Tea cups are constantly refilled.

ü  Spitting loudly in public is common.

ü  Tipping can be seen as offensive.

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8.         Country   :     CONGO

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     French

Ø  Capital                 :     Kinshasa

Ø  Currency             :     CFD (Congolese Franc)

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Smoked gorilla

ü  Moambe chicken

ü  Saka-saka (pondu)

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Don’t take a picture of people.

ü  "taking a picture of someone" would eliminate his soul.

ü  Don’t eat the sacred animals.

ü  If a family has a totem, it can’t eat the animal which is consireded a spiritual protector (depend on the trible and village)

ü  Don’t pointing someone with index finger

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Shake hands with the right hand.

ü  Hold their right forearm with their left hand while shaking hands.

ü  Holding hands between people of the same sex is a sign of friendship

ü  When two people of the opposite sex talk there is very little to no touching

ü  Young people wait for older people to offer their hand.

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9.         Country   :     DUBAI is one of big cities in ARAB

10.     Country   :     ENGLAND

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     English (British)

Ø  Capital                 :     London

Ø  Currency             :     GBP (Great Britain Pound-sterling)

Ø  Music                   :     The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, OASIS, Queen, etc.

Ø  Food / Drink      :

ü  Yorkshire pudding

ü  Toad-in-the-hole

ü  Roast meats

ü  Tea is daily life activity

ü  Served with snack (biscuit)

ü  Tea often use in phrase, not in its real meaning

If they like something = “just my cup of tea”

If they don’t like something = “not my cup of tea”

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Never accept an invitation unless you really plan to go. You may refuse by saying, “Thank you for inviting me, but I will not be able to come.” If, after accepting, you are unable to attend, be sure to tell those expecting you as far in advance as possible that you will not be there.

ü  Do not fart in public

ü  Avoid doing gestures such as backslapping and hugging

ü  Do not ask a lady her age

ü  Do not greet people with a kiss

ü  Do not pour the tea from a teapot as soon as it has been made

ü  Place the tea strainer onto the cup before pouring

ü  Milk can be added to the cup either before or after pouring the tea.

ü  Once the teapot is half-empty, or if the tea is too strong for you, pour the hot water into the teapot.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  When being invited to someone's home it is nice to take a gift for the host and hostess.

ü  A bottle of wine, bunch of flowers or chocolates are all acceptable

ü  It is proper to shake hands with everyone to whom you are introduced, both men and women. An appropriate response to an introduction is "Pleased to meet you". If you want to introduce yourself to someone, extend you hand for a handshake and say "Hello, I am....". Hugging is only for friends

·         Flag

11.     Country   :     FRANCE

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     French (le Francais, la langue Fracaise)

Ø  Expression         :

ü  Thank you           :     Je vous remercie

ü  I love you            :     Je t’aime

ü  How are you      :     Quoi de neuf

ü  Good night         :     Bonne nuit

ü  Good morning  :     Bonjour

ü  Good bye            :     Au revoir

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Escargot

ü  Magret De Canard

ü  Foie Gras

ü  Coq Au Vin

ü  Soupe à L’oignon

ü  Coquilles Saint-Jacques

ü  Aligot

ü  Flammekueche

ü  Croissant

ü  Baguette

Ø  Clothing              :    

Traditional/International cloth

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Moslem women in France may not wear veil (hijab/jilbab) or will be fined

€ 150 (Rp 2.4 million)

ü  Do not shake hands if you should exchange a kiss on the cheek, this can be    seemed strange to tourists but in France you are supposed to exchange a kiss on the cheek when you meet someone.

ü  Do not try to impress others with your wealth; instead discuss subjects like culture, food, vacation, politics, family, office gossip, etc… French people don’t speak about money very often.

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Do learn some key French phrases before travelling, it can be useful, especially if you are planning to visit the countryside and small villages.

ü  Do dress well as the French are very fashionable people.

ü  Do bring a present to your friends and relatives when you visit them or if you are invited to lunch or dinner.

ü  Do break your bread into tiny pieces instead of biting into the whole piece of bread.

ü  Do take the metro or walk when exploring the city, that’s the best way to discover Paris and other French cities.

