From: Phil Payne 

> > How US-centric you people are.  It's far from universal - remember the
> > Peublo crew photograph?  The North Koreans didn't know what it meant.
> > Saddam showing the sole of his shoe to Western visitors?  They didn't know
> > what that meant, either.

> Yeah well the Brazilians sure understood it..

Yeah.  Now have a female instructor teaching a computer class in Brazil
make the traditional circle of finger and thumb with the other fingers
extended for "that's great" and show it to an entirely female
audience.

BTDT.

Took me a week to sort that mess out.  Let someone through in a traffic
situation in Sheffield and they'll hold up their open palm towards you.  Do
the same thing in Athens and they'll probably ram your car.  Tap your
forehead to indicate idiocy in the UK and you'll get an offensive gesture
back - do it in Germany and if they punch your lights out the judge will
say the provocation was justified.

And NEVER beckon an Arab with the finger uppermost.

--
  Phil Payne
  http://www.isham-research.com
  +44 7785 302 803
  +49 173 6242039

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