10.

Hindu Thaipusam Festival Piercings

During the celebration of the religious holiday Thaipusam, Hindus declare their devotion to Lord Murugan by piercing

various parts of their bodies. It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community

such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar.

In Tamil Nadu, they celebrate their devotion to the birth of Lord Murugan and his killing of Soorapadman, a vengeful

spirit, with a spear. They do this with painful piercings around the body, including the tongue. Over time, the rituals have

become more dramatic, colorful, and bloody, with large spears and hooks through the chest and face – some devotees

even pull large wagons with ropes attached to their bloody backs.

9. La Tomatina

The biggest tomato fight in the world. La Tomatina, the annual Tomato Throwing Festival, held in the Valencian town of

Buñol, Spain. It is held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñol. The participants throw

tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for fun.

There are many theories about Tomatina. In 1945, during a parade of gigantes y cabezudos, young adults who wanted to

be in the event staged a brawl in town’s main square, the Plaza del Pueblo. There was a vegetable stand nearby, so they

picked up tomatoes and used them as weapons. The police had to intervene to break up the fight and forced those

responsible to pay the damages incurred. This is the most popular of many theories about how the Tomatina started.

8. Bullet Ant Gloves

The most painful Initiation Ritual – For the Satere-Mawe tribe of the Amazon, you can’t become a man if you don’t take

part in this ritual. When a young boy becomes sexually mature he goes out into the jungle with the Medicine man and

other boys his age to find and gather bullet ants. The insect with the most painful sting in the world. The sting from these

ants has been compared to a bullet hitting the flesh.

The boys will gather the ants and the ants are then drugged by some herbs given to them by the Medicine Man. Later,

while the ants are sleeping in their drug induced state, they are placed into a woven mesh glove with the stinger on the

inside. When the ants wake up they find themselves trapped and become very angry and aggressive. The boys must put on

the gloves and keep them on for about ten minutes while they do a dance to take their mind off the pain.

However the young men of the Satere-Mawe tribe must endure this pain 20 times before they can prove they are men.
7. Burial Ritual Yanomami

Funeral rituals for dead relatives is very important inYanomami tribe (Venezuela and Brazil), the people of this tribe want

to to ensure peace for the souls of dead person.

When a Yanomami dies, his body is burned. The ash and bone powder is mix into a plantain soup. His people then drinks

the plantain soup consisting of the dead person’s ash and bone. They believe that by ingesting the remains of a love one,

his spirit will live within them forever. Every body must be cremated, because the Yanomami think that leaving a dead

body to decay is horrifying. In addition, the soul will be unhappy if he couldn’t find a resting place in the bodies of his

loved ones. A dead body must be dispose of as soon as possible, because the soul may come back and haunt the remaining

ones.

6. Tooth Filing

One of the biggest Hindu religious ceremonies, Tooth Filling. The ceremony is of great importance in the Balinese culture

and is a significant in the passage from puberty to adulthood. This ritual is for both males and females and must be

completed before marriage; it is sometimes incorporated into the marriage ceremony.

This ceremony is executed by smoothing down tooth and eye-tooth. In Hindu Balinese belief system, this celebration

helps people to free themselves from all invisible evil forces. They believe that the teeth are the symbolof lust, greed,

anger, confusion and jealousy and the custom of filling teeth renders a person physically and spiritually. This ceremony is

also a symbol that the person normally female has entered from adolescent to adulthood.

5. Bathroom Ban of Tidong

Weddings in the Indonesian Tidong community have traditions that are truly unique. Perhaps the most adorable of their

customs is the one where the groom isn’t allowed to see the bride’s face until he sings her several love songs. The curtain

separating the couple is raised only after the musical requirement is met, and then they can see each other on a dais. But

the weirdest of them all is this – the bride and the groom aren’t allowed to use the bathroom for three days and nights after

the wedding.

