Cultural differences

Mohamed Abdulhamid Nasrallah
From: Qatar
“I am shocked when I see
indecent acts of intimacy taking place in Doha public places like malls and
restaurants. Expatriates are welcome, but they should know that we are a
conservative society and we do not tolerate any breach of our traditional and
religious values. For that reason, they should show more respect to our
traditions.
I have been offended several times after going outdoors with my
family and seeing a couple exchanging a kiss or a cuddle, hanging around in a
mall, or just sitting in intimate positions in restaurants.
What offends me
more is that my children also see such acts. I do not know what impact such
scenes would have on them.”

Name: Leo Yao
From: China
“It really offends me seeing people use their
bare hands to eat food. Growing up I was trained, even scolded sometimes, to
ensure that I didn't touch food with bare hands. I always try to use chopsticks
to consume food back home and if it's a foreign cuisine or let's say a
hamburger, I will make sure to finish it using the wrapper around it.
This
has resulted in a very strong habit of washing hands before every meal. I wash
my hands way too often, at times obsessively. It offends me how people will
quickly finish a fast food meal, rub their hands on the jeans and resume other
businesses.
In some cultures people even eat directly from the plate using
hands and it is perfectly acceptable to them.”

Name: Naghma Shaikh
From: India
“In India, a woman wearing black at a
wedding is regarded as unpleasant and it is taken in bad taste. Weddings are a
time of celebration and joy and Indian weddings are usually very colourful with
a vast palette of colours for women to choose from. Black is considered to be a
colour of mourning and is associated with funerals, which marks the end of a
person's life so wearing it to a wedding is considered inappropriate.
People
who wear black for weddings are perceived as being unhappy and discontented
about the occasion.”

From Gulf Times