There are currently Asian cultural habits that all of us can relate to but might seem odd and bizarre for travellers other parts of the globe. When they think about Asia, they would think is a world fill with hot and spicy temptation. The sound of our languages in their ears, the smell of the exotic food it may come as a culture-shock for some. Some can be hard to swallow, while others are just pure weird.
1. Removing Shoes At Home
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YES, it is a custom, a habit, a culture that most of us do in Asia. This is a common practice in almost the whole of Asia, from modern Japan to Southern India, regardless of what sort of home you go to – a luxurious bungalow or a shack in the slums. Asians remove their shoes at home, to keep the floor clean and as a form of courtesy. Is a form of comfort as well for all of us.
“Asians remove their shoes at home, to keep the floor clean and as a form of courtesy. “
2. Squatting Toilets
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So it is commonly found in public toilets of less-developed Asian countries, squatting toilets can be quite a challenge especially for the non-budget travellers. They require certain degree of knee strength and tolerance, especially if it’s your first time. It can get quite visual as well, if you know what I mean.
“They require certain degree of knee strength and tolerance, especially if it’s your first time. “
Not too mention in certain countries the floor might be wet and even if you go to a Mall, you can still find one squatting toilet. Water hoses are used in substitution of toilet paper; no explicit explanation needed.
3. Sharing Food On The Same Plate
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In certain culture where each person ordering his or her own dish, Asians enjoy ordering a few main dishes – meat, seafood or vegetables, and a bowl of rice per person, then tucking in to the meal together. As such, dining tables in Asia are usually round instead of rectangle, to allow for the family to sit and feast together, while chatting about the day’s events. Oh and most Asian doesn't really mind eating it together on the same plate. On top of that, sometimes Asian eats sitting down on a carpet not with the dining table or chair.
4. Eating With Mouths Open
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Not quite bizarre on its own, but wait till the family starts eating, and you’ll know what I mean. Eating with your mouth open is not considered rude in Asian culture; most of them have the habit of doing so for no rhyme or reason. It might look odd for foreigners especially with the sound, but definitely nothing worth batting an eyelid in the eastern world.
5. Growing Long Pinky Nails
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The Chinese and Indonesians have always deemed long fingernails as a sign of beauty and wealth, since ancient times; these days, you’ll be surprised at what people use them for. Long nails are perfect tools for Asians to pick their ears, teeth or nose, and oh, only the little pinkie gets to do the dirty job! Even in modern-day Taiwan or Singapore, you can still spot young lads with exceptionally long nails on their pinkies – perhaps not so much for picking their ears, but for out-of-style fashion, who knows?
source: bootsnall.com