Poo aie 30 - Sunday, November 29, 1987 - North Shore News not MOST TRAVELLERS iry to be as polite as possible. After all, aren’t we at the mercy of those we meet? Let ’s not of- fend the natives or we might starve or sleep on a park bench. Or worse. But there’s another way besides vocal rudeness to offend — a way none of us often consider. Body language. Gestures that we take to mean one thing can have an opposite or even obscene connotation in other parts of the world. Take our habit of signalling OK by making a‘circle of our thumb and first finger. To us it means “everything’s fine!’ But don’t do it in Brazil! It is probably the most obscene gesture a Brazilian can make — right up there with one of Pierre Trudeau's favorites. It's a no-no in Greece and Russia, too, but hasn’t got quite as dirty a meaning. In France it has exactly the opposite meaning to North America. There it’s a signal for “‘zero’’ and you might stay very hungry if you use it in a res- taurant. Speaking of opposites, we signal ‘yes’? by nodding our heads up and down. Try that in Greece or Bulgaria and you'll really puzzle them — it’s their emphatic signal for ‘‘no’’. In Italy, a person with an itchy ear can be in real trouble. Rubbing the ear indicates that the man standing next to you is gay and not everyone takes that as a compli- ment. Two Italians can conduct a whole conversation across a crowded room using gestures only. ‘It’s fun to watch, but I wouldn’t advise any of us participating until we know some ground rules. . The only gesture I feel free to use in Italy is. the one | know -means ‘‘telephone’’. Point your Danish sites restored DENMARK is the world’s oldest - kingdom and throughout the land: archaeological ruins still stand that — crecall the days. a: thousand. years ago. or: more when Viking kings” with colorful’ names -like Harald Biuetooth and Gorm the Old Tuled theland. .. The: Danes have always been highly conscious — and . rightfully proud of their forebears and” the. . castles, churches and homes they built. And now, the Danish nature Conservation Board is embarking | on a 10-year program to restore and maintain some 250 of the most ancient archaeological sites in the . nation. Twenty-two million kroner (about $2.6 million) has been ear- _ marked for the project that will, among ‘other work, reinforce. the crumbling stone on many of the™ ruins that have suffered the rav- ages of centuries of rain, frost and - “plant growth. Two of the first ar- ‘ chaeological -fefurbished are Sonderberg Castle monuments - being in southern Denmark, and Maribo Cloister on the island of Lolland. Sonderberg Castle sits on the 7 tiny ‘island of Als, located off AY LIFESTYLE PROGRAMS © Smoking Cessation '@ Introductory Fitness - For information centact the YMCA thumb towards your ear, your little finger towards your mouth, curl the other fingers towards your palm and wiggle your hand. A friend of mine lived for a while in one of the Arab countries. While she was there, she adopted a dog. Being a farm girl, used to “goodbye or to get someone's at- tention. It means a lot of different things in foreign countries. Some exam- ples: Greece: A serious insuit Nigeria: Much the same Lagos: ‘‘Want a fight?” Peru: ‘*Come here!"’ Also, in some European coun- tries it means ‘‘no’’, so don't be surprised if you have trouble wav- ing down a cab. travel wise by Barbara McCreadie working with dogs on the Saskat- chewan prairies, she decided to train her new dog using the stan- dard arm signals, useful over long distances. Did she get herself in some kind of trouble. Imagine the scene: here she is, out in a field, making obscene gestures to a dog. Bad enough, but for a woman to do it amounted to a hanging offence. Don’t go making V-for-victory signs, even in Britain. And watch it if you’re ordering two drinks. In Britain, done with the palm out- ward, it has the same effect as Pierre’s one finger salute. However, in many other coun- tries you'll get. your two beers, even if you hadn’t intended order- ing them. One of our most familiar gestures is waving. We do it to say Jutland, the Danish mainland, and near the German border. It was begun in the late 12th century as a stronghold defending Denmark from invasions from the South. Very little of the original. building is still intact, as additions were added to the castle down ‘through the centuries. The oldest surviving parts of the castle are two towers which date to 1400 and the Guard’s Room dating to 1475. Watch yourself if you have a habit of snapping your fingers. Never, ever do it to get a waiter’s attention. It’s considered an insult in many places and it’s downright vulgar in parts of Northern Europe. Foreign travellers are often con- sidered rude by other nations. For example, we tend to stand well away from the person we are con- versing with. If they move closer, we usually step back to resume the distance we’re comfortable with. A European likes to stand much closer to you. By stepping back, you offend him, We are very free in using first names practically upon introduc- tion. Europeans won’t do it until they are invited to do so. And don’t go slapping anyone on the back. e Day and Evening Courses. B © Airline Computer Training © _In Classroom © Travel Counselling ® Agency Practicum TRAVEL TRAINING CENTRE Ste. 2-1585 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver 986-2221 HASTINGS TRAVEL 744 W. HASTINGS | VANCOUVER, B.C. VEC 1A8 TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS - WORLDWIDE FOR BUSINESS OR PLEASURE — “Prompt — Personalized — Multilingual Service cau: 689-0461 VERENA FURRER - } ~~ Owner — Handshaking is essential upon meeting anyone, anytime. To be absolutely correct, upon entering a gathering you should make the en- tire rounds, grecting everyone with a handshake. This is the time you should have calling or business cards. It is considered very rude to leave any party without repeating the entire handshaking business. No possibility of making a quiet exit in Europe! In many countries our casual manners are insulting. Keep your hands out of your pockets and for heaven’s sake, don’t cross your arms in front of you. In Fiji, for example, you’re telling the person you are talking with that he’s your social inferior. In parts of Scandanavia, you are telling everyone that you’re pretty proud of yourself. In Northern Europe, punctuality is a cult. Never be Jate. Mind you, come early and you'll horrify your hosts. But, don’t expect punctuality from a South American. Give him at least a half-hour leeway and be inwardly surprised if he’s on time. When speaking to someone whose first language isn’t English, slow down. Use very basic English. You can be sure that a lot of our slang is misinterpreted by anyone who doesn’t live in North America. Talking loud doesn’t in- crease anyone’s comprehension unless they’re hearing impaired. Women must be especially careful in countries such as the Arab nations where women are considered second class. Always carry a head covering and keep the bare skin out of sight. Don't ask about anyone’s ‘wife and kids’’, and never walk into a coffee shop unless there are other women pres- ent. Isn't it tough to be a polite trav- eller? GIVE A FRIEND TOA FRIEND OR RELATIVE THIS CHRISTMAS .. A BCAA MEMBERSHIP BCAA Service Centre Gm) PARK ROYAL MALL SOUTH ©“ AK I im P & : “Bg. GORDON Pd. Gordon delivers 90 of the Wednesday News | in our Capilano Zone.:He has been a carrier for almost two years, now and is very deserving of be- ing our star carrier this week. ° PJ. is 14 years old and a grade 9 student at Hand- sworth arena School. A sports enthusiast PJ. enjoys basketbal soccer, skiing and baseball. Earnings from the News have been used to pur- chase ski equipment and a ski pass. Pu. also tries to save some each pay day. ~ We enjoyed meeting another of our fine. carriers and for being our star this week, he received, com- plimentary movie passes, a North Shore News baseball cap and a special thanks fora -ajob well done. . Joan Cripps Distribution Dept. 1139 Lonsdale Ave, NV. 986-1337 IMDAY » WEDNEBOAY + FRIDAY