DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

This forum is to learn about foreign cultures and habits, because language skills are not everything you need as a world citizen...

Moderator:Forum Administrators

User avatar
allemaalmeezinge
Posts:3846
Joined:2005-06-17, 6:01
Real Name:Tobias
Gender:male
Location:flowerful lands :)

Postby allemaalmeezinge » 2006-05-26, 21:32

People here are not reserved. We are open and direct, but that can be dangerous, too, when you only accept hearing 'nice' things from others!

And I don't like being reserved... it's a sterile way of living.. (and everybody should know that's an oxymoron!)

User avatar
Nendûr
Posts:1217
Joined:2006-04-23, 18:50
Real Name:Germán
Gender:male
Location: Montevideo
Country:UYUruguay (Uruguay)

Postby Nendûr » 2006-05-26, 22:18

is there a post about uruguay's do's an and don't's already??

User avatar
Saaropean
Posts:8808
Joined:2002-06-21, 10:24
Real Name:Rolf S.
Gender:male
Location:Montréal
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Postby Saaropean » 2006-05-27, 3:45

About the lawn mower times: Most house rules force you to be quiet at noon and at night. Here's the relevant paragraph from my lease contract:
Die Hausbewohner sind gehalten, alles zu unterlassen, was ein ruhiges und friedliches Zusammenwohnen stören könnte, insbesondere sind Lärmen, lautes Betreiben von Tonanlagen und Türenschlagen zu vermeiden.
Unbedingte Ruhe ist von 13 bis 15 Uhr sowie von 20 bis 7 Uhr einzuhalten. Beim Betreiben von Tonanlagen und Geräten des Mieters dürfen andere Mieter nicht beeinträchtigt werden.

In other words: Please be quiet so your neighbors don't feel disturbed by you. And it's verboten to turn on your stereo between 13 and 15, and between 20 and 7 o'clock.

User avatar
allemaalmeezinge
Posts:3846
Joined:2005-06-17, 6:01
Real Name:Tobias
Gender:male
Location:flowerful lands :)

Postby allemaalmeezinge » 2006-05-27, 8:50

Wär auch noch schöner, wenn jeder machen könnte was er wollte 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

User avatar
Hoogstwaarschijnlijk
Posts:7089
Joined:2005-11-30, 10:21
Location:Utrecht
Country:NLThe Netherlands (Nederland)

Postby Hoogstwaarschijnlijk » 2006-05-27, 11:55

Car wrote:
yabba wrote:And using the polite forms of the verb for addressing your parents seems very strange to me (even to the grand-parents); but I have heard stories like that before


Our Dutch guest docent told us that he's using the polite forms for addressing his parents (in Dutch), but "Du" when talking to his German relatives in German and found it quite strange.
Most people here don't use polite forms for addressing their parents, I think. But for grand-parents it is still often used, or for other family. I use it only for the sisters of my grandmother.

Polite forms are never used for relatives, I have learnt that this isn't the case in Germany?
Native: Dutch
Learns: Latin and French
Knows also (a bit): English, German, Turkish, Danish

Corrections appreciated.

User avatar
Car
Forum Administrator
Posts:10953
Joined:2002-06-21, 19:24
Real Name:Silvia
Gender:female
Country:DEGermany (Deutschland)
Contact:

Postby Car » 2006-05-27, 14:31

Well, the docent's already 56, so it might be a difference of age groups.
No, we never use polite forms for relatives.
Please correct my mistakes!

User avatar
Nendûr
Posts:1217
Joined:2006-04-23, 18:50
Real Name:Germán
Gender:male
Location: Montevideo
Country:UYUruguay (Uruguay)

Postby Nendûr » 2006-05-27, 19:29

Well, here you should always use informal (exept, maybe, at work or with very old people)If you are not sure, you can always ask: te puedo tutear? (can i *i can´t think of a sinonim in english* talk informally with you?

User avatar
Angasule
Posts:162
Joined:2003-11-23, 5:47
Real Name:Matias D'Ambrosio
Gender:male
Location:Buenos Aires
Country:ARArgentina (Argentina)