Tidong people believe that not practicing the three-day and night ritual would bring terrible luck to the couple – a broken

marriage, infidelity, or death of their children at a young age. So the couple is watched over by several people, and

allowed only minimal amounts of food and drink. After the three days are up, they are bathed and then permitted to return

to normal life.
4. Famadihana Dancing With the Dead

The Famadihana is a traditional festival which is celebrated in both urban and rural areas of the country especially in

Madagascar; it is more popular among the tribal communities. It is a funerary tradition, known as the turning of the bones,

people bring forth the bodies of their ancestors from the family crypts and rewrap them in fresh cloth, then dance with the

corpses around the tomb to live music.

In Madagascar this became a regular ritual usually once every seven years, and the custom brings together extended

families in celebrations of kinship. Actually it is occasion to give respect to the dead relative through the transfer of the

bones to a permanent place of abode. The families of the razana contribute funds all year to celebrate the festival. The

burial tomb is constructed; it is considered that it will place a link between the dead and the living. The relatives of the

dead dress well, go to the tomb, to see the remains of the deceased relatives and friends, all closed persons are invited to

this event.People and relatives sing traditional songs and dance. The main motive behind the festival originated from the

belief of the local people that the dead return to God and are reborn.

3. Finger Cutting of Dani Tribe

The Dani (or Ndani) tribe is the indigenous people that inhabit the fertile lands of the Baliem Valley in West Papua, New

Guinea. The members of this tribe cut off their fingers as a way of displaying their grief at funeral ceremonies. Along with

amputation, they also smeared their faces with ashes and clay, as an expression of sorrow.

They will cut off their hand`s fingers to express love to someone they love very much. When a person in Dani`s tribe

passes away, his relative like wife or husband cut off his hand finger and bury together with the dead body of her husband

or wife, as a symbol of love to her husband or wife. Finger represents body and soul that will always live together with

his/her spouse. The number of fingers that will be cut off depends on how many persons She/He loves even though she/he

will lose all of her hand`s fingers and will be unable to perform household chores effectively.

2. Baby Throwing, India

The bizarre ritual of throwing newborn babies off a temple 50ft high and catching them in a cloth has been celebrated in

India since last 500 years. It is practised by couples who are blessed with a child after taking a vow at the Sri Santeswar

temple near Indi, in the state of Karnataka. The ritual is observed by both Muslims and Hindus every year and takes place

amid tight security.

The ritual takes place in the first week of December, and is believed to bring health, prosperity and luck to new arrivals.

Around 200 babies are dropped by their parents every year while crowds sing and dance. Most of the infants are under

two years old.

1. Mourning of Muharram

The Mourning of Muharram is an important period of mourning in Shia Islam, taking place in Muharram, the first month

of the Islamic calendar. It is also called the Remembrance of Muharram. Many of the events associated with the

remembrance take place in congregation halls known as Hussainia. The event marks the anniversary of the Battle of

Karbala when Imam Hussein ibn Ali (R.A), the grandson of the Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W), and a Shia Imam,

was killed by the forces of the second Umayyad caliph Yazid I.

The event reaches its climax on the tenth day morning, known as Ashura. Some groups of Shia Muslims join in an ardous

practice that involves body whipping with special chains that have razors and knives attached. This tradition is practiced

by all age groups; in some regions the children are forced by their parents to take part. This custom is observed by the

people of Iran, Bahrain, India, Lebanon, Iraq and Pakistan.

In the global society that we now live in there are changing boundaries between what is regarded as ‘acceptable’ and
‘unpalatable’ to consume.

As more and more people travel to widespread locations, our food ideals are revolutionising. We’ve done a little
investigating and have uncovered 10 food items that you will either love or loath.

1. Balut (duck fetus egg)

This may seem a little upsetting for some. A Balut is a duck embryo that is boiled alive before it hatches, then eaten
from the shell. It is commonly found in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam and Cambodia. FYI the word ‘Balut’
translates to ‘wrapped’ in Filipino and Malay.

