etiquette |ˈetikit, -ˌket| , noun
the customary code of polite behavior in society
or among members of a particular profession or group.
As a kid, our parents hopefully taught us this important life lesson about manners. We learned to be polite, pay attention, be gracious, kind, considerate. We learned to shake hands and say “please and thank you”. It seems simple, doesn’t it? And it is here in America because it’s what is familiar to us. But now, what about the countries we will be visiting. In Asia, is it all the same? Is Thai the same as China or Japan or Korea? Then what about Singapore Malaysia where there are three major different cultures Chinese, Malay and Indian as in India, oh my!
The term “Ugly American” derives from the 1958 political novel of the same title by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer as well as a 1963 Movie starring Marlon Brando. “The Ugly American”, is fiction based on reality, alluding to Americans losing political presence in Southeast Asia because of their failure to understand local culture. The novel quotes a Burmese character as saying,
For some reason, the [American] people I meet in my country are not the same as the ones I knew in the United States. A mysterious change seems to come over Americans when they go to a foreign land. They isolate themselves socially. They live pretentiously. They’re loud and ostentatious.
As best shared by my Japanese cousin on a past visit to Tokyo, he said “...of course we don’t expect you to know all of the customs, culture and ways of Japan as a tourist...”
But I still couldn’t help think that I certainly did not want to be THAT Ugly American!
My cousin is right. We as tourists, aren’t expected to know everything, but I also don’t believe we need to be ignorant and not aware either. With a little effort, preparation and lessons from our parents we don’t have to be Ugly Americans.
Let me leave you with this final quote:
“Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you, not because they are
nice, but because you are...” Unknown
So following are quite a few links to help you explore and prepare to create a better "International Relations" as you sightsee, dine, and shop in our various visiting ports of call.
Thai Etiquette
Vietnamese Etiquette
Malay Etiquette
Chinese Etiquette
Korean Etiquette
Japanese Etiquette
