Remitly has mapped peculiar habits in 165 countries around the world to show us which ones are complimentary in some places while causing faux pas in others.
Let’s start a little from the ground up. Not far from us, in Finland, business is somewhat unconventionally relaxed. It shouldn’t surprise you to find yourself naked in a sauna during a business meeting, as it’s a perfectly common practice. Whereas just a few kilometres away, in Norway, they are much stricter about dining compared to us. Forget about eating with your hands – you always and only eat with cutlery. If you go lower down, to Luxembourg, it is even rude to chew gum in public.
Don’t worry, even on other continents they can’t do without certain “restrictions”. In Saudi Arabia, for example, they don’t use the left hand when dining or presenting gifts. It is considered unclean, as it is used for hygiene in the toilet. It is also forbidden to look at your watch or keep track of the time during a meeting, as this would offend your business partners.
Yeah, it’s on the American continent, in Belize, unlike most of the world, they’re more benevolent about dressing for business meetings. Feel free to go in casual attire. But beware of gestures in Panama or Nicaragua. Here, don’t point your finger at anyone in public, rather pout your lips in their direction. And be careful a little lower down in Argentina. Here, a thumbs-up or the ‘ok’ symbol expressed with a joined thumb and forefinger has the opposite meaning to what we are used to – it is considered a vulgar gesture. Keep your index finger in Indonesia, too; here the thumb is used to point at others.
And if you go to the other side of the globe, you can’t do without respect for certain differences there either. If you meet a Samoan, for example, stay away from his head. He believes that the head is the most sacred part of the body and you should not touch it. And finally, Australia is not like the rest of the world. When you say the otherwise common English phrase “I am stuffed” after a meal, it doesn’t mean you’ve eaten enough, it means you’re pregnant.
As you can see, travelling and trading with an open mind and respect for local customs is sure to bring you not only success, whether you are dressed or not, but also a better quality experience.