2. Surstömming (rotten fish)

Surstömming is a unique dish from northern Sweden and roughly translates to ‘sour herring’. Baltic fish is caught in May
and June and fermented for one to two months before being tinned. Once tinned it continues to ferment for a further 6
months, after which it begins to release a range of offensive gasses. Interestingly in 2006, several major airlines
including Air France, KLM, and British Airways, banned Surstömming from their aeroplanes.

3. Puffer fish or fugu

Photo by jim | CC BY 2.0

Would you willingly put something in your mouth that could potentially kill you? Well, that is what many people choose
to do with fugu – a fish that can cause a violent death if not cooked correctly. These fish are considered the second most
poisonous vertebrates in the world. They contain the toxin ‘tetrodotoxin’ which is 1,200 more deadly than cyanide.

4. Kopi Luwak (cat poo)

Removed from the faeces of civets, Kopi Luwak is apparently the world’s most expensive coffee. Commonly produced in
Indonesia, it has become a highly exclusive product in the last 20 years. Made from civets eating juicy coffee berries;
once in their digestive tract fermentation occurs, before being defecated. Yummy.
Retail prices for these beans range from €550 / US$700 per kilogram.

5. Casu Marzu (rotten cheese)

Photo by Shardan | CC BY 2.5

This is basically sheep milk cheese. So what’s wrong with a little rotten cheese – after all, many cheeses go through
fermentation? Well, what makes Casu Marzu different is that it contains live insect maggots made by leaving the cheese
outside until thousands of cheese-flies lay their eggs inside. This stomach-turning delight is found almost exclusively in
Sardinia, Italy.

6. Bird’s Nest Soup

The key ingredient to this delicacy is a bird’s nest. Composed primarily of the hardened saliva of a male swiflet, these
nests are harvested three times a year from coastal caves. The soup a Chinese delicacy has a gelatinous texture, and is
made by soaking or steaming the saliva nest in water. It is an extremely expensive dish in China, with nests alone priced
at $2,000 USD per kilogram.

7. Tarantulas

Photo by istolethetv | CC BY 2.0

Yes people eat big hairy chunky spiders. Typically eaten in Cambodia, tarantulas can be barbecued, grilled, fried or
served on a stick. There are apparently a huge variety of spiders that are deep-fried across Cambodia – it has long been a
popular delicacy.

8. Snake wine

Photo by Jacek Karczmarczyk | CC BY 3.0

As the name suggests snake wine is an alcoholic beverage made with snake and rice wine (or grain alcohol). Many of
the snakes are venomous, but the ethanol makes it safe to drink. There are two types of snake wine – you either
immerse a snake in rice wine and leave it for many months, or you drain the fluids of a snake directly into the alcohol and
take it as a shot. Snake wine is a traditional part of many regional cuisines in China, and is believed to be particularly
good for the health.

9. Hormigas Culonas (ants)

Photo by Sascha Grabow | CC BY 2.5

Do you like nuts? Yes? – then you may like Hormigas Culonas a nutty tasting delicacy famous in Colombia. Looks a little
like beans, but look closely and you will see that they are large juicy ants, roasted and salted like peanuts. These nutty
tasting ants apparently go nicely in a thick sauce.

10. Rats

Photo by Nicolai Bangsgaard | CC BY 2.0

There was once a time when people only ate rats in extreme cases of hunger, but now in many parts of the world,
Vietnam, Malawi, Kenya to name a few, it is perfectly acceptable to consume fried, salted or dried rats.

… 11. Paniki

Although this is a top 10 list, we couldn’t resist throwing in one more edible delight.

Paniki is a dish made by boiling a fruit bat in a pot of boiling coconut milk. After the bat has been boiled, it is chopped
up and seasoned with a variety of herbs and spices. Apparently, eating this dish is a bit like playing Russian roulette
with your life because you never know if the bat you’re eating is diseased. What fun!

