Cidade Maravilhosa

The name Rio de Janeiro means “River of January”, and is based upon finding this destination on this date. It would be some 53 years later that one of the islands of Guanabara Bay was colonised and occupied by 500 French settlers. Today, this island is known as Villegagnon Island.

Rio is a safe destination for solo female travelers Solo travelers love Rio. As long as you take a few safety precautions, you’ll find it’s an incredibly exciting city to explore.

Throughout Brazil, use the thumbs-up gesture to indicate that something is OK. The gesture created by making a circle with your thumb and index finger and holding your other fingers up in the air has a very rude meaning.

It is common for friends to greet each other with a warm hug. Commonly, women lightly kiss the person she is greeting on each cheek. If a female wishes to shake hands with a male, it is expected that she will extend her hand first.

I admit it took me some getting used to, but understanding the underlying mechanisms help in just accepting this behavior as a part of Korean culture. Koreans love to make yaksok, promises using the “pinky swear” gesture, where you lock pinkies and then say the word yaksok sort of as to solidify the promise.

Gestures: It is considered rude to make a fist with your hand while placing the thumb between the middle and index finger. Expressions: Koreans tend to some across as quite straight-faced in conversation.

While fortune telling by palm reading is familiar to Westerners, the Korean art of pinky-reading is less well known. Perhaps more than fortune telling, it is a personality assessment, available for all who see your hands to take in.

In Japan, the one-handed ring gesture is used to symbolize money, and in this context the fingers’ circular shape represents a coin. Sometimes the sign is used to avoid the verbal awkwardness in talking about or asking for money.

First and foremost, touching a person’s head is considered VERY rude is most parts of Asia. In Buddhist culture the head is the highest part of the body and thought of as sacred. The feet, on the other hand, are the lowest part of the body and considered dirty.

Touching heads is a uniquely human emotional expression that does not occur in nonhuman primates. All races, age groups and both sexes of humankind interpret this behavior as an expression of positive emotions, such as love—including brotherly love, friendship etc.

Current usage more generally refers to cutting or shaving for monks, devotees, or mystics of any religion as a symbol of their renunciation of worldly fashion and esteem. It is also commonly used in the Eastern Orthodox Church for newly baptised members and is frequently used for Buddhist novices and monks.

head

Don’t shake hands in Thailand Travelling through Thailand you will notice the Thai “wai”, a greeting performed by a slight bow, with the palms pressed together in a prayer-like fashion. Handshakes are not a traditional greeting in Thailand and many people may feel uncomfortable engaging in this very western greeting.

Thailand Don’ts

• Don’t cross your legs when you are in the presence of a monk.
• Don’t touch a Thai woman without consent.
• Don’t be overly affectionate in public.
• Don’t sunbathe nude.
• Don’t worry too much about whether you should wai or not.
• Don’t touch a Thai person’s head or ruffle their hair.

The 12 Thai Values are:

• Upholding the three main pillars of the country: the nation, the religion, and the monarchy;
• Showing honesty, sacrifice, and patience with a positive attitude for the interest of the public;
• Practicing filial piety towards parents, guardians and teachers;

Golden Shower Tree