#NoRightWay

Now that you have moved into your new home, you may be sharing with people from other cultures who may do things differently from you. This does not mean their way is wrong. We have all signed up to aspire to be ‘Stronger Together,’ highlighting that we are all part of a community, and therefore there is... #NoRightWay

💡Did you know? 

While many cultures probably think that pointing a finger isn’t very nice, some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia view this gesture as incredibly offensive. There, it’s considered much more polite to gesture toward things with the thumb. In many African countries, pointing is generally considered inappropriate for inanimate objects, but is acceptable for people.

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In Nicaragua, it’s common to point with the lips instead of the thumb or index finger. It all starts by puckering up in a kind of duck face. The lips can then be directed forward or side-to-side to indicate what the person is trying to point out. This gesture is usually accompanied by a directional head movement, which is used to indicate something happening nearby.

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Food and food habits as a basic part of culture serve as a focus of emotional association, a channel of love, discrimination and disapproval and usually have symbolic references. The sharing of food symbolises a high degree of social intimacy and acceptance.

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In Western countries, you twirl your noodles on a spoon or fork before putting them in your mouth. The Japanese slurp up their noodles without winding them around a utensil. Making slurping sounds when eating noodles in Japan indicates that you’re enjoying them. Some people believe that slurping enhances the noodles’ flavour.

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In parts of Africa, South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East, eating with hands has long been a tradition and remains routine for many still today. When doing so, it will always be undertaken by the right hand only eating with your left is considered disrespectful and unhygienic. As a rule of thumb, make sure not to have any food touch your palms, and do not put your fingers into your mouth. Instead, use your thumb to push the food into your mouth.

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In the Chinese household, people do not have their own plates of food with individual portions. Instead, there are communal dishes that everyone eats from. In this context, chopsticks are nimble enough to quickly grab single pieces of food, clean enough not to drop crumbs or sauce all over the place, and refined enough not to have to stab the food to pick it up.

As you can see, there are so many different cultures, so people might not always do anything the way you expect. So be curious and don't judge people on how you think they should act. 

If you want more information or have questions, you can speak with a member of the ResX team on 0115 748 7600 or by emailing resx@nottingham.ac.uk. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @UoNResX