Chi le, mei you?” is the universal question the Chinese ask when checking in with each other. It literally means “Have you
eaten?” Food is of paramount importance around the world – not just because of our fundamental need to consume it – but
because of the cultural and societal connotation it is given. Just as Americans have different dining traditions and habits –
the rest of the world has its own. So if you haven’t eaten today, you’ll enjoy a fresh perspective next time you enjoy a
meal after learning how unique and peculiar some traditions around the world are.

Greetings!
Since dining is a social activity practically everywhere around the world, greetings are part of the experience and have
drastic differences depending on where you are. Have you ever been introduced to someone while being abroad? How
about that uncertain moment when you’re supposed to greet the other person with a kiss on the cheek? How about two or
three kisses? Left cheek or right cheek first? Oh, the awkwardness.
In Russia, for example, the typical greeting is a very firm handshake – assume you’re trying to crush each other hands
while maintaining eye contact. However, in Arab countries, handshakes are less strong but last longer and in addition,
close male friends or colleagues hug and kiss each other’s cheeks. In Hungary, the most common greeting is to kiss from
your right to your left, although when men meet for the first time, the casual norm is a firm handshake.

Asian countries tend to be more conservative, for example in Japan the bow is preferred as opposed to giving a casual
handshake or hug. Chinese tend to be even more conservative since they simply nod and smile or shake hands if in a
formal situation. European traditions also vary. In Belgium, people kiss on one check when they meet, regardless of the
gender or how well they know each other. On the other hand, the British simply say hello when they meet friends and
only shake hands when they meet for the first time.Although many greeting protocols are more lax for travelers, it’s
definitely a good idea to do some research before visiting foreign lands.1
Dinner Time
Assuming you survived the greeting, you may sit down and enjoy dinner, unless you’re in Greece or Egypt, where you
should remain standing until you’re shown a seat. You should also be aware of the time you show up, gifts you bring and
the clothes you wear. Here are some of the world’s most unexpected table manners:
France: It’s considered rude to cut the lettuce in salad. In many European countries, salads are meant to be folded and
eaten with a fork. You should also keep both hands always visible; otherwise guests can assume you’re playing with the
legs of your dinner companions.

Brazil: Always overdress for the occasion. Showing up to a dinner or event in style is always admired, so avoid
underdressing.
Mexico: It’s actually ok to be late. Always aim to be 30 minutes late in social circumstances, since your host is very likely
to still be getting ready for the event.
Bulgaria: Stay away from bringing yellow flowers, they symbolize hatred.
England: Bananas should be eaten with a knife and fork, a custom that dates back to the 19th century when this fruit was
viewed as an exotic treat.
Germany: Potatoes should be smashed and not cut with a knife. Although it is rude to do so, there’s a good reason to
smash them since it allows room for more gravy!
Japan and Korea: Tipping after a meal is offensive since it’s seen as begging. However, this custom is becoming more
relaxed as more Westerners keep visiting these countries.
Austria: Make eye contact with every person you clink glasses with during a toast.
Tanzania: Drinking beer from the bottle is considered rude – it should always be poured into a glass. Also, don’t expose
the sole of your foot when eating on a mat or carpet since it’s also considered impolite.
Italy: When it comes to pasta only, you don’t have to wait for everyone else to start eating; however, you must wait for
everyone to be served before digging in on all other dishes.
Portugal: Bringing wine to a hostess is considered an insult.
Egypt: Avoid salting food. The person who cooked the meal will be insulted since he or she has intended for the food to
taste the way it does. Also, it is customary to keep pouring tea into a cup until it spills over into the saucer.

