I know that I may sound like an ignorant American (which I am), but I think the majority of the customs and traditions of other countries are just plain strange. China and Japan are my two favorites, as evidenced lately by their condom ice cream and hairy leggings, but alas, they can’t have all the fun. Here is a list of eight weird international customs from around the globe:
New Zealand– In New Zealand, people greet each other by rubbing noses, like David the freakin Gnome. This would be a huge problem for me, since I react physically in a very negative way, any time anyone touches my face.
Egypt– In Egypt it is considered rude to put salt on your food. This would be like putting A-1 Sauce on your steak at Peter Luger, so make sure you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Venezuela– In Venezuela it is considered too eager if you actually show up on time to anything. It is customary to arrive 10-15 minutes late, which means that I should probably move there immediately.
Norway– In Norway, you shouldn’t eat with your hands, even if you are eating a sandwich. Do I need to ask if this rule applies to cunnilingus?
Greece– In Greece, children throw their baby teeth onto the roof of their house for good luck. Strangely enough, in Greek the words “good luck” translate to mean: “attracting rats”.
Turkey– Turkey and Venezuela are quickly becoming my two favorite places. In Turkey, it is tradition that the host of a dinner pays for everything. No more playing the “reach into my purse slowly pretending to grab a credit card game” on dates.
Korea– In Korea, writing a note in red ink means that someone has died. Similarly in America, red ink all over your term paper means that your future has died.
Finland– In Finland, being invited to a sauna after a business meeting means the meeting went well. The same thing goes for my Friday night dates, but they are often followed by cocktails and blowies.
[ via ] [ via ]
