外國人都是... Foreigners Are Like That...
Commercial guidebooks usually give a general description of what cultural taboos a traveler will encounter when visiting a foreign country. Handing a gift to an Arab with the left hand, flashing the soles of your feet in Thailand, or raving about the shellfish in Israel might brand you the ultimate foreign misfit. Although it is still quite difficult for me to formulate a general cultural description for Americans, my experiences with them have taught me a few things about their cultural taboos.
First and foremost, Americans are punctual. If the theater shows you are to attend starts at 7:30pm, you should expect the majority of the American audience to be in their seats twenty minutes prior to curtain time. Crawling in the dark over other patrons to reach your seat even only five minutes after the curtain has risen will cause a lot of grumbles. You might even be kept out by the theater ushers, who will force you to wait in the wings until the next suitable break in the show.
Time sensitivity extends to dinner reservations at local restaurants as well. A fifteen-minute delay is all that is allowed before the hostess pushes you to the end of the reservation list at bustling, popular eateries—unless you are willing to offer a little delicate compensation. A popular American phrase is that “all men are created equal” and Americans quite literally practice what they preach here. The average American will not take kindly to line jumping which might be acceptable practices in other countries. Service for almost anything is on a first-come, first-served basis. You should expect to be regarded as arrogant and pompous if you dare to pass other patrons and get to the head of the line whether at the clothing store or at the theme park.
You might find the strict American timetable with its inherent spirit of equality too confining or perhaps downright rude when a causal lunch abruptly ends when your American companion rushes back to his work. But that is the spirit of professionalism that has made American success possible. In comparison, a Taiwanese businessman would simply continue with their meals and conversations and delay their hour of return to work. Perhaps, punctuality for Americans is much more than a cultural taboo; it is a philosophy of life that grounds American capitalism.
Commercial guidebooks usually give a general description of what cultural taboos a traveler will encounter when visiting a foreign country. Handing a gift to an Arab with the left hand, flashing the soles of your feet in Thailand, or raving about the shellfish in Israel might brand you the ultimate foreign misfit. Although it is still quite difficult for me to formulate a general cultural description for Americans, my experiences with them have taught me a few things about their cultural taboos.
First and foremost, Americans are punctual. If the theater shows you are to attend starts at 7:30pm, you should expect the majority of the American audience to be in their seats twenty minutes prior to curtain time. Crawling in the dark over other patrons to reach your seat even only five minutes after the curtain has risen will cause a lot of grumbles. You might even be kept out by the theater ushers, who will force you to wait in the wings until the next suitable break in the show.
Time sensitivity extends to dinner reservations at local restaurants as well. A fifteen-minute delay is all that is allowed before the hostess pushes you to the end of the reservation list at bustling, popular eateries—unless you are willing to offer a little delicate compensation. A popular American phrase is that “all men are created equal” and Americans quite literally practice what they preach here. The average American will not take kindly to line jumping which might be acceptable practices in other countries. Service for almost anything is on a first-come, first-served basis. You should expect to be regarded as arrogant and pompous if you dare to pass other patrons and get to the head of the line whether at the clothing store or at the theme park.
You might find the strict American timetable with its inherent spirit of equality too confining or perhaps downright rude when a causal lunch abruptly ends when your American companion rushes back to his work. But that is the spirit of professionalism that has made American success possible. In comparison, a Taiwanese businessman would simply continue with their meals and conversations and delay their hour of return to work. Perhaps, punctuality for Americans is much more than a cultural taboo; it is a philosophy of life that grounds American capitalism.