Cultural Etiquette: What Not to Do

    It is human nature to revel in rebellion; to feel that rush of excitement pulsing in your veins. You get a taste of that forbidden fruit, and like a leach, you cling, and refuse to unlatch until you are satisfied. But what if you are not a rebel? What if you are just a plain Jane, trying to glide below the radar. You do everything you think is right from the perspectives you have adopted over years of endless parental and societal grooming. Get ready to throw those teachings out the window for you are not in Kansas anymore. So clank those heals all you want, you cannot have your way this time. You are in Uganda now.
    I am quite known by my friends to do and say ridiculous things at any given time. While in Canada this can seem humorous, in a foreign country this may create conflict. Even things we Westerners would not think twice about here, may be considered offensive in another country. So I would like to dedicate this blog to cultural etiquette: the What Not To Do in Uganda.
    Sarcasm. While it is a cultural norm in the Western world to use this ironic tool, in Uganda it may not be understood in the same way as you intended it to be understood. This may cause you to offend people without intending to. To prevent this, avoid sarcasm!
    Greetings. Although handshakes are quite universal, refrain from using your left hand. It is interesting to note that when females greet other females, sometimes the left hand is extended over ones elbow while shaking hands. When greeting a male, handshakes are used if the women extends her hand first, if not, nodding is also acceptable.
    Personal Space. You do not have any, so get used to claustrophobia and hug-a-thons. From what I learned from Krista, a previous Beyond Borders student, Ugandan people are very friendly and will constantly try to hug you. When talking to you, people usually stand less than an arms length away, so get comfortable with people invading your personal space.
    Eye Contact. Prolonged eye contact can be seen as aggressive or even promiscuous, especially when directed at males. Often when talking to men, Ugandan women look down or away as to not cross these boundaries. This may be a challenge for me, considering that I stare at people all the time without even realizing I am doing it. Also, I am somewhat of a feminist, so the idea of women looking down when talking to men irritates me. However, I must remember that it is not my culture I am living in, I am there to be engrossed in Ugandan culture, and not there to offend anyone.
    Time. Expect Ugandans not to follow the same ticking clock as you. From what I have read and heard from Krista (as she told her story about having no one to greet her at the airport during her arrival), Uganda’s are not punctual. It is normal for them to arrive one or two hours after your scheduled meeting time. Interesting fact: those with higher statuses are late more than those from a lower status. This seems opposite from Western ideas, for Westerners are trilled about the importance of time management and punctuality, especially if of a higher position.
    Food. Avoid digesting ice cubes! The water can make you sick. This is one I would not think of.
    Clothing. A lot of leg is a big no, no. In Canada, it is so common to dress in shorts and miniskirts in the Summer, but in Uganda this can make you a target, especially if you have blond hair and light eyes. This may be unbearable because of the humid African weather, but it is better to be safe than sorry.
    Overcharging. This is not so much a what not to do, but more of a be aware that this will often occur. Locals will often try to overcharge you in taxi’s, shops, markets, etc., because as a foreigner you are automatically flagged as having more money. This will definitely be a challenge for me because I hate haggling, and avoid it when purchasing products.
    Gestures. Some gestures I found particularly interesting to read about because they are so different from North American gestures. The signal for “come here” is illustrated by facing one’s palm downwards and making a scratching motion with one’s fingers. Signifying with a palm facing upwards and flicking one’s fingers downwards can mean various things: “what’s up?”, “what?”, “sorry, what can I do?”, “you know”. While these two gestures are not particularly necessary things to know, they may be interesting to observe and understand while living there. Also, pointing with only the index finger can be viewed as a rude gesture, because it is a gesture used for pointing at animals. It is better to point with the whole hand. One gesture that might be useful for me is knowing how to hail a taxi. While there are different methods of doing this, such as pointing downwards to signify a short distance, or pointing with a flat hand at a waist height to signify a medium distance, pointing upwards repeatedly is strongly urged if you want to get a taxi quickly. This gesture signifies that you intend to travel a long distance, but even if you do not intend to travel to a far away location, taxi drivers will more readily stop because they have the potential to make more money. Another gesture that can be viewed as disrespectful is leaning on one’s left hand at the dinner table, or stretching out one’s legs.
    Religion. Religion is a large phenomena in Uganda, and one of the first things Ugandan’s will ask you about is what religion you are affiliated with. Westerners must watch what they say when talking about religious beliefs because it can offend someone from Uganda.
    Night crawling. Avoid traveling alone at night. In Canada I do not really think twice about this. This is not because Canada is not dangerous at night, but that my moms incessant paranoia about going out alone at night makes me want to rebel against her fear sometimes. However, being in a foreign country, I do not think this urge to rebel will be quite as strong.
    While this is probably not a conclusive list of things to avoid or be cautious of in Uganda, it covers the important points and helps me gain a greater understanding about the culture and customs of Africa. Although some items may seem ridiculous to Westerners, as a traveler, it is important not to push the boundaries that we would often push in our home countries. We are the guests, so we must abide by there rules even if we do not like them. The point of this experience is not to change their way of life or push Western beliefs onto them, the point of this experience is to be the foreigner; to see how it is living in their shoes, and to learn from their way of life. It is easy to just come in thinking we know everything, being from a developed country, but it is far more difficult to let the underdeveloped nations take us by the hand and lead us along their path in order to show us the flaws in our own society.
  
For further interest, also visit:
http://www.culturecrossing.net/basics_business_student_details.php?Id=30&CID=212
http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uganda.html