Some points common to people of all religions in the Middle East: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette_in_the_Middle_East Although the Middle East is a large expanse of geography with a variety of customs, noting the following points of etiquette can be useful when dealing with people around the world who have been raised according to the traditions of the Middle East or, in some cases, Muslim societies elsewhere. * Conducting business effectively in a souk or bazaar requires an understanding of how to haggle like the locals. This is an art requiring participants to be appropriately aggressive, keen to how much should be offered at a given point in a transaction, etc. * The modesty of one's personal attire is of great concern to many in the Middle East, although the parameters of this modesty vary. In Saudi Arabia, for example, many families expect all female members to wear a niqab or burqa while even men and women visiting from other cultures should wear very non-revealing clothes to avoid harsh confrontation. In another example, males and females in shorts, skimpy t-shirts or other "immodest" clothes might find themselves roughly evicted from a variety of places, especially holy sites (be they tended by Muslims, Jews or Christians). Get specific guidelines from locals when possible. * Regarding head attire specifically, the etiquette at many Muslim holy sites requires that a headscarf or some other modest head covering be worn. For women this might be a hijab and for men it might be a kufi, turban, or keffiyeh. A yarmulke or other head covering is expected for men in synagogues and other places where Jews pray. Orthodox Christian sites might require the removal of hats by men but will expect woman to cover their hair with kerchief or veil. * Among Muslims, the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene and considered unclean. Thus, the right hand should be used for eating. Shaking hands or handing over an item with one's left hand is an insult. [1] * Public displays of affection are frowned upon everywhere more conservative values hold sway. This may even include hand-holding between people of opposite gender.[1] * In many cases, people of the same gender holding hands while walking is considered an ordinary display of friendship without romantic connotations.[2] * In a related point, many people in the Middle East claim a more modest area of personal space than that which is usual elsewhere. Accordingly, it can seem rude for an individual to step away when another individual is stepping closer. [3] * In regards to vocal emphasis, volume and body language, people in the Middle East may communicate in ways which other people (such as English and Germans) reserve for when they are angry or upset. This should be kept in mind when analyzing the mood of a situation. [1] * Special respect is paid to older people in many circumstances. This can include standing when older people enter a room, always greeting older people before others present (even if they are better known to you), standing when speaking to one’s elders and serving older people first at a meal table. [1] Hospitality is held in high regard throughout the Middle East. Some hosts take pride in the laborious preparation of what is known in Europe as “Turkish coffee”, grinding fresh-roasted coffee beans to a fine powder, dissolving sugar and carefully regulating the heat to produce a result that meets exacting standards. * Many people throughout the Middle East, especially Arabs, take great pride in shows of hospitality, never failing to at least serve coffee and a snack such as figs but preferring to present guests with a lavish choice of expensive delicacies in abundance. To refuse such hospitality can cause offense. * In some areas in the Middle East, it is common for people to take their food from a common plate in the center of the table. Rather than employing forks or spoons, people may scoop up hummus and other foodstuff with pita bread. * In many Middle Eastern countries, grouping the thumb and fingers together, and shaking it up and down, fingers pointing upwards, indicates "wait". * In Iraq, the "thumbs up" gesture is considered an offensive insult. [1] * Displaying the sole of one's foot or touching somebody with one's shoe is often considered rude. In some circumstances, shoes should be removed before entering a living room. [4] * Many in the Middle East do not separate professional and personal life. Doing business revolves much more around personal relationships, family ties, trust and honour. There is a tendency to prioritise personal matters above all else. It is therefore crucial that business relationships are built on mutual friendship and trust. Questions?
Yeah...just WTF would I want to go to those backward countries, let alone go to a "bazaar"? Some Rules for doing transactions in "North America": 1. In a "store" or official place of business, you DO NOT HAGGLE. The price is on the fucking tag. 2. Yes you may haggle over some items like Cars, Houses, private sale items and anything at a "garage" or "lawn" sale. No you cannot start at one penny, one dollar and expect that to be a reasonable offer. Collecting 20 items at a garage sale and offering 57cents(all that is in your ratty little habib change purse ..SEE?), IS RUDE! VERY RUDE. You might just get "bounced" as fast as a half nakkid couple french kissing in that Saudi Bizaarrre.
Take a lot of money; if you don't intend to haggle, you'll pay the full price.Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Next!
How unenlightened. Here in the UK the price tag clearly states "recommended retail price". You can haggle over nearly everything...
Most people don't. But, for example, if you're buying a new PC don't you ever ask how much discount for cash, what extras they'll throw in? A new camera? A new TV? A friend of mine used to haggle for EVERYTHING. I saw him once haggle over the price of a pair of transistors at 90 pence each... And another friend wanted a jacket (from a suit) and eventually got the guy to sell him just the jacket. As he was walking out of the shop he saw the salesperson roll up the trousers to throw in the bin. He asked why and was told that since they were meant to part of the suit they could not be sold separately, and were therefore rubbish. So he asked if he could have them for nothing and... got them. A new suit for half price.
When i sell somehting that is the price. Don't waste my time chewing me down. So S.A.M (what a pain in the balls to type that name) when you bath you use only the left hand? I hate rule, hate them, hate them, hate them. And what are you telling us for anyway, we are not allowed in the middle east.
