HT Localization Presents Language Translations: What should I absolutely NOT do when visiting your country? Part 2

Segment 35 – What should I absolutely NOT do when visiting your country? Part 2

Are you itching to travel yet? This is where I plan to spend my next dream trip...Here are more good cultural "Don't" nuggets to tuck away...

When in New Zealand: 

Don't confuse New Zealanders with Aussies. We don't like it! It's better not to compare Australia with New Zealand, just mention how Australia has never won a game of Rugby against the All Blacks (not statistically)...you might get a free beer.

Don’t make fun of anything that is rugby. All Blacks is a Rugby team and probably a religion. Haka is a war-cry performed before a war or, nowadays, a rugby match. Do not make fun of it!

Don’t be rude! People are extremely polite and when they say "Good Day” or “How's it going?" Just reply back "Good." Random people will greet you on the street; it would be a good idea to greet them back.

Don’t mock the Queen. The Queen of England is still a big deal here! We still celebrate her birthday and swear allegiance to her. Not a good idea to make fun of her.

Answers by Mayur Makheri

 When in Norway:

Don't STARE at naked people. People are pretty relaxed about nudity; for example, both men and women will change on public beaches without any attempt at covering themselves up. You are expected to look away. 

Don't ask people which church they attend. Most attend none, and asking this is seen as intrusive, rude and downright weird.
Don't assume that "socialist" is a synonym for "evil".

Don't be insulted if people don't seem to "respect you" for being somehow distinguished. People are very informal here, and being on a first-name-basis with anyone short of the King is the norm. Even the prime minister of Norway is most often referred to by first name.

 Answers by Eivind Kjørstad

When in Ireland: 

Don’t call us British, nor refer to us as part of the United Kingdom. 

Don’t refer to travelling from Ireland to the UK as going to the mainland, as far as we're concerned, France is the mainland.

Don’t say “Top of the morning to you.”  I don't know how this phrase became associated with Irish people, perhaps it was used in the distant past. But it’s not now, and it’s just really irritating.  

Don't attempt an Irish accent. To us there is no Irish accent. There are Cork accents, Dublin accents, Kerry accents etc. For us an accent contains reams of unspoken information about a person, (Urban/Rural, social status,) aside from the locational information.  So it’s a very difficult feat to get the accent right. 

Answers by Deirdre Beecher

When in Mexico 

Don't patronize people. We're a developing country and we're aware that some stuff is just backwards over here. Don't ever imply that you are "better" than anyone, especially if that hinges on you being a foreigner. A lot of special treatment will be given to you because you're a tourist or a foreigner. Don't take advantage of it.

Don't resist the culture. Instead, try to identify with it and let yourself get absorbed by it. We believe in family ("Mi casa es tu casa!") and we'll warmly embrace you if you let it happen.

Don't take offense.  We have a huge sense of humor as a culture. Nothing is out of bounds for us! We'll mock, ridicule, insult, pick on and put down just for the fun of it, on a regular basis! This would usually be met with laughter by peers, and an attempt to outwit you with a response. 

Don't by shy. We love it when you try to say that ridiculously difficult word in Spanish, and you'll be met with proud cheers if you brave a bite out of that horrifyingly spicy pepper, or down that shot of tequila.

Answers by Alejandro Suárez

So there you have it, straight from the locals (again...if you missed Part 1, go read it, you won't be sorry).  Now hurry up, go book your travel plans, and start learning the local language... Happy Travels!

 ...Stay tuned for the next Segment of HT LOCALIZATION Presents Language Translations for Real Life Series, where we’ll continue … with more stuff.

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This article was written by Rachanee Thevenet, Co-Founder of HT Localization.  Rachanee is an Asian-American expat living in Spain with her family.  She loves all things international including food, art, literature, culture, languages and people.  She has years of professional product marketing expertise and global expansion experience.

HT LOCALIZATION LLC. is an international translation & localization agency providing a full range of professional language translation services, including social media localization, marketing translations, website translations, software localization, eLearning materials, documentation translations, etc.  With locations in the US, Spain, France, Zambia & Thailand, and coverage across all languages and most industries, HT LOCALIZATION is well positioned to provide around the globe services for all translation needs.  

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