This was dramatically highlighted in when Iraqi journalist Muntadhar Al Zaidi threw his shoes at George Bush, US president at the time, at a press conference.
This was the ultimate insult. It boils down to the rather practical view that the foot is one of the dirtiest parts of the body and therefore carelessly showing it to another demonstrates a lack of respect. This view is partly linked to Islamic teachings in which the Quran instructs Muslims to wash their feet in addition to their face, hands, elbows and head as part of pre-prayer ablutions.
Muslims also remove their shoes upon entry to a mosque. This cultural attitude has naturally extended to many non-Arab Muslim households around the world.
This means shoes are to be placed outside the front door. If you feel the need to walk around the house in footwear and only on the tiled section of the floor there are special indoor slippers for that.
We also have another pair of water-resistant slippers strictly for use in the bathroom or toilet. Usually, documents needed for court cases are always in Arabic because that is the only way they can be used for the court process.
I do recommend you ask for an accurate and trustworthy translation into your native language before you sign anything. We refer to them in the country as "mutarjim qanoni", meaning "legal translator or translation office". Could you tell me more about it?
RT, Sharjah. Dear RT: In our culture, calligraphy is one of our favourite and valuable aesthetic pieces of art, which you can find on or in buildings across the UAE, particularly in mosques, such as in the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque or on objects that are often placed in homes as a form of decoration. Calligraphy has been used throughout the history of the Arab world. It expresses the desire to portray the beauty as well as perfection of the Holy Quran in an appropriate art form.
At the same time, it is fascinating how it has its own language - with the way the artists use their talent to create such beautiful works. The Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization has regular calligraphy exhibitions.
Whereas cabbies in the US will sigh and reluctantly move their newspapers and lunches from the front seat, in other countries it's a matter of egalitarianism. In a lot of countries, especially in the Middle East, Latin America, Western Africa, Russia, and Greece , a thumbs-up basically has the same meaning as holding up a middle finger does for Americans. In Japan, laughter that exposes your pearly whites is considered horse-like and impolite — sort of like noisy, open-mouthed eating is considered rude to Americans.
Americans often make appointments for "around x" or "x-ish. On the other hand, many Latin American cultures, notably Argentina , would consider it bad form if you showed up to a dinner party right on time, akin to someone arriving an hour early in America. This is considered arrogant in Turkey, as well as some Asian countries, like South Korea.
Not all cultures have or use toilet paper , and tend to use their left hand in lieu of it. Accepting gifts, eating, or doing pretty much anything with your left hand in much of Africa, India, Sri Lanka and the Middle East is like a disgusting slap in the face.
In most Asian countries, most notably China and India, tearing into a gift in front of the gift giver is poor form. It looks greedy. Sure "athleisure" stylish sportswear worn outside of the gym is a hot new trend stateside, but in most countries, notably Japan and most of Europe, this sort of sloppy appearance is considered disrespectful.
In foodie cultures like France, Italy, Spain, and Japan, asking for ketchup, hot sauce, soy sauce, or salt to alter your meal may raise some eyebrows. The feet, on the other hand, are the lowest part of the body and considered dirty. By the same token pointing with your feet, or showing the bottoms of your feet to anyone is equally offensive. In China and Japan , this is considered very bad luck. Prevailing traveler superstition is that upright chopsticks resemble funeral incense and therefore symbolizes death.
More traditionally, the connection comes from a part of the funeral services: Rice is offered to the dead with his or her chopsticks stuck upright.
Instead, participate in the action! In those countries, food is eaten with the right hand and the left hand is reserved for certain sanitary activities. If you must, you must—but try to be discreet or get up and leave the table first. In Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, pointing with one finger is rude. In Korea, Japan, and Thailand giving or receiving with one hand is a big no-no.
With everything from giving gifts to handing money to a cashier—always use two hands. Rather than relying on tips to make up the bulk of their wages, Japanese workers feel they are getting paid to do their job and take pride in doing it well.
0コメント