CULTURAL CURIOSITIES: CHINESE WOULD RATHER BUY AMERICAN, RUSSIANS CAN STARE BUT DON'T SMILE BACK

CULTURAL CURIOSITIES

Chinese Rather Buy American, Russians Can Stare but don't You Smile,  Chileans Expect Good Table Manners

Although the US has a huge trade deficit with China, American-made baby products are extremely popular because even the Chinese consider US products to be safer (abc.com). 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and considered a lucky year to be born; consequently many Chinese are trying to have babies this year (abc.com).  When in Japan, never stick chopsticks upright in your rice; during funerals in Japan the rice bowl of the deceased is placed before their coffin with chopsticks upright.  Putting bread directly on the table and not on a plate is perfectly acceptable in France.  Table manners are more formal in Chile than in other cultures and food is always eaten with a knife and fork, even fries.  It can be disconcerting, but Russians consider it perfectly acceptable to stare at strangers. But don’t smile back or you will be thought to be either crazy or stupid (Russians rarely smile in public).  buildinginternationalbridges.org.

CULTURAL CURIOSITIES

Chinese Buy American, Russians Stare, Chileans Eat Formally  08/12

Although the US has a huge trade deficit with China, American-made baby products are extremely popular because even the Chinese consider US products to be safer (abc.com). 2012 is the Year of the Dragon and considered a lucky year to be born; consequently many Chinese are trying to have babies this year (abc.com).  When in Japan, never stick chopsticks upright in your rice; during funerals in Japan the rice bowl of the deceased is placed before their coffin with chopsticks upright.  Putting bread directly on the table and not on a plate is perfectly acceptable in France.  Table manners are more formal in Chile than in other cultures and food is always eaten with a knife and fork, even fries.  It can be disconcerting, but Russians consider it perfectly acceptable to stare at strangers. But don’t smile back or you will be thought to be either crazy or stupid (Russians rarely smile in public).  buildinginternationalbridges.org.