by crotalus01 » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:46 pm
muslim societies tend to be fairly forgiving of the social faux pas of the western tourist. a very common one is trying to pass food or drink with the left hand. another is pointing or showing the sole of the foot. ones they are not forgiving at all of tend to be women not wearing hejeb in public, or men wearing shorts in public. it really depends on where you are. when i picked up my glass of tea with my left hand in Kabul, i was politely corrected (and then apologized to for the correction). so, if you blow your nose in public in a muslim country you should try and be discreet, but not to the point of paranoia. they know you are from a different society.
another example is that in many muslim countries it is considered impolite to NOT belch loudly at the end of a meal - it means you did not enjoy the meal. in Isreal, if you fold your napkin and place it on the plate, it means you didnt enjoy the meal or the hospitality offered.
bottom line - just know the country you are travelling to. do some research and you should be fine.
Remember, Salad is NOT food. Salad is what food EATS...