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12.     Country   :     GREECE

·         Culture

Ø  Language                      :

Expression

ENGLISH	GREEK	PRONUNCIATION
Thank you	Ευχαριστώ	efcharistó
Good Morning	Καλημέρα	Kaliméra
Good Afternoon	Καλησπερα	Kalispera
I love you	Σε αγαπώ	Se agapó
Sorry	Συγνώμη	Sygnómi

                                        

Ø  Music (instrument) :     Lyre, Cymbals

Ø  Food                               :    

Beverage

ü  Mastiha

Food

ü  Mezedes

ü  Souvlaki

ü  Gyros

ü  Baklava

ü  Melomakarana

Ø  Clothing                        :

ü  Chiton

ü  Peplos

ü  Himation

ü  Chlamys

Ø  Feast (Festival)          :

Religious

ü  March 25^th  The Annunciation

ü  Easter

ü  April 23^rd The Feast of Saint George

ü  August 25^th The Assumption day

ü  August 25^th Christmas

National

ü  March 25^th Independence day

ü  May 1^st Labor day

ü  October 28^th National Anniversary

ü  November 17^th The Polytechnic

Ø                                 Gods and goddess

ü  Zeus (leader of gods and goddess)

ü  Aphrodite (goddess of love and beauty)

ü  Hera (goddess of marriage)

ü  Hermes (god of luck and of sender message)

ü  Ares (god of war)

ü  Apollo (god of light, music, archer, treatment, solar and poet)

ü  Dionysus (the only god who has human parets,he has a magical boon that distilled water is the carrier of excitement grapes and cause madness)

ü  Demeter (goddness of agriculture and fertility is considered the first teacher of men working the land and harvest)

ü  Athena (the goddess of crafts, household and war skills. Athena also like cities that named Athens like his own name)

Ø  Facts                               :

ü  Greece ranked 26th in the world for life expectancy. America ranks 49th.

ü  Greece has the lowest divorce rate in Europe. Greece also has the highest abortion rate in Europe.

ü  Greek language has been used for more than 3000 years, making language as the oldest in Europe.

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

HOMOSEXUALITY

ü  In some areas of Greece some people are still having trouble to grips with the idea of man being in love with another man, and conversely

MARRYING A WOMEN WHO IS OLDER THAN YOU

ü  Marrying a woman who is older than you, is something that Greeks would stare at.

MARRYING SOMEONE WHO ISN’T GREEK

ü  Many Greeks believe that you must marry a fellow Greek in order to keep the culture and bloodline going.

THE “STAY AT HOME DAD”

ü  According to many Greeks, it’s considered taboo for the husband to stay at home and watch the kids while his wife is working.

THE WESTERN HAND SIGN “OKAY”

ü  Hand sign for the word “okay” is universal. Either way, This hand sign (three fingers up, index finger and thumb touching) means “asshole” if used in the wrong context.

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

13.     Country   :     GERMANY

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Deutch

Ø  Expressions       :

ü  Good morning  :     Gutten morgen

ü  Good night         :     Gutten nacht

ü  I love you            :     Ich liebe dich

ü  Thank you           :     Danke

Ø  Capital                 :     Berlin

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

14.     Country   :     INDIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :    

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Idli

ü  Thali

ü  Nolen Sandesh

ü  Faloodeh

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

15.     Country   :     ITALY

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Italian

Ø  Expression         :    

ü  Thank you                :    Grazie

ü  I love you                 :    Ti Amo

ü  Good morning        :    Buongiorno

ü  Good bye                 :    Au revoir

ü  Get well soon         :    Guarici Presto

ü  Have a nice meal  :    Buon appetite

Ø  Capital                 :     Rome

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Parmigiana Chicken

ü  Fettuccine Alfredo

ü  Veal Marsala

ü  Spaghetti

ü  Prosciutto

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Famous for        :    

ü  University of Bologna

ü  University of Pisa

ü  Pisa Leaning tower

ü  University of Naple

ü  Coliseum in Rome

ü  Pantheun

ü  Trevi Fountain

ü  Piazza San Marco

ü  Ponte Vecchio

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Carnevale (Mardi Gras)

ü  Immaculate Conception

ü  Liberation Day

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Do not give chrysanthemums as they are used at funerals.

ü  Do not give red flowers as they indicate secrecy.

ü  Do not give yellow flowers as they indicate jealousy

ü  Do not wrap gifts in black, as is traditionally a mourning color.