India: Eat with your right hand only. Utensils aren’t used, so using your bare hand or chapatti bread to scoop food is ok.
It’s also common to see friends grabbing food from each other’s plates. Furthermore, it’s rude to give things to people or
hold certain things with your left hand, including money and your wallet. The left hand is allotted for all personal cleaning
activity. Westerners have reported how challenging it can be to only use the right hand for all the appropriate activities –
especially lefties.2,3

There are also certain policies regarding belching, clearing your plate, refills and slurping:

Belching: In some Far East countries such as Taiwan or China, light burping is actually considered a compliment to the
chef or host. Conversely, in other countries such as Chile, you’re expected to eat quietly and neatly – belching and other
noises are considered rude.
Clearing your plate: In Russia or China, leave a little food on your plate – it means that your host has been generous and
has provided enough food. However, when in India and the Philippines, not clearing your plate is rude and wasteful.
Refills: In France, you will always be provided with wine refills, so if you want to stop drinking, you should leave your
glass almost full. Also, don’t even think about refilling your own glass of water in China. The host or another guest will
do so, similarly you will be expected to reciprocate and fill someone else’s glass.
Chopstick usage: Avoid pointing your chopsticks at another person, waving them around or skewering food with them.
Eastern countries expect chopsticks to be used for eating only and when you put them down, they should never be placed
inside a pile of rice – they should be placed on either a chopstick rest or on your plate.

Slurping: When eating ramen in Japan, you’re expected to slurp enthusiastically. Be careful though, as it’s easy for the
ramen to end up all over yourself if you overdo it.4
Expect to find differences wherever you go! Even though globalization and traveling have made all the dining protocols
more lax in several countries, and locals may understand if you make a mistake, we should all make an effort in becoming
more culturally aware and respectful. For some extra fun, next time you’re in good company, try eating with your right
hand only, refilling each other’s glasses or greeting each other by saying “Have you eaten?”

Resources and Further Reading:

1
Greeting Customs around the World: A guide through various interesting gestures and greeting cultures. Retrieved May
13, 2013 fromhttp://www.moveoneinc.com/blog/relocations/greeting-customs-around-the-world/
2
World’s Most Unexpected Table Manners. Retrieved February 14,2013 fromhttp://www.thedailymeal.com/world-s-most-
unexpected-table-manners-slideshow
3
Culinary Habits in Foreign Countries, Food Travel Etiquette, Retrieved February 14, 2013
fromhttp://k9keystrokes.hubpages.com/hub/Culinary-Habits-in-Foreign-Countries-Food-Travel-Etiquette
Dog Meat Trade in Thailand Is Under Pressure and May Be Banned
BAAN KLANG, Thailand — The dog-eating community here, a small minority of rice farmers and
day laborers, has long understood that its culinary habits do not sit well with people from other
parts of Thailand, especially the pet-loving urban middle and upper classes.

But these days, they feel under siege.

Thailand’s military government, which seized power from an elected government in May, is
considering a law that would ban the dog meat trade, a move that animal rights activists backing
the bill are portraying as a way the junta can enhance its image internationally.

The national police, pressured by some of the same activists, began a crackdown two years ago on
the dog trade, arresting those involved in the business on the grounds that they did not have
licenses required for the slaughter or transportation of animals.
 The police have set up sting operations in the forests where dogs are slaughtered and have arrested
what they describe as dog meat kingpins, who export trucks loaded with the animals to Vietnam
and China, both countries where dog eating is prevalent.

Thai police are ramping up efforts to slow the trafficking of dogs who are being captured and killed for their meat and
skin.

By Ross Velton on Publish DateNovember 1, 2014. Photo by Aaron Joel Santos for The New York Times. Watch in
Times Video »
Dog lovers far outnumber dog eaters among Thailand’s nearly 70 million people. The residents of
this picturesque village profess to be both.

“We only eat the fierce dogs — the dogs that bite people or kill chickens,” said Praprut
Thanthongdee, 45, a rice farmer who has eaten dog since he was a child. As he spoke with a
reporter, he stroked the neck of his pet dog, Money, a white and brown mutt who serves as guard
dog, companion in the rice paddies, hunter of dangerous snakes and assistant in herding the water
buffalo.

