• South Asians are generally hospitable to foreigners and are forgiving of their cultural and language blunders. As their guests, it is important to try to be sensitive to their customs. By becoming aware of cultural differences, you can avoid being offensive to nationals.
• Greetings - Most South Asians greet one another with the palms of their hands pressed together in a praying position and held about chest high, accompanied with a slight bow forward. Then they smile and say "Na-ma-ste". In Tamil Nadu, they will more commonly say "Vanakam."
• When handing money, passing food, or passing any other articles to anyone use your right hand; eat with the right hand, and point with the right hand. The left hand is considered unclean.
• When you wish to point, use your chin, the full hand, or maybe the thumb, but not a single finger. Pointing with a single finger is used only with inferiors. The chin is not used to point to people who are considered superiors. The best way to signal attention toward something or someone is with the full hand.
• The standard way of beckoning another person is with the arm extended, palm down, and with a scratching motion inward with the fingers.
• Men and women should not spend time alone together even if it is in a public place unless they are married. People will assume that you are either married or involved in an intimate relationship. So make sure when you go out that you are in mixed groups of 3 or more. If you ever find yourself with a hotel staff in your room insist that the door remain wide open.
• A western woman should not initiate a handshake with a man.
• Men customarily do not touch women in either formal or informal situations.
• In the Asian culture the following behavior will be seen as a "come on" to a person of the opposite sex:
- making eye contact
- making any type of physical contact
- smiling at the person
- being overly friendly
- spending time alone with them
• Here, as in many places in Asia, public displays of affection are neither common nor considered proper, even among married couples. Friends of the same sex can often be seen holding hands, sitting very close or placing their arms around each other. When you make South Asian friends don't be offended if they want to hold your hands. This means you are considered a friend.
• Do not be offended by nationals asking personal questions (how much money you have, your weight, your job). If you don't want to answer, give vague answers and try to change the subject or turn the focus back to them.
• The South Asian concept of privacy is also different. If you see a person bathing or using the toilet, you should not look at or speak to the person. By you not looking, they have privacy.
• Shoes and feet are considered unclean. When entering a national home, church or temple it is customary to remove one's shoes. Never use your foot to point to something or to close a door. Also make sure when you are sitting on the floor that the bottom of your feet are not exposed to a national.
• The head is considered a sacred part of the body. Therefore, don't pat youngsters on the head or touch an older person's head.
• Bargaining for goods is expected. Don't bargain with a merchant unless you are really interested in buying. A good rule of thumb is to cut his initial asking price in half and work up from there. If your price is accepted buy the product. Don't feel bad about bargaining. Merchants will not sell you things if it causes them to lose money!
• South Asians are an "event-oriented" culture instead of our western "time-oriented culture". People and events are considered more important than time and punctuality. A national may show up 30 minutes or an hour late for an appointment. As a foreigner, they will generally expect you to be punctual and show up at the set time.
• Beggars - This is a tough one! Near temples, holy places, and tourist sites, street salespeople and beggars will approach you, hand outstretched. Often you will see dirty children dressed in rags begging or a woman with a baby begging. Please do not give them money because if you give to one, all of them will crowd you expecting the same gift.
• Whistling in public is considered very impolite.
• Women may need to cover their heads when entering a mosque or church.
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