ü  Do not wrap gifts in purple, as it is a symbol of bad luck.

ü  Do not wear shorts in public.

ü  Do not use first name in Italian business

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Greetings are enthusiastic yet rather formal.

ü  The usual handshake with direct eye contact and a smile suffices between strangers.

ü  Italians are guided by first impressions, so it is important that you demonstrate propriety and respect when greeting people, especially when meeting them for the first time.

ü  Many Italians use calling cards in social situations. These are slightly larger than traditional business cards and include the person's name, address, title or academic honors, and their telephone number.

ü  If you are staying in Italy for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to have calling cards made. Never give your business card in a social situation.

ü  Wear stylish clothing

ü  Carry cash that is only enough for a day, and leave the rest in hotel safe

ü  Keep both hands on  table when dining

ü  Be aware of groups of children around train stations, some of these gangs are trained to pilfer wallets, cameras, even jewelry.

ü  If you bring wine, make sure it is a good vintage. Quality, rather than quantity, is important.

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16.     Country   :     JAPAN

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Japanese (The earliest attestation of the Japanese language is in a Chinese document)

Ø  Expressions

ü  Thank you          :     Arigatao gozaimasu

ü  I love you           :     Watashi wa anata o aishite

ü  How are you     :     Ogenki des(u) ka

ü  Good night        :     Konbanwa

ü  Good morning  :     Ohayō gozaimas

ü  Good bye           :     Sayonara

Ø  Art                         :     Ikebana (art of arranging flowers)

Ø  Music                   :     Ongaku

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Fugu (fish – considered extreme food because it contain toxic)

ü  Shirako

ü  Habushu (snake venom)

ü  Odori (fresh squid headless tentacles)

Ø  Clothing              :    

ü  Kimono

ü  Yukata

ü  Happi

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Matsuri

ü  Sapporo snow festival

ü  Cherry blossom festival

ü  Seijin Shiki festival

ü  Aoi festival

ü  Tanabata festival

ü  Nebuta Aomori festival

ü  Go-zan No Okuri-bi

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Do not use black or purple-colored clothing when attending the nuances of joy, because the color is considered to symbolize sadness, as well as green. White or yellow color is preferred because it symbolizes happiness.

ü  The use of the number "4" and "9" are also considered taboo in Japan, which is why you sometimes will find the 5th floor directly after the 3rd floor in a multi-story building.

ü  Another thing that is also considered taboo is cutting the nails, washing, and drying clothes in the evening.

ü  Sleep facing north is also not recommended because it is similar to the dead (those who died in Japan usually head-faced to the north).

ü  Holding hair or clothing while eating is also not allowed because it is considered dirty and offensive.

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

17.     Country   :     KOREA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Korean Language is referred to by many names including

ü  hanguk-eo (한국어 "Korean language")

ü  hanguk-mal (한국말, "Korean speech")

ü  uri-mal (우리말, "our speech")

Ø  Expressions       :    

ü  안녕 하세요 is read “Annyeong haseyo” means (How are you ?, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, Good Night) Informal.

ü  안녕히 가십시오is read “Annyeonghi kasipsio” means (Good bye) Formal..

ü  잘가요is read “Chalgayo” means (Good bye) Informal.

ü  안녕히 계세요is read “Annyeonghi kyeseyo” means (Goodbye) Informal.

ü  잘자요is read “Chal chayo” means (Good night – be apart) Informal.

ü  실례합니다is read “Sillyehamnida” means (Excuse me) Formal.

ü  여보세요is read “Yeoboseyo” means (Hallo/untuk telepon) Informal.

ü  예/네is read “Ye/Ne” means (Yes) Informal.

ü  아니오is read “Anio” means (No) Informal.

ü  감사합니다is read “Kamsahamnida” means (Thankyou) Formal..

ü  천만에요is read “Cheonmaneyo” means (Your Welcome) Informal.

ü  미안해요is read “Mianhaeyo” means (Sorry) Informal.

ü  어머나 ! is read “Eomeona” means (Oh My God !).

ü  거짓말 ! is read “Keojitmal” means (Lie !).

