When in Rome

1. Which should you never offer a Moslem to eat?

a) Beef

b) Pork

2. What do you have to do before you go into a mosque?

a) Put on white clothes

b) Take off your shoes

3. At a traditional meal in India, you should eat:

a) only with your right hand

b) only with your left hand

4. In a Buddhist country, you shouldn’t:

a) pat a child’s head

b) hold hands with a child

5. Which shouldn’t you do in Japan?

a) take off your jacket before a meal

b) blow your nose in public

6. Which is banned in Singapore?

a) Alcohol

b) Chewing gum

7. Which colour is worn at a traditional Chinese funeral?

a) Black

b) White

8. The usual way of greeting people in China is:

a) shaking hands

b) bowing

9. What do Italians do at midnight on New Year’s Eve?

a) Throw old things out of the windows

b) Sit on the floor and hold hands

10. If you’re invited to a meal in Brazil, you should arrive:

a) shortly before the stated time

b) some time after the stated time

11. On holiday in Spain, you are invited to go on a paseo. Is this:

a) a walk?

b) a picnic?

12. In Russia, what do you do before going on an important journey?

a) Kiss your hat

b) Sit in silence for a short time

13. Which flowers should you never take to a dinner party in Poland?

a) Carnations

b) Chrysanthemums

c) Tulips

14. In Britain, what do superstitious people touch for luck?

a) Iron

b) Wood

c) Glass

Now, check your answers.

1b: Moslems do not eat pork. Hindus do not eat beef.

2b: You have to take off your shoes. T some mosques you can borrow slippers.

3a: At a traditional meal in India (and in Moslem countries) everybody takes food out of the same large dish, with their right hand. Even left-handed people should use the right hand only.

4a: In Thai Buddhism, spirits enter and leave a person’s body through the head. Patting a child on the head would seem rude in Thailand.

5b: In Japan, sniffing is more polite than blowing your nose in public.

6b: Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore. Foreign tourists would not be fined for chewing it, although they would be if they tried to sell it.

7b: Traditionally the Chinese wear white for funerals.

8b: Bowing is also the usual way of greeting in Japan.

9a: Anything old will do: old clothes, old papers. Some people throw out old furniture, which can make the streets quite dangerous. It symbolises throwing out the old year.

10b: Your Brazilian hosts will expect you about half an hour after the stated time. Never arrive early in case they are busy with last minute’s preparations.

11a: In small towns in Spain, young people often take a walk or paseo before dinner. The guys and the girls walk in opposite directions around the town square. Sometimes they stop for a chat, but mostly they just check out the talent!

12b: The family sits in silence for a short time before one member goes on a journey. The time isn’t strictly determined, but it’s for about a minute or two – usually, the time it takes to say a prayer.

13b: Chrysanthemums are only given at funerals.

14b: The British touch the wood. Americans knock on wood. Italians touch iron.

from “Current”