Postby Angasule » 2006-05-28, 6:14

Here in Bahia Blanca, Argentina (south of Buenos Aires province) it's rare to speak formally to your parents, although I had some neighbourhood friends who would do that, and it was weird (this was 15 years ago, of course).
Men kissing each other is a Buenos Aires (the city) custom as far as I know, I'm somewhat used to it because I travel there often, but I had a friend who was the only one who didn't travel to Buenos Aires more or less regularly and was very macho, he would look at you as if deciding whether to kill you with a hatchet or a butcher's knife if you even hinted at kissing him. We shake hands, except if there's a girl then we kiss. I don't kiss or shake hands with my immediate family and male friends, usually we just say hello or, in the case of a pre-breakfast-I-just-got-out-of-bed situation, a loud grunt :) But then, I'm not a people person :P
Oh, and among young people it's common to use a different handshake, in which you grab the thumbs, sort of :? It's informal and definitely not to be used with older people.
I agree with the don't-be-early rule, specially if picking up a date, you *never* show up early, since she probably won't be ready, and it'll be awkward, or she won't be able to open the door and you'll have to wait outside, or her parents will open the door and you'll have to spend 10 minutes talking with them (most guys don't like that heh).
*Never* take off your shoes, it's rude. We have welcome mats, use them if your shoes are dirty, although it's not required otherwise.
For the most part, if you visit someone expect to be fed until you are about to explode, and then more, the older the host, the more likely he is to do this... Refusing to eat is ok, though. I'ts also ok (and welcome) to bring food when visiting (in that case, the food is 'facturas', I'm not sure how to translate that type of food... it includes croissants). This applies to family as well, once when I was young I was visiting my grandparents and I didn't want to shower (their bathroom was cold and scary :P ) so I ate toast with honey for a couple of hours, my grandmother was so happy :D My parents were a bit pissed when they arrived and saw I wasn't ready, though.
In Argentina there are a lot of different behaviours because it depends on the immigrants that arrived to the area, the particular immigrant family of the host (specially in this area, everybody is descended from an immigrant, Italian and Spanish mainly).
In Buenos Aires and here (we're very similar), lunch is between 12 and 14 (it doesn't take 2 hours, it's just that whatever lunch time you have, is inside that range), and dinner is between 20-22:30, unless it's a special occasion, then it might be much later. Usually between 16 and 18 there is a small meal (excellent time for facturas and mate). The no-call time is from 12 to 16 (lunch-siesta), although it's becoming less and less so. 15 years ago the city seemed to be a ghost town during those hours (it was great fun, actually).
Usually if in doubt, speak formally, or ask "lo puedo tutear?" (which is funny, since we don't use 'tu'!), two people under 30 will pretty much always use the informal, in mixed situations it's hard to say.
Don't be freaked out if someone apparently goes ballistic and starts insulting someone or something, it's quite normal, and after they finish the string of insults they'll frown and go on doing what they were doing (this is quite common in relation to traffic). Oh, drivers are insane, I think it's required by law, my motto while driving is "go kill yourself", it's what I say to all the nutty drivers when they do some dangerous maneuver (I let them go and hope they kill themselves and don't hurt me :P ), bus drivers in particular think they have a license to kill, bikers think they drive buses and pedestrians think they can fly (which is only true if hit by a bus). Expect to break the law, recently I was at an intersection and I waited for four full cycles of the traffic lights with no one letting me through, I had to go through a red light as it changed (so that all other cars were still), cars ignore pedestrians, so if they want to turn a corner, they will, and you better get out of the way.
Dressing lightly is quite ok, but no topless or nudity (except in certain spots), in beach towns it's not unusual for some people to go to the cinema barefoot (I'd recommend sandals, though).
A better burden | may no man bear
For wanderings wide than wisdom;
It is better than wealth | on unknown ways,
And in grief a refuge it gives.

User avatar
Hoogstwaarschijnlijk
Posts:7089
Joined:2005-11-30, 10:21
Location:Utrecht
Country:NLThe Netherlands (Nederland)

Postby Hoogstwaarschijnlijk » 2006-05-28, 8:48

Car wrote:Well, the docent's already 56, so it might be a difference of age groups.
No, we never use polite forms for relatives.
Yes, because his parents are in the age groups of our grandparents, so it fits then :)

We learn weird things at school :wink:
Native: Dutch
Learns: Latin and French
Knows also (a bit): English, German, Turkish, Danish

Corrections appreciated.

User avatar
ego
Posts:4920
Joined:2004-12-06, 15:19
Real Name:Thanasis
Gender:male
Location:SX
Country:GBUnited Kingdom (United Kingdom)

Postby ego » 2006-05-28, 9:11

As angasule said, in Greece too you have to eat everything they offer you and seem very happy about it. When they bring you the food or the sweet you must look excited and thankful, eat it ALL and at the end say how much you liked it with a big smile. Most probably they will ask you if you want more. Then you can avoid it by saying that you had eaten much before visiting them already or smth like that. I still remember when I was 15, I went to some friend's house and their mum offered me and my brother a sweet which was awful. We both ate just one spoonful and let it down saying "it's ok, we don't want more". I'm still ashamed of that!

User avatar
0stsee
Posts:2479
Joined:2006-10-12, 23:27
Real Name:MarK
Gender:male
Country:DEGermany (Deutschland)

Menarik

Postby 0stsee » 2007-08-21, 12:10

A very nice thread, but somehow too general.

