Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange
Interpersonal Skills Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [cross-culture]

For situations in which at least two of the involved parties come from different cultural backgrounds.

37 questions
68
votes
11 answers

How can I politely tell a family who invited me for dinner that I'm still hungry?

This is about a friend's family and what would often happen during dinners (mom in her 50's, dad in his 60's). Examples One time, the mom had cooked 1 packet of ravioli for 5 people, and she urged me to get the right amount (we all had to count how…
Tycho's Nose
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43
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8 answers

A server in a restaurant got offended when we addressed him as "Uncle"

I am from India and my experience is that addressing a serviceman in a restaurant as "waiter" is not taken positively. So depending on their age, we usually call them "brother" or "uncle". A few years back, I was visiting Germany and at one point, I…
Peaceful
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41
votes
7 answers

Girlfriend feels she distracts me with her texts, any good way to prove otherwise?

Me and my girl, Alice, have been in a LDR (Long Distance Relationship) for a while now. So we mostly communicate via text or an occasional video or voice call. Recently I have been getting more and more busy with work, getting a new apartment and…
SomeoneElse
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38
votes
7 answers

Is there a Russian etiquette on declining offers of food when visiting someone?

I'm 15 years old, living in Israel. Occasionally, I visit senior citizens on their birthdays - bringing balloons and stuff, with a few other people. These people who we visit are usually older Russians (there are a lot of Russian immigrants here),…
Mithical
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34
votes
8 answers

How to peacefuly deal with a loud religious group

This problem mostly has to do with me and my family against another religious group. About a month ago a Pentecostal "church" opened about a mile from our house. We live in Uganda, a very Pentecostal country, with the majority of the people here…
E. Huckabee
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29
votes
6 answers

How to deal with a suite mate who gossips about me within the first few days of move-in

I am an Asian female college student. This semester, I'm placed to live with two American female roommates in an apartment suite, so we all have separate bedrooms and share a kitchen and a restroom. I just moved in two days ago, but one of my…
user7921
21
votes
4 answers

Best way to tell colleague that chat is not a channel for direct response?

Me and colleague X communicate in English, but we're both non-native English speakers from very different countries. X's English is not very great and we sometimes have trouble understanding each other. My company uses Slack and Skype to send…
Summer
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20
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10 answers

Pointing the index fingers to one another as a way to excuse oneself: is this a common gesture?

I grew up in Italy, and there is a gesture I use that I'm wondering whether is strictly Italian or is used/understood elsewhere. It means either of: "I know this may bother you, but I'd really appreciate if you could help me" "Sorry: that was…
Nicola Sap
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15
votes
4 answers

How to communicate with a coworker who repeats meaningless context?

Background I work in a technical role in an international environment, and have (and prefer) a very direct communication style. If you want my help, the best way to get it is to simply state your problem, where you encountered it, and what you want…
Sebastian Lenartowicz
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15
votes
4 answers

How do I tell my parents I don't enjoy their company?

I moved to a new country (Canada) for university about a year ago. I am doing well in my studies. I'm not so well mentally but that's always been an issue even back home. My parents often come to visit and want to stay for about 2-3 months (which…
BoomShakalaka
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13
votes
5 answers

How to adjust to a new country and its culture when people make you feel like an outsider

I'll be honest here, I've had a weird childhood. I was born to a German mother and an Indian father. I have a German citizenship, but as I moved to India when I was 2, I know the Indian culture much better than any other. I basically grew up…
user12724
12
votes
2 answers

Who pays for the date?

I am from northern Europe, but currently live in China. I was going to be a speaker at this social event at a cafe. I asked a Taiwanese woman if she would like to join me to the event (just me and her). She said she would like to. Later my speech…
Ola
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12
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1 answer

Dutch dating etiquette

Since I am Japanese, English may be strange. Please ask if you do not understand the meaning. A while ago (in Japan), I met a very nice woman at a bar, for the first time in my life, I took courage and challenged myself to speak to this woman who…
roger
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10
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1 answer

How to respond to a particular aspect of Indian culture?

In my line of work, I spend lots of time meeting people from various companies. Often, especially when the companies are tech companies, my counterpart will be Indian. One useful skill in working with people from different cultures is having a solid…
TheEnvironmentalist
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10
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5 answers

How to reply to small talk/random facts in a non-offensive way?

I've discovered that when I have a conversation with someone, I sometimes answer in a somehow offensive way. For example: Person: I just read that actor is born in town X. Me: So what? You're from town Y. I'm not answering in an annoyed tone…
turninglights
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