cultural bloopers?

i've noticed asians in Boston & NY sometimes walk on the left side of the sidewalk.

out of respect, i try to move over to accommodate them -- when i can...

Middle Eastern men--and Italian men--tend to stand closer to me than I'm comfortable with.

One I find particularly revolting is when Asians blow their nose directly onto the sidewalk (gag) and also when they hauk, gob and spit all over the place.

Absolutely repulsive.

When I was a kid, a lot of US americans hocked, gobbed, and spit on the sidewalk too. Lots of phlegmy blotches on the promenade concrete..
subsequent knowledge among the populace about the spreading of tuberculosis and other diseases gradually lessened this activity while it hasn't wiped it out completely.

The nose clearing bit is truly gross to me, but not every culture on earth has packaged tissues at the ready. I wonder if guidebooks have this kind of info in them.

Here in DC I've noticed some Hispanics peeing in public. I can't see why they can't go into a McDonald's type place and piddle.

Interesting topic - I don't think I am doing anything terribly unpolite while in the US - but then again, you never know...

So I will watch this... What's with the left side of the side walk, RP?

Don't worry, urs, I am sure you blend in just fine, but some
German men wear sandals with socks, something Americans
never do.

And Germans shouldn't do that either! No matter where they are!!!!

Never ask an American where one can buy fags.

oh god...that's when I was almost convinced I had you standing in line at the airport last year....We got to talking about different words we used and REALLY load he said.....'EY, you call homosexuals FAGS here, don't you....? I GUESS I SHOULDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT FAGS THEN SHOULD I? FAGS, HAHAHAHAHA.

uhhhh....it was nice talking to you....you can go through that metal detector now....

Mame, I haven't noticed Asians expelling bodily fluids any more often that Americans do. Hmm....

And, American men AND women where socks with sandals (something NO ONE should do, imo).

Yes, unfortunately we DO have our fair share of idiots who travel the globe.
Isn't it awful when you strike up a conversation with someone who appears to be a fully practising homo sapien, and then quickly discover that he/she is about the most embarrassing person you have ever met.

...And why does it always happen in queues, when you can't escape the bugger?

I worked at a fancy seafood restarant for a while. One night a family came in - I have no idea where they were from - and at the end of their meal little silver finger bowls of warm water and lemon slices where distributed among the diners.

They each looked at their bowl and then to the father for some kind of cue on what to do with it. The father picked his up and drank it down. The rest took drinks from their own and passed the leftovers down to the father to finish off.

It was laugh out loud funny but it was also kind of lovely.

(enlarging the scope to include all of North America)

Peeing on public toilet seats! In my former office building, our greatest complaint had been overexuberent handwashers until a new tenant arrived who employed a large number of Middle Eastern women. Suddenly, we had to become extra vigilant before plunking ourselves down on the toilets in the public washrooms. It seems that women of certain cultures stand to urinate, even when presented with the first-world throne. Apparently, from the footprints, some will even stand on the toilet seat to do this.

We hung up a sign: "If you pee like a boy, lift the seat like a boy." It didn't work. Finally, someone drew some very bad pictograms, and the problem lessened considerably. But it never was completely solved.

I understand the different cultural habits, but I don't understand the ignorance of basic sanitation or the inconsideration to other users of the facilities.

littleK said - Mame, I haven't noticed Asians expelling bodily fluids any more often that Americans do. Hmm....

I haven't noticed it either. I think I read about it occurring in China from some travel writing I've read.

It's fairly common among the more traditional Navajos. They wonder how we can blow our noses into a handkercheif and stuff the whole nasty mess into our pockets.

Aha, that may be where I've read about the noseblowing, having dashed through a lot of books set in this southwest area lately.

Irish people should refrain, while in America, from proclaiming loudly "let's go to the pub for a bit of craic".

Even now, when Americans understand what craic (pronounced Crack) is, they still gasp.

I know what craic is...hung out with enough Irish people where I don't think twice about it.

I read somewhere in China it's common for them to spit on the sidewalk. Men, women, everyone. Niiiiiice.

Is it true in some Middle Eastern countries they wipe their ass with their hand? If so, that's just gross.