Useful Reference Guides for the Road Warrioress

The more you know before you go, the more likely your success – whatever your purpose for your travels.  Culture Smart! The Essential Guides to Customs and Culture – from Kuperard, a UK publishing house – www.culturesmart.co.uk – avail as e-books

Understanding a country’s culture and customs makes a huge difference between a successful trip or relocation, whether it’s for business or pleasure.  Attitudes, beliefs, behaviors underlie every interaction, and challenges are routine in every cross-cultural interaction.  Body language – the Silent Language – can be particularly baffling for the uninitiated.

These are practical guides written by expats who have successfully relocated to the particular country.  Basic manners, common courtesies – the etiquette of everything from dining to conducting a business meeting – are the meat of each portion.

Countries include: Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brazil, Britain, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, USA, Vietnam.

Got many of these on your travel agenda?  Your wish list?  Start your engines - with a little boning up on the country.

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

Customs Matter in What You Wear, How You Act

Don’t pack your little black silk cocktail dress if you are going to Thailand.  Wearing black to a dinner or party, the color of death and mourning, is a serious faux pas among Thais.

An emergency medical service which expanded into Malaysia had to change their corporate color, logo, and reprint all of their business cards, letterhead, promotional materials – everything!  Their corporate color was a deep blue, the color of funeral procession attire and an omen of death.  Better to use ordinary white business cards with standard black print than to use blue paper or ink, especially for a business related to healthcare.

It’s Chinese New Year – the Year of the Dragon – and New Year gifts must always be given in pairs!  Odd numbers are inauspicious in gifts.  For New Year gifts, money is popular, but oranges, which symbolize gold, are even more popular.  Give four oranges (or four dozen) because recipients often “return the good luck” by giving back to the donor, and they would have to reciprocate with an even number or it’s bad luck for the coming year.  By giving four or eight (eight is an especially auspicious “big business” number) oranges, your receiver can return the favor with an even number.

Pay attention to culture, customs, superstitions of the countries you venture to visit.  Internet research can be useful on-the-run.  Better is to study up before you go.  Check travel guides in the public library for sections on customs and culture.  Read books on countries’ traditions, history, culture, customs for more comprehensive cross-cultural training. 

A weekend pouring over the books can spare you from packing unneeded – even dysfunctional – items or insulting your hosts or people you meet.  There’s no point hauling so much as the few ounces of that black silk cocktail dress when every ounce counts on airlines and above all, on your shoulder as you haul your “stuff” around.

May your road rise up to meet you!

Ann