Eating dog, by no means a mainstream tradition in Thai cuisine, is confined to isolated pockets of
aficionados, mostly in northeastern Thailand. The practice has existed for decades, chiefly among
communities of ethnic Vietnamese, and was put into the national spotlight by the Thai news media
in recent years.

Mr. Praprut’s wife, Jantima Thanthongdee, was arrested in July and sentenced to a two-year
suspended jail term for running a small dog-meat market.

She was also fined about $150, a large sum for a family that owns three buffaloes and a few acres
of rice paddies. The family is still embittered by what they see as a crackdown on their traditions.

“Dog meat is delicious — it’s like pork but without all the fat,” Mr. Praprut said. “There is
supposed to be freedom in this country, and there should be freedom to eat what you want.”

The police officer who arrested Ms. Jantima said he saw his work partly as a personal crusade of
dog compassion.

“The more arrests we make, the more dogs we rescue,” said the arresting officer, Lt. Lamai
Sakonpitak, an avowed dog lover who has four pet dogs at home. “I can’t stand seeing dogs killed
to become food.”

Lieutenant Lamai’s partner also professes to love dogs but says the authorities cannot wipe out the
dog meat trade overnight.

“You can’t just cut the tree down,” said Lt. Chaleaw Chaihung. “You need to cut one branch at a
time.”

Advertisement

Continue

A half-hour drive from Baan Klang, in Tha Rae village, roadside vendors openly sell sinewy
smoked dog meat, a kind of dog jerky, for about $7 a pound.

Lieutenant Lamai says the dog meat trade, which is concentrated here in Sakon Nakhon Province,
has existed for decades but took on a larger commercial scale only over the past 20 years.
The two police officers have stopped trucks carrying as many as 1,000 dogs bound for Laos and
Vietnam. There, in addition to the meat, the skin, which is finer and more delicate than cow leather,
is harvested and used to make drum skins and gloves, he said.

The police work is supported by civic groups that want to see dog eating eradicated and that have
been instrumental in the dog meat crackdown.

Bhurita Wattanasak, a farmer outside the northern city of Chiang Mai, heads what she calls the
suppression division of Watchdog Thailand, a civic group that encourages people to call with tips
about the dog meat trade and then passes the information to police.

“It took two to three years to make the police realize that this is not a laughing matter,” she said.

Ms. Bhurita said she had gotten involved in the organization after seeing images of dogs being
transported in large trucks.

“There were a lot of people like me with tears rolling down their faces and feeling helpless about
it,” she said.

Members of Watchdog Thailand recently met with senior military officers in the junta and urged
them to pass an animal rights law, based on a bill written by the previous government, that would
explicitly outlaw killing dogs for meat.

“They told us to make all the changes, write what we want and resubmit it,” Ms. Bhurita said.

Foreigners are playing an important role in trying to eradicate the dog meat trade. British
celebrities like Ricky Gervais and Judi Dench werefeatured in a video posted on the Internet last
month condemning it. Much of the financing for Watchdog and its parent organization, Soi Dog,
comes from donations from the United States and Europe.

Soi Dog — soi means alley in Thai — was founded by Dutch and English residents of Thailand
and focuses on campaigns to sterilize the legions of street dogs in Thailand.

John Dalley, a co-founder of Soi Dog, said he had often heard the argument that dog eating should
be allowed because it is a tradition in some Asian cultures that helps keep down the population of
stray dogs.

“It’s not about cultural difference or anything else,” he said. “It’s a horrendously cruel business
from start to finish. The dogs are crammed into cages, and it’s not unusual that live dogs are
thrown into pots of boiling water.”

The police in Sakon Nakhon Province agree that dogs are often treated cruelly.

But butchers here who slaughter dogs for local consumption say the killing is as humane as
possible, and no different from the way other animals are slaughtered for meat.

A butcher allowed a visiting photographer to witness the slaughter of a dog, which was killed with
a sudden blow to the head, then bled out. The dog appeared to be dead within seconds.

