If you’re going to start dating an Asian girl, it would be good to understand some of the differences between your two cultures. Sure, part of the fun in dating someone from a foreign culture is discovering these differences as you go, however, in order to avoid some awkward and perhaps embarrassing moments, watch this video and brush up on a few Asian habits Westerners may not understand.
Food Habits
- Don’t stick your chopsticks vertically in your rice. In Asian cultures, putting chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice is reserved for offerings to the spirit of people who have passed away. Not for the dinner table.
- Make slurping sounds while eating your noodles. In the West, are you taught to roll you noodles up on a fork and eat them quietly. In Asia, the exact opposite is true. It is polite to have noodles dangling form your mouth and loudly slurping them up to be eaten. It is a sign the you are enjoying your meal.
- Food is shared. In the West, you may be use to everybody having and eating from their own plate. But in most Asian cultures, dishes are all shared, much like how we eating during Thanksgiving.
Bathroom Habits – Asian cultures seem to take advantage of the health benefits of squatting while going to the bathroom more so than Western cultures do. To read more into what these health benefits are, take a look over here.
Talking Habits – Talking very loudly and animated is very common is many parts of Asia, and it is not a sign of aggravation or anger.
Cleanliness Habits – Although this is not unique to Asia, it is customary to remove your shoes when entering the house. Slippers may be worn instead of your outdoor footwear.
Not Big on Small Talk – In Western countries, it is common for strangers to greet each other with questions about how they’re doing, e.g., “Hi, how are you?”. Do not be offended in Asian if strangers do not extend the same courtesies as you. Even in the service industry where you would expect people to treat you differently, people are very curt and to the point.