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Week 7: Response to "Differences in Manners" - 10/26/2021

     This is a subtle topic to discuss. For all of the non-written rules in culture, manners tend to be the more delicate. And more extensive as well. It seems that we have a long list of the do and don't in each culture. 

    I haven't had the opportunity to travel abroad, and I am aware of some of the differences in manners from region to region in my own country, so I never put this into real practice outside my comfort zone. But getting acquainted with the general rules is always good. Especially living in a multicultural city like São Paulo. I am still in my comfort zone, but we have a lot of immigrants living here. It's a good neighborhood practice to understand their culture and the differences between my own culture. As teachers we also need to have in mind that the majority of our students are learning English to be able to travel, no matter if for business or pleasure, but to travel abroad. So, we need to understand these differences in manners to bale to teach them about.

    I have a couple of friends that once traveled to Egypt. One of the funniest things that happened in the travel in their opinion, it was when a local citizen offered some camels for her. In the beginning, they thought that the man was offering them a camel tour sort of thing. It was only when the tour guide was hurrying them to leave that place that they understood that something was wrong. She is a white, beautiful tall woman, in the citizen was trying to buy her from her spouse. She was so different from the local woman that the man was making a high offer for her, the tour guide after explained them.

    They were almost making a deal with that man!!! This is just a little example of it's all good to understand the difference in manners across different cultures. For that Egyptian man, offering one or more camels to buy a woman is totally acceptable. But for my friends, this was rude at that moment, and once "safe" a funny anecdote to talk about their travel.

    I believe that is impossible to memorize all non-written rules and differences in manners. But the wisest council about this is, look around and see how everyone else is doing it. There is a minimum chance to be wrong if we observe how local citizens are acting upon these no-written rules.

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