Slurping your soup. Spitting in public. Eating with your hands. Some of the behaviors we consider the height of rudeness in North America are surprisingly acceptable—and sometimes even considered polite—in other countries. Here are nine taboo behaviors you can totally get away with abroad.
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Slurping ramen (Japan)
Ramen (and not the sad, 10 packs for a dollar kind you lived off of in college—the gourmet type) is huge in Japan, and the best way to eat it involves shamelessly slurping the soup. This method of eating cools off the noodles so that they can be eaten comfortably and with maximum flavor. In fact, eating your Ramen quietly might offend the chef, who may think you're not enjoying the meal.
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Spitting (China)
It's not frowned upon for people to spit in public in China, although the government has made some attempts to change this behavior after finding that Chinese tourists were received negatively abroad.
Asking personal questions (Japan)
You might be dying to know the answers, but you'd likely never start a conversation with someone you barely know by asking how much they make or why they aren't married. (Exception: New York City and asking someone how much they pay in rent.) In Japan, on the other hand, it's fairly normal to ask new acquaintances how old they are and if they're married or dating anyone.
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