Ø  Music                   :    

ü  Sanjo

ü  Jongmyo Jeryek

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Kimchi (soup)

ü  Bimbimbap

ü  Teokbeoki

ü  Odeng

ü  Jajangmyeon

ü  Samgyeopsal

ü  Bulgogi

ü  Miyeok Guk

ü   

Ø  Clothing              :     Hanbok

Ø  Housing              :     Hanok

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Boryeong Mud Festival

The Boryeong Mud Festival is an annual festival which takes place during the summer in Boryeong, a town around 200 km south of Seoul, South Korea

The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats, and trucked to the Daecheon beach area, where it is used as the centrepiece of the 'Mud Experience Land‘

The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics

ü  Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)

Chuseok (Korean: 추석) is a major harvest festival and a three-day holiday in Korea celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar

ü   

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Not Paying Bills in Second Round

When you're visiting a place to eat or taverns in South Korea, there will usually be someone who offers to pay bills goodness of food or drink you ordered. Typically also, someone will invite you to continue the meal-eating or drinking the second round.
Instead, you accept the offer and followed his invitation. Why, it would be impolite if you refuse. Here, you have to get ready to repay him by paying the bills of food or drink that he's the message in the second half.

ü  Talk Tough on Public Transportation

When you're riding public transportation, especially buses or subway, keep good care of your attitude, including the sound volume when talking. For people of South Korea, speaking with the volume loud is disrespectful, even cruel. Why? Because spoke loud disturbing the peace and comfort. They will not hesitate to ask you right down of public transportation.

ü  Civilized at Mealtime
Start eating and moving from place to eat earlier than others may not be a problem for us. However, in South Korea, it is considered rude, especially if there are people who are older than us. We are judged not respect older people. So, when you are in South Korea, make sure you let an older person to start eating first. After he finished eating, then you leave to move from a place to eat.

ü  Hide Shoulders and Back
In South Korea, exposing part of the body, particularly the shoulders and back, is still a taboo. Women with vintage clothing shoulders or back open, women who are not considered good. Conversely, if a woman wearing a mini skirt or shorts, it was actually considered reasonable and considered as part of the trend of fashion apparel.

ü   

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  They always bow when they meet each other as a greeting. When they bend, they will say "annyonghaseo" which means "Good morning / afternoon / evening / night".

ü  When the younger met with an older, they will bend. This is done as a form of greeting and salute.

ü  The men are usually bent over and shook hands with senior older with both hands or with their left hand only, while women usually only bend without shaking hands.

ü  They are always in a hurry when they perform an activity.

ü  They always want to finish their work as quickly as possible. One of the Korean words most frequently heard is "Pali Pali" which means "Hurry! Quick! ". It is the habit of the Korean people that we should imitate, where we often procrastinate and do slow activities.

ü  Korean people both old and young drinking alcoholic beverages daily. Drinking is a very important part of the lives of the Korean people. They also drink very much. Bar and Home Drinking (Sul JIP) is open all night and can be easily found in cities in Korea.

ü  The girls in South Korea always dress up and put makeup on their faces. They are very well dressed and very fashionable. They are very up to date in terms of fashion. They never forget to put some makeup on their faces before they go out to perform daily activities. Make up they are completely natural and not overdone. Perhaps this is one of the habits of Koreans who are being imitated by girls in our country.

ü   

·         Flag

18.     Country   :     MACAU

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Cantonese

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Dong

They only drink the essence of the boiled vegetable or meat. They believed that the essence of food can make us healthier.

ü   

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :      A-MA Festival

A-Ma is a Taoist goddess and is particularly revered in Macau. Also known as Tin Hau, she is the deity of fisher folk and other seafarers. Legend told of the story where a junk, while sailing across the South China Sea, was caught in a tremendous storm and was about to sink. All aboard were terrified but at the last minute, a beautiful young woman stood up and ordered the elements to calm down. It did and the junk reached land safely. This mysterious woman is none other than the Goddess A-Ma. A temple was built on the spot where she landed and it is still there to this day, on the Inner Harbor. The name Macau came to be when many centuries later, when Portuguese soldiers asked for the name of the place, the locals replied "A-Ma-Gao" (Bay of A-Ma). It was eventually shortened to Macau. In recent times, a statue of A-Ma was erected on the highest point of Coloane Island. During the A-Ma Festival, offerings are made. There are also performances of Chinese opera.

Ø   

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  When giving things, the left hand is more decent than right hand

ü  Clean your butt only with your right hand

ü  Every house or flat must have a small worship place in front of their house

ü  Dont ever touch or move the worship place carelessly

ü  Every people must have 2 sandals. One for outside, one for inside

ü  We must take a bow when meet with the older person.

