🙄 Section #8 – Understanding Cultural Knowledge & Customs 🙄 

Cultural Knowledge 

     When arriving in a new country it is important to know some cultural differences that may impact your next stay. Countries around the world handle the same situation in the same setting completely different. Customs like eye contact, clothing, and greetings are only the start of cultural differences. Religious practices are often the first custom that travelers will encounter. Throughout the Middle East travelers will hear a call to prayer happen several times a day and can be quite intimidating when first hearing it. This custom can most definitely catch some tourists off guard.

Is Personal Space Optional?

     Next on the list is personal space. While traveling through Asia I quickly realized that personal space does not exist especially when using public transportation. Personal space is nothing more than an idea in your mind in Japan and China. This is just the way it is and rather than fight it a traveler should simply accept it. Eye contact is the next custom that I quickly found out to be different. In the United States, it is known to be polite to keep eye contact when speaking with someone. This is not the same in other countries and can actually intimidate some people when speaking to them.

     Clothing is another custom that many travelers are aware of, but they do not always prepare for it. Remember that in many religious tourist attractions that shoulders need to be covered. This is very common around the world but still, I see travelers all the time get turned around and or must buy a t-shirt at the gift shop so they can enter the tourist attraction. Any time you are visiting a tourist attraction I would always bring a sweatshirt regardless because I have run into an issue even after I called and asked if I could wear a tank top and once I arrived I was refused entry.

Hustlers are Hustling

     Hustlers are everywhere regardless of the country you are visiting. In some countries, it is just part of the local customs and culture so you got to deal with it. They will attempt to haggle you and make you feel awkward until you spend money. I handle this in a very simple manner. I call it the Joshua Method. Always have sunglasses and headphones with a cord cable. The cord cable is so that the hustlers can see the headphones. If you have wireless, they may not see them and will continue to try to talk to you not knowing you cannot hear them. I have yet to have a hustler follow me for more than a few steps using the Joshua Method. Put the headphones in and the sunglasses on and do not acknowledge them. This will work 99.9% of the time.

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