Basically, Sam's tellin' us that people in the Middle East are not very fuckin' tolerant of others! And, perhaps Sam's tellin' us that if we do some of those things, then it's perfectly acceptable to Middle Easterners, and to Sam, for them to cut off your head!! Baron Max
Interesting, Sam, but did you follow those same rules of etiquette when you were in the USA? Or did you insist on wearing your Indian/Muslim clothes and such? ...and wonder why people were staring at you? Baron Max
Yes, Bells, but I'm not a fuckin' hypocrit about it like some others I know around this place!! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Baron Max
All I know is every yr we have a garage sale with my neighbour. I also go to garage sales on Saturday mornings. Its getting to the point where ppl will no longer want to have them. We sell some pretty good things, IE nice clothes, that don't fit the kids anymore, toys they have outgrown, books..movies etc. I price things fairly cheap in the first place but i know its a garage sale and ppl are going to try and get it even cheaper. Some ppl (WHITE PPL) usually just pay what I want because its a BARGAIN anyway..............or maybe offer slightly less. BUT THEN.......the stress and madness begins.....these Indians middle eastern, asians start coming in droves!!! they walk around the driveway picking up TONS of stuff. They come to you and say how much? They have like 10 pieces of clothing, shoes, toys, like 5 movies and some knick knacks. From what I have priced it may come to 20.00...so I say 20.00. They say and RUDELY I might add.......no no 5.00. I am like 5.00 NO WAY look at all the stuff you have here!! They hold on to the stuff and will not put it down, meanwhile other ppl who will pay the money i wanted for it are leaving. They stand around for like 15mins with no intentions of paying even close to the 20.00. COME ON COME 5.00. NO SORRY......then I finally say if you don't want it, I am going to put it back for someone else to buy. NOOOOOOO as they look through it again...7.00.........NO 15.00 .......OH NO TOO MUCH as they continue this for another 15 mins really pissing us off. Finally to make a long story shorty they are like 10.00......in the first few garage sales I would have said OK take it for 10.00.......which I have had them THROW at me because they are mad they had to pay 10.00......for 3 bags of stuff worth well over 75.00. WE have learned and are not taking this RUDE behaviour anymore. The last garage sale we had, If they acted like this. I said listen I would rather give it to the Salvation ARMY then give this to you for nothing. I hear when I go to garage sales the same thing.......and the ppl holding them getting so pissed off and telling them to leave or I hear thats it I am NEVER having a garage sale again. Here is a good one!!! this woman I see her not only come to my garage sale but other ppls. She came and had all this stuff she wanted. She shows me her purse and shows me that she has only 3.oo but yet she wants 50.00 worth of stuff, and argues with me.....to give it to her. I am not going to give up having sales, but I am not going to be treated by these ppl like that. THIS IS CANADA....if you don't like it GO BACK to the homeland and pull your shit there.
so when we're conquered, we'll know half the rules we need to live by her next lesson: proper respect for muslim overlords so, I'll save her the trouble read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhimmi
so that leaves lefties out in the cold, huh? I thought that was what bidets were for anyway? does this assume that people, huh, how shall I put it, don't use toilet paper?
This says more about the backwardness of your attitudes than the backwardness of middle eastern countries. Unlike you, the model of tolerance, for instance. Hell, you won't even tolerate gay marriage.
nietzschefan: Hmmm... so rather than admitting that you know nothing of the Middle East, and apologising for your bigotted attitudes towards its people and customs, you prefer to make snide comments about me doing my job as moderator. You're really gaining respect here.
Sometimes we sell things at a yearly international day fair we have here in my town. I bring Middle Eastern clothes (especially female clothes), perfume, necklaces, jewelry, rugs, and house decorations. We set up a tent with decorations and some people serve food and others educate people on Middle eastern and Islamic culture. I find that it is rather enjoyable when people haggle with me for the items, it feels to me like a joyful competition, and most of the time I throw in extra items to raise the price. Most of the things I sell look very nice and are pleasing to many of the American people because they are not used to it. At the end of the day I make a handsome profit and tell my friends about all the things I sold. I find that most Americans, if they can, will haggle and I believe this is human nature. I really dislike fixed prices and I believe that even in stores, people should be allowed to debate the price, especially if there is an item which is damaged or missing something. I find it very displeasing that some stores will knowingly increase their prices knowing people cannot bargain with them.
I don't agree with Gay marriage either...and for that matter james nietzche remarks are based on, having to deal with these ppl in CANADA. We shouldn't have to deal with their rudeness or customs on a regular basis. Then you wonder why are views of them get tainted? I mean my son goes SK kindergarten at the moment. You know the first day of school when they line up outside how many white kids were in his class? Maybe 5 out of 25......:bugeye: You know quite a few barely speak english.....and my son (thank god he is very bright) pretty much does things on his own with VERY LITTLE help because the teacher has to spend her time, not only explaining the lesson.........but PERSONALLY helping them because they barely speak english. IS this FAIR to my son? that he doesn't get all this special attention.......that the teachers time is taken up with these kids? Then when I go to pick him they all stand around and talk in their own language, and won't even move out of the way when you need to get past them. You can call me racist I don't care......too many yrs dealing with these ppl has made me this way. This is CANADA if you are going to come here learn ENGLISH!! for starters.