·         Flag

19.     Country   :     MALAYSIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Bahasa Malaysia

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Nasi “Daun Pisang” (rice on banana leaf)

ü  Nasi “Lemak” (Lemak is fat or delicious)

ü  Sambal udang (Chilly sauce with shrimp)

ü  Mee Siam

ü  Char Kway Teow

ü  Es “Mata Air Kucing” (Cat spring iced)

ü  The tarik (mixture of tea and milk)

Ø  Clothing              :     Since Malaysia is a country comprised of various people i.e. Melayu, China, India, and others. Therefore, every people have differing clothing. Malaysia has the types of fabrics and traditional clothing of various shapes and colors.

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :     (at wedding)

ü  Banned to the toilet

ü  When the groom should not see his bride until she sang some songs of love at the wedding begins.

ü  The bride is not allowed to leave the house , and grooms who come late to attend the event must pay a fine jewelry .

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

20.     Country   :     MAYA (INDIAN)

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :    

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

21.     Country   :     MEXICO

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Spanish

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Tacos al pastor

ü  Enchilada

ü  Guacamole

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos)

Celebrated throughout Mexico The multi-day holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey. It is commemorated at 31 october-2 november

Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. Visitors also leave possessions of the deceased at the graves.

The Mexican Day of the Dead celebration is similar to other culture's observances of a time to honor the dead

ü   

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  We are restricted to bring some item (plants and seed)

ü  Firearm without permit

ü  Must have tourist card if stay more than 72 hour or traveling more than 20 mile

ü  Mother are greatly revered but her role is secondary than husband

ü  Rank is important in this country and those above you must treated with respect

ü  If invited to mexican’s house, bring a gift like flower or sweets

ü  If you receive a gift open it and react enthusiastically

ü  Must came 30 minutes late, arrive on time or early considered inappropriate

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

22.     Country   :     NETHERLAND

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Dutch

Ø  Expressions       :    

ü  Good morning    =    goedemorgen

ü  Good afternoon       = goedemiddag

ü  Good night           =    goedenacht

ü  I love you              =    Ik hou van je

ü  Forbidden             =    verboden

ü  Eat                            =    eten

ü  Drink                       =    drank

ü  Thank you             =    dank u

ü  Welcome              =    welkom

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Patat (french fries )

ü  Sandwiches

ü  Stampot ( potato mash with bacon and broccoli )

ü  various kinds of snack such as pastel , risoles , frikandel

ü  POFFERTJES

ü  GOUDSEKAAS

ü  CHOCOLADELETTER

ü  Hutspot

ü  Waterzooi

ü  Ontbijtkoek

Ø  Clothing              :     Klederdracht, Njekither hat, Klompen

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Sinterklaas / Sint Nicolaas (December 5^th)

ü  Sint Marteen (November 11^th)

ü   

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

23.     Country   :     RUSSIA

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Russian

Ø  Music / Art         :     Matrioshka doll

Ø  Food                     :     Okroshka, Kasha

Ø  Clothing              :     Sarafan (girls)

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  When you give flowers, they should be 5 or 7 flowers in bloom instead of 6, since number 6 is related to the myth of death.

ü  Russian doesn’t smile at stranger

ü  Lick food from your cutlery

ü  Ask about their politic

ü  don’t show up empty handed

ü  Don’t forget to take off your shoes

ü  Never whistle while indoors

ü  Keep the empty bottles off

ü  Never show  the soles of your feet

ü  Never confuse your neighbors

ü   

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  Man must pay the cost

ü   

·         Flag

24.     Country   :     SINGAPORE

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :    

Ø  Music instrument :      Kompang

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Chicken rice

ü  Spicy crab

ü   

Ø  Clothing              :    

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Don’t perfect if you not eat egg jam

ü  Don’t ever put your one leg on chair

ü  Don’t bring camera if you on prostitution area

ü  Don’t buy T-Shirt who has a letter “FINE”

ü  Don’t come in podium center in Zouk night club

ü  Don’t stay in International Hotel

ü  Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore. Improper disposal of gum and carrying large quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 for first time offenders.