It could be split into countries/regions or certain particular themes. :)


MarK

User avatar
Balaur
Posts:483
Joined:2007-01-19, 1:37
Real Name:Андрей
Gender:male
Location:台北
Country:TWTaiwan (臺灣)

Postby Balaur » 2007-08-25, 1:43

Messi wrote:My advice for gay people who come in Romania: DO NOT reveal your sexual orientation :wink:


I must agree with this statement. It is rather safe to say that the majority of Romanians are conservative Christians, and some can be very stubborn and closed-minded, and therefore not very accepting. So mentioning your sexual orientation (if you're not heterosexual) or your religious beliefs (if you're not Christian) might not be wise if you want to be on a Romanian's good side, though you will inevitably be asked if you go to church (and chances are that they expect a "yes").
Vă rog să mă corectați dacă fac o greșeală în orice limbă. // Вэ рог сэ мэ коректаць дакэ фак о грешялэ ын орьче лимбэ. // Please correct me if I make a mistake in any language. // Bitte korrigiert mich, wenn ich einen Fehler in irgendeiner Sprache mache. // 請改正我任何語言中的錯誤。 // 请改正我任何语言中的错误。 // Παρακαλώ να με διορθώνουν αν κάνω ένα λάθο σε οποιηδήποτε γλώσσα.

Almar
Posts:983
Joined:2007-01-07, 8:09
Real Name:Almar Kristjans
Gender:male
Country:ISIceland (Ísland)

Postby Almar » 2007-08-25, 3:00

for Iceland

DOs:
Shake hands
Buy a lot
Talk about how great this country is
Talk about how beautiful the landscape is
Talk about how proud we should be of our language

DON'Ts:
Don't spit.
Don't talk about how ugly this country really is.
Don't bash Björk.
Don't talk about how expensive everything is, just buy more!
asdf

User avatar
JackFrost
Posts:16240
Joined:2004-11-08, 21:00
Real Name:Jack Frost
Gender:male
Location:Montréal, Québec
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Postby JackFrost » 2007-08-25, 3:17

Almar wrote:Don't talk about how expensive everything is, just buy more!

As if Icelanders don't moan about everything being expensive...especially the booze. :shock:
Neferuj paħujkij!

Almar
Posts:983
Joined:2007-01-07, 8:09
Real Name:Almar Kristjans
Gender:male
Country:ISIceland (Ísland)

Postby Almar » 2007-08-25, 3:27

JackFrost wrote:
Almar wrote:Don't talk about how expensive everything is, just buy more!

As if Icelanders don't moan about everything being expensive...especially the booze. :shock:


Shut up and buy more! :evil:
asdf

User avatar
Gormur
Posts:8190
Joined:2005-05-17, 1:11
Real Name:Gormur
Gender:male
Country:CUCuba (Cuba)
Contact:

Re: DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

Postby Gormur » 2020-02-24, 15:05

I never would've thought vaporizing tobacco would take off. The weird thing was, years ago in like 2008~2009 it was illegal to order/import vapour pens from places like China. Now it's legal. Speaking of customs, i don't get it customs. Where's your hypocrisy? :hmm:

DOs
Give people plenty of space
Avoid talking politics
Tip waiters or waitresses
Be nice in public

DON'Ts
Don't make lewd comments in public
Don't correct peoples' grammar
Don't assume others' customs
Don't use your phone to call friends outside your current circle
Eigi gegnir þat at segja at bók nøkkur er hreinferðug eðr ønnur spelluð því at vandliga ok dáliga eru bœkr ritnar ok annat kunnum vér eigi um þœr at dœma

User avatar
linguoboy
Posts:25540
Joined:2009-08-25, 15:11
Real Name:Da
Location:Chicago
Country:USUnited States (United States)

Re: DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

Postby linguoboy » 2020-02-24, 17:57

Gormur wrote:Don't use your phone to call friends outside your current circle

Interesting. Never heard this one before. Could you elaborate? Do you just not call them or do you use a different phone or what?
"Richmond is a real scholar; Owen just learns languages because he can't bear not to know what other people are saying."--Margaret Lattimore on her two sons

User avatar
Gormur
Posts:8190
Joined:2005-05-17, 1:11
Real Name:Gormur
Gender:male
Country:CUCuba (Cuba)
Contact:

Re: DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

Postby Gormur » 2020-02-24, 18:38

Basically, let's say family calls you. You need to turn off your phone or use ignore or however your cellphone works

I'm not even a millennial but i recognize this behavior :lol:
Eigi gegnir þat at segja at bók nøkkur er hreinferðug eðr ønnur spelluð því at vandliga ok dáliga eru bœkr ritnar ok annat kunnum vér eigi um þœr at dœma

User avatar
Osias
Posts:9754
Joined:2007-09-09, 17:38
Real Name:Osias Junior
Gender:male
Location:Vitória
Country:BRBrazil (Brasil)
Contact:

Re: DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

Postby Osias » 2020-02-25, 3:28

Don't touch your food with your hands.
2017 est l'année du (fr) et de l'(de) pour moi. Parle avec moi en eux, s'il te plait.

User avatar
Lutrinae
Posts:254
Joined:2010-09-13, 2:08
Country:FRFrance (France)

Re: DOs and DON'Ts in your countries

Postby Lutrinae » 2020-02-25, 8:32

Gormur wrote:Basically, let's say family calls you. You need to turn off your phone or use ignore or however your cellphone works

I'm not even a millennial but i recognize this behavior :lol:


How does your family contact you then? Or do you mean, when you are with a certain group of people, don't take/make any calls?
Thanks for any correction :)


Return to “Culture”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests