Comments on: Asians, Westerners, and Hand Gestures http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/ A blog for Asian Americans Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:27:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: jonarablu http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-128734 jonarablu Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:41:48 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-128734 Wow..that was very inciteful! I live in Hawaii where many asians live and I never even realized there were these differences in hand gestures and body language. I did have one Japanese friend tell me a funny story. She said that there is no 'pink for girls and blue for boys" in Japan..only red is a color for 'babies' so when buying a gift for a new friend that had a baby boy she could not find any red..so the closest thing was pink. She was laughing when she told me she bought that baby boy a pink blanket and the look on the moms face hehe! <br><br>Though I have not noticed a difference in body/hand language I have learned different 'terms' adopted here because of all the different cultures having such an influence ..example when we first moved here my son had to get a blood test at the doctors which he screamed about. The nurse kept saying "all pau" but Cameron did not understand..finally the nurse was practically yelling "ALL PAU!" we looked at her like "what are you talking about?" lol! Now 'all pau comes out so naturally when we speak to little ones it's as if we always said it!" One thing I love about this culture is the family feel to it and how all the young ones call any adult "auntie or uncle" ...even us parents respectfully call the older ones we know by those titles..it's awesome how it can make everyone feel like a family :) Wow..that was very inciteful! I live in Hawaii where many asians live and I never even realized there were these differences in hand gestures and body language. I did have one Japanese friend tell me a funny story. She said that there is no 'pink for girls and blue for boys” in Japan..only red is a color for 'babies' so when buying a gift for a new friend that had a baby boy she could not find any red..so the closest thing was pink. She was laughing when she told me she bought that baby boy a pink blanket and the look on the moms face hehe!

Though I have not noticed a difference in body/hand language I have learned different 'terms' adopted here because of all the different cultures having such an influence ..example when we first moved here my son had to get a blood test at the doctors which he screamed about. The nurse kept saying “all pau” but Cameron did not understand..finally the nurse was practically yelling “ALL PAU!” we looked at her like “what are you talking about?” lol! Now 'all pau comes out so naturally when we speak to little ones it's as if we always said it!” One thing I love about this culture is the family feel to it and how all the young ones call any adult “auntie or uncle” …even us parents respectfully call the older ones we know by those titles..it's awesome how it can make everyone feel like a family :)

]]> By: erika888 http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-128733 erika888 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:06:02 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-128733 LOL. I see an ad attached to this post that says "Real Chinese Women And You". As opposed to...fake Chinese women, I guess. LOL. I see an ad attached to this post that says “Real Chinese Women And You”. As opposed to…fake Chinese women, I guess.

]]> By: csc3 http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-128732 csc3 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 19:13:16 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-128732 "Pointing with index finger – not a big deal in the United States – is very rude in Asia."<br><br>this is news to me... “Pointing with index finger – not a big deal in the United States – is very rude in Asia.”

this is news to me…

]]> By: jonarablu http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-125748 jonarablu Mon, 17 Aug 2009 18:41:48 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-125748 Wow..that was very inciteful! I live in Hawaii where many asians live and I never even realized there were these differences in hand gestures and body language. I did have one Japanese friend tell me a funny story. She said that there is no 'pink for girls and blue for boys" in Japan..only red is a color for 'babies' so when buying a gift for a new friend that had a baby boy she could not find any red..so the closest thing was pink. She was laughing when she told me she bought that baby boy a pink blanket and the look on the moms face hehe! <br><br>Though I have not noticed a difference in body/hand language I have learned different 'terms' adopted here because of all the different cultures having such an influence ..example when we first moved here my son had to get a blood test at the doctors which he screamed about. The nurse kept saying "all pau" but Cameron did not understand..finally the nurse was practically yelling "ALL PAU!" we looked at her like "what are you talking about?" lol! Now 'all pau comes out so naturally when we speak to little ones it's as if we always said it!" One thing I love about this culture is the family feel to it and how all the young ones call any adult "auntie or uncle" ...even us parents respectfully call the older ones we know by those titles..it's awesome how it can make everyone feel like a family :) Wow..that was very inciteful! I live in Hawaii where many asians live and I never even realized there were these differences in hand gestures and body language. I did have one Japanese friend tell me a funny story. She said that there is no 'pink for girls and blue for boys” in Japan..only red is a color for 'babies' so when buying a gift for a new friend that had a baby boy she could not find any red..so the closest thing was pink. She was laughing when she told me she bought that baby boy a pink blanket and the look on the moms face hehe!

Though I have not noticed a difference in body/hand language I have learned different 'terms' adopted here because of all the different cultures having such an influence ..example when we first moved here my son had to get a blood test at the doctors which he screamed about. The nurse kept saying “all pau” but Cameron did not understand..finally the nurse was practically yelling “ALL PAU!” we looked at her like “what are you talking about?” lol! Now 'all pau comes out so naturally when we speak to little ones it's as if we always said it!” One thing I love about this culture is the family feel to it and how all the young ones call any adult “auntie or uncle” …even us parents respectfully call the older ones we know by those titles..it's awesome how it can make everyone feel like a family :)

]]> By: erika888 http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-125746 erika888 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:06:02 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-125746 LOL. I see an ad attached to this post that says "Real Chinese Women And You". As opposed to...fake Chinese women, I guess. LOL. I see an ad attached to this post that says “Real Chinese Women And You”. As opposed to…fake Chinese women, I guess.

]]> By: csc3 http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-125740 csc3 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:13:16 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-125740 "Pointing with index finger – not a big deal in the United States – is very rude in Asia."<br><br>this is news to me... “Pointing with index finger – not a big deal in the United States – is very rude in Asia.”

this is news to me…

]]> By: Amanda Zhang http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-125736 Amanda Zhang Mon, 17 Aug 2009 04:53:40 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-125736 Ahh... now I understand why some of my Chinese relatives use their middle finger to point. Ahh… now I understand why some of my Chinese relatives use their middle finger to point.

]]> By: jeffat8asians http://www.8asians.com/2009/08/16/asians-westerners-and-hand-gestures/comment-page-1/#comment-125734 jeffat8asians Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:47:39 +0000 http://www.8asians.com/?p=3589#comment-125734 My favorites conflicting signals are the ones that have no meaning in American culture. Showing a direction by pointing with one lips is understood in the Philippines, but just gets strange looks here. Another expression from the Philippines, the one where you make a box with your hands when you want to get the check in a restaurant, also gets blank stares! My favorites conflicting signals are the ones that have no meaning in American culture. Showing a direction by pointing with one lips is understood in the Philippines, but just gets strange looks here. Another expression from the Philippines, the one where you make a box with your hands when you want to get the check in a restaurant, also gets blank stares!

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