The butcher, who said printing his name would be too “dangerous” in the current environment, said
he killed problematic or unwanted dogs.

This is the common refrain among dog eaters — that professed pet lovers often abandon their dogs
at Buddhist temples, fueling Thailand’s problem of stray dogs.

“Dogs are man’s best friend,” said Kawai Thanthongdee, 66, who has been eating dogs since he
was young and is Mr. Praprut’s father-in-law. “But some dogs deserve to be killed.”
Ooops! Weird Greetings While Travelling Abroad That Will Leave You in Splits
Remember that awkward moment when you and a friend both reached out to peck each other on the cheek and ended up
with an uncomfortable frenchie? Ooops!

Recently, the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, too had a similar ‘ooops' moment, only this was with the president of
France, Francois Hollande! Talk about diplomatic coup!

We hear this one was more of a culture cringe than an accident. To be fair to Kerry, his intentions were all good, pure as
milk, in-fact. He promised a big fat hug to the French president as condolences for the attacks in Paris. Only the word
‘hug' had the French media stymied, because the French..well..they just don't hug. It doesn't exist in their dictionary either.
The closest they came to translating it was a ‘cuddle' and we know politicians don't do that. (wink wink)

So it transpires that an unsuspecting Kerry bent forward to put his arms around Hollande. And President Hollande moved
forward to peck his cheek while hanging his arms limply like a sack of potatoes. Can you imagine what happened here?
Ka Ching!!

Of course, this is nothing compared to what we Indians would face when we go abroad, given the kind of cultural
differences there. It would be an exercise in humour, wouldn't it? Read on to find out how:

Europe: Like I had mentioned earlier, Europeans don't hug. They shake hands and kiss on both the cheeks. So ladies,
don't get burnt to a crisp if some hot senorita kisses your partner on the cheeks. She is probably only greeting him. Don't
worry, you'd get kissed on the cheeks by men too. Don't forget to keep your lips well moisturized to avoid scratching
others' cheeks.

Likewise, unclejis might refrain from yelling out, "Oy! Tuney meri biwi ko kiss kiya!"

Arctic/Greenland: If ever you land in Greenland or anywhere close to the Arctic circle, don't be startled if people grab
you by the shoulders and lovingly press their noses and upper lips against yours. They aren't coochie-cooing you. This is
how they greet people.

In a cold country like Greenland, it takes far too much effort to peel off some layers of crucial warm clothing, merely to
shake hands or greet somebody. It's far easier to just peel off the muffler and rub faces.
Woe betide you if one of them has a cold though.
New Zealand: This country isn't as cold as the Arctic, but here too you would get grabbed and noses subjected to some
vigorous rub. It is a symbolic act referred to as the ‘ha' or the 'breath of life', which is considered to come directly from the
gods. Indians who are planning on taking up a job there or plan for higher studies needn't worry. This is primarily a Maori
custom. Here's a tip though: Keep your eyes open to avoid misjudging the distance or you could be in for a rather
awkward moment, not to mention a very sore nose.
Tibet: It might be bad manners anywhere else in the world, but in Tibet poking out one's tongue is the customary way to
welcome people. The tradition dates back to the 9th century during the time of a vicious Tibetan king known as Lang
Darma, who had a black tongue.
The Tibetan people feared that King Darma would be reincarnated so they began greeting each other by sticking out their
tongue to prove that they weren't evil. The tradition continues today and is often accompanied by the person placing their
palms down in front of their chest. But you may likely come across this custom even in Dharamshala, never mind trekking
all the way to the Tibetan plateau.
However, avoid sticking your tongue out after consuming ice gola. You don't want to be declared evil, do you?

Tuvalu: The traditional welcome at the Polynesian island of Tuvalu involves pressing one's face to the other person's
cheek and then taking a deep sniff. You might want to lay off the onions before you land there, although we can't
guarantee that they'll do the same!