1. He comes from an extended family. He is a Muslim and he doesn’t drink alcohol or eat pork. The most interesting thing I can say is when I meet him, after handshaking he often raises his hand to his heart. | | |
2. He comes from a multi-cultural society, which consists of Malays, Chinese, and Indians, but he tends to socialize within his own ethnic group. He may hint at a point rather than making a direct statement, since that might cause the other person to lose face. Rather than say "No.", he might say, "I will try.", or "I’ll see what I can do." instead. | | |
3. He comes from a family which is still very traditional in structure. Family members have clearly defined roles and a great sense of interdependence. The strange thing is that his language actually has 12 ways of saying "No." and several other ways of saying "Yes." when the actual meaning is "No."! | | |
4. She is a Buddhist and she is very religious. Her costume is very interesting because it covers her legs and shoulders. She is very slow and nice; she always stops to help people. If she is a waitress, you may have to wait longer to be served. | | |
5. He follows Theravada Buddhism. In his country, interpersonal communication is built on the relationship between those involved. Common hierarchical guidelines are that parents are superior to children, teachers to students and managers to subordinates. So, they may change the way they communicate depending on your status. | | |
6. I like his life because it is very simple. You can go to his house without calling in advance, and they will ask you to sit on the floor and eat sticky rice and dishes shared by all. | | |
7. He has to consider before speaking or doing anything because children in his country are taught to think deeply before they speak. He doesn’t quite show his disagreement, if he wants to say “Thank you.” or “I am sorry.” he will smile instead. | | |
8. He very hierarchical, and when he greets he always puts his palms together and says “Sawaddee.” rather than a handshake. | | |