J, Very good points!!
I spent 1.5 years in Japan. I was having cocktails with some Tokyo locals and I was tired and wanted to be able to accomplish what I promised the next day and refused a tumbler glass of whiskey from Karamura San late in the night. I went back to the hotel and found out the next day that I insulted him BIG-TIME. Moral: You can't always know local customs but learn from your mistakes. I bought him a tumbler of whiskey the next time we went out and all was forgiven. On the "thank you" thingy... In Japan the more random "Gazimus"s (spelling?) one places in a conversation the more polite you are. And to be Really polite end the sentence with "gazimusssssssssssssss" and stretch those s's out. I think the vast majority of us try to acclimate to local customs so we can respect other cultures and not insult the locals. But in the end it's one of those "live and learn" things. Ralph DiMola IT Director Evergreen Information Services rdim...@evergreeninfo.net -----Original Message----- From: use-livecode [mailto:use-livecode-boun...@lists.runrev.com] On Behalf Of J. Landman Gay Sent: Wednesday, February 12, 2014 3:14 PM To: How to use LiveCode Subject: [OT] Cultural differences (was Re: Defining Pet Features and Essentials) Ender, I marked this as OT because we've gone off-track, but this is fascinating to me and I'm glad your reply was still in my inbox. > Whereas "pig" is condescending, "ox" means dumb, "dog" is pretty insulting. "Pig" here means dirty, sloppy, unclean, even though pigs are naturally very clean animals. "This place is a pig sty" means your house is a mess. Ox means dumb, same as you. A dog is just a dog, except for female dogs which are bitches. "Bitch" here is a so commonly used for a querrelous woman (or a man's property) that I've met people who don't know it actually refers to dogs. > In fact, I love dogs as animals; they're cute, loyal, fun, smart. > But as a swear, it's rough. Another thing westerners are puzzled by is the insult about shoes. To us they are just apparel. I do understand that shoes pick up street dirt and are unclean, so it makes sense I guess. But if you threw a shoe at me, I'd be offended by the gesture but not by the item you chose to do it with. > I should have thought about the nuances between cultures. > That was clearly my mistake. Don't feel too bad, we all do it. We are products of our culture, which is taught to us before we can even think about it. Americans are typically thought of as rude and after visiting the UK, I see why. We are perceived as brash and self-centered. One example is that we typically don't use "please" as often as they do in the UK, because in America that would be perceived as constant pleading, and perhaps a sign of insecurity. In the UK it is simply a polite way of speaking. When I was visiting, I tried to remember to say "please" more often than usual, just to fit in. I probably failed. > Another important thing about this issue is being over-touchy / > short-tempered of Middle Eastern people. I suspect that part is more human than cultural. I know a lot of people here that behave that way too, and there are areas of the U.S. where criticising their culture or patriotism enrages them. I think it goes back to our tribal roots. The community is the bedrock of our identity, and insulting it also insults us personally by association. I almost decided to major in cultural anthropology in college, the field is so fascinating to me. Humans are a diverse breed, and yet we have far more in common with each other than we have differences. And I am glad this conversation occurred, because it makes us all more aware. One thing is a disadvantage to you though: your English is so good that it is easy to forget you live so far away. :) -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | jac...@hyperactivesw.com HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode