Mingling in the international community

By akie

A friend of mine wrote this:

In international environments, such as Geneva, you will encounter people from many different cultures and backgrounds. Without proper precautions, encounters with people so different from yourself might quickly go awry. Having observed interactions between many people for a while, I was able to compile the following list of tips to ensure smooth sailing in a sea of sensitivities. Note that this list only contains only genuine items - techniques tried in practice. All of them have been observed, not made up, it all really happened, and I was lucky enough to be present to bring you these gems of diplomacy.

Tips for people from …

Check your passport to see if any of these tips apply to you.

China

• Cook and eat like in you’re in China, preferably while other people are trying to eat.
• Explain that Falung Gong members are involved in politics and not just religion. Proceed to say that therefore it’s logical that they’re being persecuted.

Germany

• Ask someone for his or her nationality. Remind them how many days it took the Nazi’s to conquer that country.

USA

• Make sure your presence is noted. Use your accent to alert a whole room or train at once.
• Mix in “y’know”, and “like” when speaking a language other than English to make things clear.
• Act surprised whenever somebody has never heard of something only found in the US.

Upon encountering people from…

Once you’ve figured out the nationality of whomever you’re talking to, use the following tips to get a conversation going.
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