Whenever I contemplate how
different cultures might view nonverbal gestures or take different meanings
from them I recall my 9th grade English class. Romeo and Juliet was required reading, and the class was surprised
that biting your thumb at someone was the equivalent of giving them the finger.
With that in mind I tried to pay a lot more attention to gestures.
I’ve noticed that in most
cases, gestures aren’t really used to communicate more than very simple ideas
or commands. I may waggle a finger at someone to get them to come to me, but in
Japan they do that by facing the palm down and curling the fingers down.
Apparently it’s very important not to call someone over in the western fashion
as that gesture is rude to them.
Within this country I haven’t
noticed a whole lot of regional differences in nonverbal gestures with the
exception of greetings and farewells. In the south physical contact is much
more common place than you find in the west or northeast. While I might wave or
at most share a brief handshake here in California, I’ve been hugged by
complete strangers in South Carolina. I have noticed that since I have been
traveling less for the past few years, I have become less sensitive to
nonverbal gestures and cues than I used to be.
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