Culture is a set of ideas, customs and social behaviour that
is shared by a group of people in the society. Every country has its own
culture which may be similar or different in certain aspects from others.
Therefore, it is important to understand and adapt to various cultural behavior
so to avoid or minimize misunderstandings among people.
I recalled an incident which took place a few years back
when my family and I went to Bangkok for a short holiday trip. We went to a few
tourist attractions for sightseeing and it is common to see some of the locals
selling souvenirs along the roadside. Suddenly, we heard a commotion behind us
while we were looking at the souvenirs. We turned and saw a Thai lady got into
a heated argument with a Caucasian. She was arguing in Thai language which we
cannot understand and she even pointed her finger at that Caucasian. Furthermore,
we also saw a young boy hiding behind that lady. Soon, we came to learn from
our tour guide that the whole incident started with the Caucasian patting the
Thai boy’s head after giving him sweets. However, it is a taboo to touch the
head of a Thai as the head is regarded as the highest or most sacred part of
the body. Hence, it is best to avoid touching Thai people on the head, not even
as a friendly gesture. This is very different from Singapore where we pat our
niece or nephew’s head to demonstrate our liking for them.
In conclusion, different countries have different cultures
and so it is important to do a research about the Do’s and Don’ts of the
country that you are going. We must be sensitive and learn to respect and
appreciate the intercultural differences so as to avoid intercultural
conflicts.
