UNIT 6: CULTURAL DIVERSITY - EXERCISE 2

Hi, everyone! Vy from Ho Chi Minh city here, with a report to share. ___(1)___. We’re studying cultural norms and how they can be very different in other countries.
• Japan: In Japan, punctuality is really important. People often arrive early to show they have good manners. Japanese people usually bow instead of shaking hands, ___(2)___. Japanese people always take off their shoes and change into slippers when they enter a home. They keep slippers for guests, too, which I think is very kind. If you go to Japan, you should be careful when writing. It's taboo to use a red pen to write somebody's name because it is thought to be very unlucky.
• France: French people often arrive late for parties, which is pretty similar to things here in Vietnam, but it’s very different from Japanese culture. However, French culture does have some differences from Vietnamese culture. ___(3)___! It's also rude to ask someone about their age or their family, which I find so surprising.
• India: In India, people always take off their shoes when they enter homes or temples, which is similar to Japan, Vietnam, and many other Asian countries. However, there is one thing which is very different. ___(4)___. So in India, it's taboo to use the left hand for eating, shaking hands, or passing things to other people. So that's ___(5)___.
(Adapted from ILSW)