Jun

At Lunch in the World—How to Stay Out of the Soup

by Sally Baho on June 29, 2015

The continents depicted in cream in a bowl of tomato soup, illustrating that people at lunch around the world have different cultural do's and taboos. (Image © eyegelb / iStock)

Places to eat, and people to meet. Do you know what’s taboo?
© eyegelb / iStock

10 Cultural Do’s & Taboos at the Table

When you travel the world, there’s much more to dining than tasting the food. In fact, it’s the cultural dimension of the dining table (or mat) that often makes or breaks the meal. Here are 10 cultural do’s and taboos to keep you out of the soup when you’re at lunch in the world.

#1 Chile: Respect the Mealtime

In many places in Latin America, the working lunch just doesn’t work. On a business trip to Santiago, Chile, a colleague suggested that we save time by continuing our meeting over lunch.

Much to her surprise, a Paraguayan man in the meeting stood up, puffed out his chest, and insisted that lunch was the time to socialize with his colleagues, to learn about their families and their health, and actually eat his meal in peace.

We followed his lead and enjoyed the people and the pisco sour at lunch that day.

Two business colleagues at lunch in a restaurant in Santiago, Chile, enjoying each other rather than working over lunch, a cultural taboo in Chile. (Image © Sally Baho )

Taking time for people at lunch in Santiago, Chile.
© Sally Baho

#2 Romania, France, and Spain: Wait for the Cue

In Romania, only when the host(ess) says pofta buna may you begin eating. Similar wishes to enjoy the meal are common signals in other countries, too. In France, it’s bon appétit. In Spain, it’s buen provecho. And it’s taboo to start before the wish is spoken.

#3 Morocco: Be a Grateful Guest

A friend and I stayed with a family in Morocco. When it came time to take a meal, we all ate off of one central plate. The family would not eat the meat from the platter, and instead pushed it to our side.

We pantomimed that they eat the meat, too. They refused. We were their guests, and we soon learned that our role was to show how much we enjoyed and appreciated the dish, their company, and the environment.

Many cultures may wish to honor the guests by giving a toast, serving them first, or insisting they eat the best food. Graciously accept.

#4 Korea: Offer and Accept with Both Hands

In Korea, when offered or offering something—whether it be a cup, a dish, a napkin, money or pouring a drink—hold the item with both hands or at least touch your second hand to the arm carrying the item to show full intention and dedication to the act you are doing.

A young lady using both hands to pour soju for her father at lunch, illustrating respect for cultural do's and taboos. (Image © Sally Baho)

Pouring a drink with two hands shows respect.
© Sally Baho

#5 Chile: Always Use Utensils

In Chile, it is considered rude to eat with your hands. Use your utensils for everything, even something you may think of as finger food, like French fries.

#6 Ethiopia: Never Use Utensils

Ethiopian meals are served on a big central platter over injera bread—a sour, porous flat bread that is made from teff flour and used to scoop the dishes that are served directly on top of it. Individual plates and cutlery are not used.

A traditional Ethiopian meal served on injera bread, illustrating different cultural do's and taboos at lunch around the world. (Image © Tendur / iStock)

A traditional Ethiopian meal—the injera bread serves as
both the dish and the utensils!
© Tendur / iStock

#7 Spain: Acknowledge Other Diners

In the US, it’s not unusual to enter a restaurant, isolate your party at a table, and leave as a group. But when you exit a restaurant or are leaving a meal in Spain, wish the other diners who are still eating buen provecho.

#8 Japan and China: Make Some Noise

Making noises while you eat, considered rude in some cultures, is a sign of meal appreciation in most Asian countries. Slurping soup and noodles in Japan and belching in China are compliments to the chef.

A woman slurping a noodle from a soup bowl, demonstrating different cultural do's and taboos at lunch around the world. (Image © Sean Barley / iStock)

Listen for the slurp—it’s a compliment!
© Sean Barley / iStock

#9 China: Leave a Little on Your Plate

By leaving a little bit of food on your plate in China, you are signaling to the hosts that they have provided you with plenty of food—a sign of abundance—which is considered a good thing.

#10 France and Spain: Don’t Rush the Coffee

You may like to have a coffee with dessert after your meal. But asking for coffee and dessert together in Spain or France signals that you’re in a rush. Wait for the coffee, and you’ll fit right in with friends who value the long after-dinner linger in France and the sobremesa, the slow conversation that carries on at the table after the meal in Spain.

A plaza full of diners at dinner enjoying the slow, post-meal conversation, illustrating how cultural do's and taboos vary by country. (Image © JackF / iStock)

Whether at lunch or dinner in Spain, the end of dessert is never the end of the meal.
© JackF / iStock

Dining Around the World Is Easy!

Sharing a meal is one of the most beautiful experiences about traveling. All you need is an appetite and the savvy to navigate each country’s cultural do’s and taboos. A little research before you visit a new place will likely increase your worldwide dining wisdom. Surely, it will lead to some “Oh, I see” moments and a good time at lunch!

