Learning about the customs of other countries is sometimes amusing or shocking, but always fascinating! Here’s a great page on wikipedia about the various Faux Pas one might encounter around the world.

In particular, I thought the Nicaraguan ones were great:

# Knocking softly on someone’s front door. One should knock loudly on the door so that one can easily be heard.
# Referring to the United States as ‘America’. To Nicaraguans, they too are ‘Americans’. The USA should be referred to as ‘Los Estados Unidos’, and in adjective form as ‘estadounidense’.
# Not heeding the advice of Nicaraguans urging you not to shower when you are hot, or agitado would be considered poor form.
# Not heeding the advice for women not to sit on rocks… it’s said to reduce their ability to procreate (the rocks are hot).
# Calling someone a “cochón”(homosexual), when you really want to buy a “colchón” (mattress)

Reminds me of a Faux Pas I learned of in Belgium (from another dutch-language Student) over the summer (which isn’t featured on this list). In Indonesia, it is extremely impolite to say “no” to any question. They have many (twelve or more) ways of saying no which literally mean “yes”.