Advice and Information for the World Traveller on Many Destinations

Archive for August, 2008

The host will start to eat first, if the host is sat near you they may also serve you, it is seen as good manners to serve people sat around you food and tea before you serve yourself, be sure to use the serving utensils, if not use the back end of you chopsticks.
Sometimes there could be food of honour on the table such as fish eyes, cheeks, or other such delicacies. You should try everything that may be offered to you and don’t pull faces of disgust or show displeasure when something that doesn’t appeal is offered. To avoid this situation you can always serve others the delicacies before they are even offered to you, also if you find one of these delicacies in the bottom of you soup you either grab some ones else’s bowl and serve it to them, or if you simply can’t face it, just work your way around it leaving it in the bottom of your bowl.
When the Chinese are particularly enjoying their meal they will make slurping sounds while eating and belching sounds, it’s just a way of showing appreciation so don’t be offended.
When eating from a bowl it is fine to lift the bowl to your mouth and push the remainder of the rice into your mouth with chopsticks and it’s also ok to lean over your plate while eating but don’t however pick up flat plates to eat from.
Once you come to the end of your meal and you’re feeling full leave a little food in the bottom of you bowl, because the quicker you empty you bowl the quicker it will be refilled, this also applies to cups of tea.  You may also put your hand over your bowl if someone tries to serve you more. Feel free to say that you are full as your host will be pleased that they have satisfied you. Rapping you knuckles on the table represents a non verbal way of saying thank you.
At the end of the meal the host will make the first toast, but if you don’t drink it’s better to decline due to medical reasons rather than moral reasons. If the meal is an informal affair then it’s always polite to offer to pay several times, even though the host will not accept your offer they will be grateful for the gesture.

Most of us know that there is a lot of emphasis around dining in china and almost a strict ritual surrounding it, so when entertaining guests for business or pleasure the Chinese prefer to eat in public. As a lot of business deals are closed around the dining table you obviously what to make a good impression and not offend your host / business associates. You will only eat at someone’s home if you have developed a good rapport and should regard it as an honour, if this is the case then you should at least tried to learn how to use chopsticks. It is customary to bring a gift of wine, fruit or flowers, make sure you dress well, arrive on time and remove your shoes upon entering the house. Start by greeting the eldest person first, your host may start peeling an apple or pear and offer it to you, take it and eat it. Also you may be offered cigarettes or sweets before your meal, if you don’t want them say “Wo bu yao le, xie xie!” (Thank you I don’t want any.)
Once you get to the dining room it is customary for the guest of honour to be given the seat facing the door, but wait to be seated. If you’re unsure of what to do once seated, and it is a particularly formal occasion wait and observe what the other diners are doing and emulate their behaviour.

When using chopsticks it is ok to rub them together to get rid of the fraying wood but you will not need to do this in a smart restaurant. If you drop your chopsticks on the table or onto the floor don’t pick them back up as you well be given a new pair. If your chopstick skills are not very good and you drop your food on the table say “woops!” and leave the food where it is. But most of all NEVER leave your chop stick stuck in the bowl vertically as this represents death. When resting, place them on the chop stick rest or on the bowl. Once finished place them together on the side of the bowl or beside the bowl.

As a world nation these would be the percentages of who speaks what as a first language:

13.69%    Mandarin Chinese
5.05%    Spanish
4.84%    English
2.82%    Hindi
2.77%    Portuguese
2.68%     Bengali
2.27%     Russian
1.99%     Japanese
1.49%     Standard German
1.21%     Wu Chinese

So surprisingly when you think English is the world’s choice for a first language you would be wrong.
Brushing up on even the basics of a language will always benefit you and show you in a good light when dealing cross cultural relations, even if the one your communicating with speaks English as a second language it shows effort and respect on your behalf even knowing a few words or sentences of their language.
China is the awakening economic and commercial giant in the east and businesses are finding that they are doing more and more business with the Asian sector, so as China has a strong culture and heritage it also has an exact way of doing things on a business and also a personal etiquette level, even learning the basics of Mandarin Chinese would and a little research into customs could reap you large rewards.

As business becomes more enveloped in globalisation it is rare to find a thriving business that is now mono-cultural or even if this is so that they are not dealing internationally. This means that heads of present day businesses and organisations require an adapt ability to communicate and deal with people from a variety of cultures. Being able to quickly understand these cultures and the differences they bring to your business arena is a must for successful communication between customers and employees alike.
Just by following a few simple rules you can improve your inter-cultural communication skills and have a happy finish to a business deal or a new productive employee comfortable in their job.

First of all when employing a foreign national it is important that you are fully aware of your countries immigration rules such as having the correct licenses to employ a foreign national and also that your prospective employee visa or work permit are in order.

Set some time aside to cast off any stereotypes you may have and start a fresh, get to know and understand the culture you are dealing with using the vast resource that is the internet, if not invest in a book to help with your understanding of intercultural communications or even take a step further and go on a course.

When communicating remember to speak slowly and clearly not to a patronising level and try not to use slang or a strong accent. Also be aware of your body movements and what they may be suggesting and also ask for confirmation that you have been understood.

Most of all be patient.

To achieve quality translation professional services are required. Such translation services need to be effective in the messages they communicate to the web user. A professional translation service will listen and learn and take care to control the translation process making certain that your company is communicating the right message in whichever language you have chosen.

Many translation service companies offer quotations for their work and these can be ordered 24/7/ They also offer the chance to meet the translators and build a working relationship with them. With a multitude of languages to choose from you can be certain the global area you are targeting with your website is covered.

Simple drop down menus allow you to select your source language and then select your language translation request. The translation service can even be conducted via email.

There is no doubt that the chinese certainly know how to put on a show. The fireworks were more than spectacular as were the lights and crowds at the Beijing Olympics. The culture can also be classed as ordered but creative, especially when we look at the Bird’s Nest stadium.  This National stadium for China was the perfect setting for the traditional chinese culture to be paraded on the central stage.

Here at Multilingual-Sites.com we like to keep you updated about new technologies that will help people to bridge the language gap. Apple has now joined up with Google to start the new translation servicefor the iPhone. This means that users can translate into multiple languages with this new iPhone application. The Google Mobile Translation Service is not much different  to the  web translation service that they have offered for  some time.

There is a multitude of languages offered for translation with the new mobile application such as English to Chinese or Greek. Functionality also comes to the fore with the ability to store any previous entries made on the mobile phone for translation. It is though that the new Google Mobile Translation service will not be too expensive to use.