For more tips on navigating lunch around the world, see these infographics from Chef Works and Foodbeast. For broader information on different cultures, see the country guides at Everyculture and Kwintessential.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

Sally Baho Comments

Crossing Cultures/Cultural Do's & Taboos/Worldwide Sites

Jun

Web-Footed Wanderlust

by Meredith Mullins on June 22, 2015

Single African blackfooted penguin showing his wanderlust iin a penguin parade. (Image © iStock.)

Getting out and about
© iStock

Five Travel Tips from a Penguin Parade

You can learn a lot of things from a jackass.

It’s not often that I get to start a story with a tribute to a jackass.

In this case, I’m talking about the jackass penguin, or African blackfooted penguin. (The unfortunate nickname of “jackass” comes from the honking sound they make, reminiscent of a donkey braying.)

I first learned of these penguins when I saw their penchant for curiosity and wanderlust in a whimsical YouTube video.

Meredith Mullins 6 Comments

Art of Travel/USA

Jun

Climb into a Painting and Take Some Selfies

by Meredith Mullins on June 8, 2015

Boy stepping out of interactive 3D art, a replica of a painting by Vincent Van Gogh, provides rich opportunities for selfies in the interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo Courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

Becoming part of the art
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Interactive 3D Art Takes Hold in the Philippines

Somewhere deep in our dreams, we all want to be famous—or at least the lead actor in a production or the star of the moment.

I sang my heart out as an 8-year-old, in the secluded corners of our house, with a broomstick microphone in hand. I knew the words to every musical. I pictured myself accepting the Oscar (with great humility and a speech that brought tears to every member of the audience). Didn’t happen.

Young woman pretending to hold mouth of sea monster open in the interactive 3D art painting, which provides rich opportunities for selfies in the interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

Open wide
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

3D Dreams at Art in Island Museum

Thanks to the Korean creators of a new interactive 3D art museum in the Philippines, these kinds of dramatic-role dreams can come true for all of us non-celebrities. Visitors can become stars of selfies, letting their inner actor emerge.

Bring your own costumes, props, and creative spirit . . . and step into a world of phenomenal 3D art.

Lights

Action

Camera

Person pretending to be a mermaid in the interactive 3D art painting, which provides rich opportunities for selfies in the interactive 3D Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

Mermaid-inspired creativity
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Innovations that Inspire

The Art in Island Museum opened six months ago in Quezon City, north of Manila, and is already a bricks-and-mortar—and viral— sensation.

The CEO, Yun Jae Kyoung, decided to open the museum in the Philippines because of Filipinos’ love affair with taking selfies and sharing them with people they care about on social media.

It is one of the largest 3D art museums in the world, with a variety of “trick art” paintings.

High angle shot of the interior of the Art in Island Museum in the Philippines, a place rich in opportunities for selfies and the experience of interactive 3D art. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

One of the themed rooms at the Art in Island Museum
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

The large murals were designed by a team of Korean master painters to give the illusion of depth and to allow visitors to become part of the art.

The art spans the spectrum, from interpretations of iconic paintings—such as Van Gogh’s “The Church at Auvers,” Munch’s “The Scream,” and Fragonard’s “The Swing”—to optical illusions where the realities of size, space, and gravity are in question.

Man catching a shoe in front of the ED art replica of Fragonard's The Swing, providing rich opportunities for selfies at the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

An interpretation of Fragonard’s “The Swing”
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

Visitors can climb walls, take a gondola ride, balance on ancient tombs, surf the perfect curl, or dunk a basket, no matter their skill, age, or height.

Young man dunking a basketball in the 3D interactive painting, providing rich opportunities for selfies at the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

A slam dunk
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

The Museum’s Priority: Go Crazy

This is a museum that defies the standard rules. You can touch things. You can climb on things. You can take as many photographs as you want and stay as long as you like.

The human interaction with the art is as fun as the art itself, since creative and comical poses are encouraged.

Boy appearing out of proportion looks a smaller person in large chair in the 3D interactive painting, providing rich opportunities for selfies at the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

Size may or may not matter.
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)

If you can’t take a selfie in a particular painting (and, let’s face it, you’ll need an XXL selfie stick or smartphone remote to make a self-portrait with this large-scale art), the museum staff are available to serve as paparazzi.

The only rule: you can’t wear shoes, since they might damage the painting on the floor. Bring some socks, go barefoot, or use the museum-provided comfy slippers.

Person balancing in a 3D interactive painting of ancient ruins, providing rich opportunities for selfies in the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Image © Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap.)

The Fun of Being Part of Art

The interactive 3D art museum philosophy says, “We want you to be part of art.” Oh, I see the fun people are having and the creativity that emerges as visitors become part of the art. So, I’m all for how these 3D innovations feed the current craze for selfies.

Woman under waterfall in a 3D interactive painting, providing rich opportunities for selfies at the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Image © Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap.)

And maybe, after that hunger for fame and self-recognition is fed, we can go to an art museum and fight the urge to photograph the work or photograph ourselves in front of each masterpiece to prove we were “there.”

Instead, we can just spend the moment in awed silence and think about how a work of art makes us feel. That, for me, is the true meaning of interactive art.

Woman in white against the 3D interactive angel wing painting, providing rich opportunities for selfies at the 3D interactive Art in Island Museum in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum.)

We can all be perfect angels.
(photo courtesy of Art in Island Museum)