ü  Littering

First time offenders who throw small items like cigarette butts or candy wrappers are fined $300. Those who throw out bigger items like drink cans or bottles are considered defiant and are required to appear before the court. The punishment usually involves a Corrective Work Order (CWO). Smoking

ü  Smoking is prohibited in certain areas in Singapore.

ü   

Ø  Requirements  :    

ü  If you want to order place in coffee shop, you can just do, put down a full pack of tissue

ü  If you drive in street on Singapore, you must look on street controller

ü  If you eat durian in Singapore, don’t eat it up

·         Flag

25.     Country   :     SPAIN

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Spanish

Ø  Expression         :    

ü  Thank you        :               Gracias

Ø  Music / Art         :     Flamenco

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Tortila de patatas

ü  Croquetas

ü  Paella de Arroz

ü  Fabada Asturiana

ü  Pisto

Ø  Clothing              :     Iberia

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Tomato throwing festival

ü  Rice throwing festival

ü  Music and dance festival

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

26.     Country   :     THAILAND

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Thai

Ø  Expressions       :    

Ø  Music                   :    

Ø  Food                     :    

ü  Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Shrimp Soup)

ü  Som Tum (Spicy Green Papaya Salad)

ü  Kaeng Phet pet (roast duck in red curry)

Ø  Clothing              :     Phanung

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

ü  Songkran (pronounced sohng-krahn) is the traditional Thai New Year which is celebrated for three days in April by symbolically washing sins away and blessing friends with water. Young people have a fun time lying in ambush with buckets of water, huge water guns and hoses to get everyone soaking wet.

ü  Loy Krathong (pronounced loy krah-tohng) is an ancient festival to honor and thank the water spirits for all the water provided during the growing season. It is celebrated (usually in November) on the first full moon after the rice harvest.

ü  Yi peng, it takes place in november. In this festival, you’ll see thousand of paper lanterns and released to the sky, the festival is a symbol of pray and hope.

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  Don’t deface any of the Thai money, because it has a picture of the King’s face on it.

ü  Don’t deface any of the Thai money, because it has a picture of the King’s face on it.

ü  Don’t touch a Thai person’s head. The head is a sacred part of the body and touching it is a very uncomfortable violation of the person’s personal space.

ü  Do keep calm when you are in difficult situations. You might be tempted to get angry, but losing your temper in public is extremely bad manners. Remain polite.

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

 28.     Country   :     VIETNAM

·         Culture

Ø  Language            :     Vietnamese

Ø  Expressions       :    

Ø  Capital                 :     Hanoi

Ø  Music instrument : Dan Nhi    

Ø  Food                     :    

Vietnam is a country whose population is the most widely consumed instant noodles in Asia. For example:

ü  Pho,

ü  vermicelli (Bun),

ü  noodles grass (Mien),

ü  rice noodles (banh Da).

Also have 2 different versions: white noodles and red noodles:

ü  ka tieu (Hu tieu) are well known in southern Vietnam,

ü  egg noodles (Mi Van Than)

ü  instant noodle

ü  Balut (Vit Trung Long) or the egg duck or chicken eggs that have been fertilized for three weeks, the embryo inside is a very popular food in Asia, also in Vietnam, even Vietnam have swathe of the oldest (19-21 days old)

Ø  Clothing              :     Ao Dai

Ø  Housing              :    

Ø  Feast (Festival)      :     

·         Custom

Ø  Taboo                   :    

ü  The Vietnamese did not shower in the morning. They bathe in the afternoon.

ü  Vietnamese will take a nap after lunch. This means traveling from 12 noon to 1 pm is really fun because there is no congestion.

ü  The Vietnamese wearing a helmet is not for the sake of safety but because that was not pulled over by traffic police.

ü  The Vietnamese when they first meet will be questioned about the age, country of origin, and marital status

ü  Most Vietnamese prefer to use motorcycles rather than cars for their daily activities, due to the large tax burden applied to the car.

ü  When the Vietnamese tea or water (whatever), they always leave 5 to 10% in the rest of the cup after drinking. They do not drink it out.

ü  Vietnamese is the shape of the letter S. mainland population of Vietnam is very proud of this. They often cheer to strangers about it when they go abroad or when they are invited to visit Vietnam. If you come to Vietnam, you will often hear the words "Welcome to the island-shaped S beautiful and friendly ..."

ü   

Ø  Requirements  :    

·         Flag

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