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Manners, hand gestures etc.
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Posted by: Hostile_hostage

I was just wondering if there is anything that is considered perfectly acceptable in Western culture, but would cause offence in an Eastern block country?

Do's and Don'ts on a first date with your Russian girlfriend would also be an interesting topic.

Posted by: Spakoyna

Here are a few pointers I can give. Russian people do not raise their voice as a general rule. When they do a fight is usually brewing. They are also sensitive to hand gestures, especially if you are having a discussion. Just be calm and don't raise your voice too much and wave your hands around too much.

Posted by: andrei

DONT SMILE IF THERE'S NO REASON FOR IT!

Smiling in Russia for no reason makes you a psycho automatically. Want to learn some Russian cusswords - smile at an unfamiliar person in public transport. Want to get beat up - smile at an unfamiliar drunk person.

Only if u see someone you already know, or someone just cracked a joke, smile.

Posted by: compucowboy

I might be in trouble when I go there. I smile alot. Especially when I think of something funny.

Posted by: Hostile_hostage

Best not to start off with, " Have you heard the one about ......?" (LOL)
Seriously...............thanks for the advice.

Posted by: zaniac

Strange thing on monday happened to me. I was in a very, very, very, very happy mood and I winked at some guy (complete stranger). I thought why on earth did I do that? After reading andrei's comments, I then wondered what would have happened to me if I had done this to a guy in Russia or Ukraine

I dread to think what the other guy thought, lol.

Posted by: Cheburashka

Well, I'm not sure I completely agree with Andrei's comments about smiling. I'm not the most stoic person alive and I seem to do OK. Granted, they really do not show much outward joy, but to plant the seeds that they'll think you are psycho might be a little much. They'll just think you're an American.

Posted by: zaniac

I admit when I was in Kiev, there were a few unhappy faces walking around, but I think you get that in England as well sometimes

I've found a few times in Kiev, when I held the door open for people I never got a smile or a comment from them. In England you usually get some response for doing so.

Saying that I think Ukrainians are generally nice people, judging by the people I came in contact with. I think once you get talking to people (no matter what country) they tend to come out of their shells and smile

Posted by: jpierce55

Elena and her Uzbek friends as well as the girl I met in Kiev used many hand jestures, just like we do. I am not sure about the Russians. I don't know that I agree about the hand jesture thing.

I would say don't stare at a couple in Russia, seems like people avert their eyes or it may have been my imagination.

Most importantly don't wear tennis shoes. I wore them to Elena's apartment early one day (just hanging out) she promptly removed them from my feet, then told me to go change them.

Definitely are some words and comments/questions. Buy a book like Ukraine Culture Shock, it is out of date and not everything counts (esp. for Russia) but anything like that at least gives you an idea.

Posted by: mistermopar

Putting your middle finger up at someone would not be acceptable,I think it is a universal thing that has about the same meaning no matter where you go.
One of the ladies that I had went to see in Russia did this to me when I was taking photos,she said she was only joking.I asked her what it ment,and yup..the same thing as here.

Randy

Posted by: KyDale

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistermopar

Putting your middle finger up at someone would not be acceptable,I think it is a universal thing that has about the same meaning no matter where you go.
One of the ladies that I had went to see in Russia did this to me when I was taking photos,she said she was only joking.I asked her what it ment,and yup..the same thing as here.

Randy

My understanding is this jesture came from the English showing the French they still had their bow finger. Anyone else heard of this? Hopefully a few English history buffs can confirm or deny this one!

Dale

Posted by: zaniac

Yep this is what I heard on a documentory a long time ago. I know the French (at least) used to cut off the archer's finger to prevent him from being able to use a bow again. I think it was around the time we invaded the northen part of France and the longbow was very effective against the enemy forces. They could fire from such a distance, that at the time was never achieved by archers from other countries using the typical bows of that period. I think it was the longbow which helped us win most of our battles in France at the time.

Posted by: Hostile_hostage

These are some interesting facts about hand gestures; every current and future cast member should be familiar with them.

Thumbs-Up
In the Unites States, the gesture means "good going!" But in Bangladesh, it is a taunt, and in other Islamic countries it is the equivalent to the upraised middle finger.

The A-Okay
Joining the thumb and index finger in circle is an insult in many Latin American countires. When Richard Nixon was Vice President, he is reported to have greeted a crowd South of the Border with a double "a-okay." Imagine the Reaction! A Frenchman reads the gesture as meaning "Zero" or "worthless."

"V" for Victory
In the United States, it means "victory" or "peace." But in England, if the palm faces inward it is a taunt- especially if executed with an upward jerk of th efingers. History tells us that over 650 years ago, the French disabled the English archers they captured in battle by cutting off their middle and forefingers. After the batles of Agincourt and Crecy, where the French were heavily defeated, the triumphant English gloated over their French prisoners by holding up their hands, first two fingers upright, palm inward, to show bother fingers fully intact.

Hook'em Horns
The pinkie and index finger reased up and the middle two fingers folded down is a symbol for the fans of the University of Texas Longhorn- but in parts of Africa, this is a curse. And for millions of Italians, it is the cormuto which means that "Your spouse is being unfaithful." And, this means "hang loose" in Hawaii.

