…that would be in Southeast Asia. According to Schott’s Almanac 2007, here is some elementary etiquette when traveling to that part of the world:
- Dress modestly, especially when visiting holy sites or important buildings (My take on it: Nope, those shorts with “Juicy” across your butt are not gonna cut it)
- Remove shoes before entering temples, mosques, pagodas, and private homes (My take on it: This is especially true if you are wearing Crocs; unless you are 3 years old, you should just remove those things at the airport and leave them there)
- Buddhist monks are not allowed to have close contact with women, so do not stand or sit too near them
- The head is considered sacred, therefore it is considered very rude to touch another person’s head
- Feet are considered unclean, so avoid pointing them at any person or religious image (My take on it: I assume he means the bottoms of one’s feet. Otherwise, I am not sure how you avoid pointing your feet at other people, or at least other people’s feet)
- Left hand is used for personal hygiene, it is impolite to shake hands or eat with it
For those puzzled over what “Southeast Asia” means, here is a list of the countries.