Trifter

Ever since my third year of high school, I haven’t spent much time in my home country. I am huge travelling fan and I do it every chance I get. When I first left home I was still on my teenage years, which could translate to a naive and shy girl. Beside blaming myself for leaving my family just like that, the rest has been an extremely fun journey, not meaning that everything went as planned or hope, definitely not. But overall, I can not complain. I have learned so much in these past years and I love it that there is a story behind almost everything. I, myself put myself through some quite embarrassing things before I learned things the way I am supposed to, thus I guess a little advice won’t hurt anyone,just so you do not find yourself on the same shoes as I did.

1. Language. Extremely important. I  am implying that you should make sure that you know the language before you head to any country for a visit , not by any means. Just think twice before you say anything. In my country we used to learn British English in school but it never crossed my mind that there are any differences besides the accent between British and American English. WRONG! On my first week at the States I asked one of my classmates for a Rubber ( by which I meant an Eraser). And the look on her face followed by a hysterical laugh will never ever get out of my head, let alone the confusion it caused me as my English was really poor then. If you happen to be in Canada, do not check your dictionary for the word Eh?.You won’t find it in there. It is just an ending that they tend to add at the end of a sentence. I just love it and never get tired of hearing it.  If the hotel or restaurant staff tell you “The loo is …” in England, and you probably asked them where the bathroom is, do not worry. They are not trying to mislead you, it is just that Loo is the proper word for Bathroom there.
2. Polite or Not. Some say the world is small and I am not going to argue with that, but I just want to say that if the world is small then there is way too much diversity in it. Every culture is different from the other. Every country has different social and ethical rules. Let’s say … Winking. While in some countries is some sort of flirting in others it might just cost you your head. The same goes for shaking hands, hugging or giving a compliment. Just be advised that before you head on that trip you browse through some essential things about that specific country.
3. Manners. Be careful how you address the other people. There are a lot of countries where the elderly receive a special treatment. Or the table manners. There are countries where not using a fork and knife is offensive, and there are countries where it is just awkward if you do so. Thus flip some magazines or browse  through the Internet to find out about the dos and don’s.
4. Maps. Even if you have already convinced yourself that you can not read maps or that they are just a huge and useless piece of paper, still carry one with you. I was the map girl once. When I arrived at the city where my university was located, the nap became my best friend, such a best friend that the bus drivers started calling  me the map girl. Most of them are very easy to carry and do not take much space. You might be lucky as I was and end up somewhere where no one minds stopping and giving you directions but you might as well end up somewhere where people do not even look at you and let alone stop and help you out. I do not mean to sound pessimistic but it is better to stay on the safe side.
5. Health. Before you hit the road, make sure you have received all the recommended vaccines. As ridiculous and childish as it may seem the thought of vaccines, do not underestimate their power. It might as well be the lifesaver. So get the shots. I know there are a lot of people out there who are terrified of them, but bring along with you some sort of distraction when you are getting them. I have friend, creative ones and they used to bring their mp3 player, a good friend which they would talk to about something interesting, … anything that will keep your mind away. also if you are on any kind of prescribed medication make sure that you bring with you some extra ones if possible, you never know what might happen and how long your trip will turn out to be.
6. Security. Do not just pull your wings out and grant yourself freedom in an foreign country. It doesn’t matter what the security statistics say, you have to make sure that you are not putting yourself in danger. Make sure you know where you are going, avoid going to places alone, avoid staying to late hours with people that you do not know. I am not saying that you should not make friends, just the contrary. But watch out who you befriend. It is always a good idea to carry a phone with you.

The majority of my friends are international students, just like me. And I like that a lot due to the fact that I can learn so much from all of them about their cultures. So I will enlist some of the things that I learned from them.

Middle East: Winking is offensive. Avoid it at any cost.

China: Do not give your host a clock as a present. It is associated with death. Make sure the staff at the restaurant accept tips before you do so. It is still considered offensive to tip at  some restaurants.

Peru: Raising eyebrows signifies “money”, as when asking someone to give you money

Australia: Thumbs up is considered very rude

If you know of another things that are considered offensive, I would appreciate it if you could comment on the   article with your thoughts and maybe allow me to add them to my What Not To Do list.