Finger Beckoning
Here we sometimes hail a waiter with the index finger slightly raised and the thumb loosely extended. In Japan, it is rude to beckon a waiter if you then motion with the index finger. In Germany, the waiter might respond by bringing you two more drinks. In Malaysia, curling the index finger is considered very rude- scratching the air would be preferable for calling a waiter.

Tapping Forehead with Forefinger
It means "smart" here, while in Holland tapping the center of the forehead means "he's crazy." But in Argentina, our sign for "he's crazy" (circling the forefinger next to the ear) could be confused with their signal for "you have a telephone call."

Stop Sign
Extending one hand, palm forward means "stop!" in the United States. In Greece it is the moutza, or hand push which is a common sign of confrontation. And in West Africa, the gesture is even more insulting than the upraised middle finger.

Hands in Pockets
Think you can save yourself a load of trouble by putting your hands in your pockets? Think again: keeping one's hands in one's pockets while conversing is impolie in Indonesia, France, and Japan.

Copyright 1991 By Roger E. Axtell and taken from information obtained from Enhancing the Magic

Pointing with One Finger
Cast members are immediatly taught not to point with one finger as it is rude in many countries. Instead, cast members are instructed to either extend both their index finger and their middle finger together (the 2 finger point) or point using their entire hand. Disney points are also an easy way to identify other cast members who are not in costume.

Posted by: inlove

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hostile_hostage

I was just wondering if there is anything that is considered perfectly acceptable in Western culture, but would cause offence in an Eastern block country?

Do's and Don'ts on a first date with your Russian girlfriend would also be an interesting topic.

The most important thing is not to fart or burb.

Sorry, could not resist.

Posted by: Spakoyna

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistermopar

Randy!

The traditional middle finger in Russia is the thumb stuck up between the 1st 2 middle fingers and holding it like a fist! I meet a guy that was talking to me about his now wife. He said she shakes her fist at me alot! I asked if her thumb was between her fingers and he said he didn't know! Later he said she did....LMAO she had been flipping him off!

Posted by: Spakoyna

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpierce55

Most importantly don't wear tennis shoes. I wore them to Elena's apartment early one day (just hanging out) she promptly removed them from my feet, then told me to go change them.

JP I wore tennis shoes 99% of the time I was in Russia(albiet they were black). The only time I didn't was when we went to the theater. As to shoes in the house, most Russian people do not wear shoes in the house. The 1st thing you do when you walk in the door is take off your shoes! This tradition came home to me here as well and I do not have a problem with it!

Inlove! LMAOROTF! I would hope all understood this!

Posted by: OzGuyLooking

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spakoyna

Here are a few pointers I can give. Russian people do not raise their voice as a general rule. When they do a fight is usually brewing. They are also sensitive to hand gestures, especially if you are having a discussion. Just be calm and don't raise your voice too much and wave your hands around too much.

I'll have to get my parents to start wearing their hearing aids so I don't have to shout and I'll have to start sitting on my hands. Otherwise I'll be in deep doo doo.

Posted by: jpierce55

No she would not go out in public with me if I had the tennis shoes on, I had not planned to anyway. I already knew before going leather shoes are the way to go in Europe as a whole.

Posted by: mistermopar

On all of my trips I have all ways wore running shoes,and they are white....
kind of like standing out in a crowd in Russia.But when I was recently in Belarus,I ran into many Belarusian men with white runners.
Of course I wore dress shoes when going to places of importance.
None of the ladies ever commented on the white shoes.

Randy

Posted by: swindoom

The English hand gesture to the French was two fingers, since you need two fingers to draw the arrow back, it is the opposite way round to the 'V' sign used by Winston Churchill.

Posted by: Tatsy

It is a very interesting history about fingers...

I did not know.
But actually it is not our gesture. We have other gesture in similar cases.

HH, I can be mistaken, but I think that a phrase " I want you " has different interpretations in English and in Russian. There can be a misunderstanding.

Posted by: Hostile_hostage

Hi Tats

So how would you tell someone in Russian that you 'want them' without causing offence?

Ian

Posted by: joelunchbox

I want you...for sex? for love? for wife? for ????
I want you...can mean all of those too!

Posted by: clever1

Quote:

Originally Posted by swindoom

The English hand gesture to the French was two fingers, since you need two fingers to draw the arrow back, it is the opposite way round to the 'V' sign used by Winston Churchill.

See how good your fingers are
http://www.treasurevalleylife.com/games/longbow.swf
Happy shooting

John

Posted by: Tatsy

" I want you " in Russian is used only in sexual sense. Though, likely, in English too?

Posted by: jpierce55

Not only that Tats. Simply "I want you" is typically sexual but.... It can mean I love you I want you in my life, and like Joe said.

I think I seen some tennis shoes in Kiev, and they where nearly all U.S./Canadian tourists.

Posted by: mistermopar

Hey John,I love the long bow game,can't stop playing it.LOL

Randy

Posted by: compucowboy

So.. you're saying 'travel with anti-flatulence pills'?

Posted by: compucowboy

Yep, you got it right. The hundred years war.

Posted by: mistermopar

compucowboy,

Quote:

you're saying 'travel with anti-flatulence pills'

Gees,where can I get some of those?

LOL

Randy

Posted by: clever1

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistermopar

compucowboy,

Gees,where can I get some of those?

LOL

Randy

Try the Gas station, Randy LMAO

John

Posted by: Samurai_Bob

You guys kill me!
I learn so much from you.