I have to wear what?: Or How to Not be an Obnoxious Travler

All is still in the sultry night air. Suddenly, a ringing "gong" reverberates throughout the city disturbing the stillness. All is silent for a moment, and my family and I stop to stare. Everyone else, however, goes back to their business. An amplified voice rings out, chanting prayers in a language foreign to our ears.

This happens every day, five times a day, and it is one of the things I miss most about Istanbul. It's an amazing sound. All the major mosques call out their prayers on their megaphones, and it seems like they are sending the prayers back and forth to each other, as if in concert.

One thing you should definitely not do, if you don't want to be an obnoxious traveler, is make fun or mimic in any way the prayer calls that occur everyday. They are sacred and should be treated as such. Also, all demeaning or joking comments pointed towards Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Turkish flag, the Turkish customs and traditions, and the Turkish Republic are considered offensive and are also illegal.

Other topics to avoid:
The deaths of the Armenians in the last months of the Ottoman Empire (Armenians consider it a genocide, but Turkey refuses to acknowledge it and says they lost just as many lives)
Don't talk positively about the Kurds, or even bring them up at all (The Kurds are trying to break away from Turkey, but most Turkish people are fiercely nationalistic and have bad feelings toward the subject)

Gestures to avoid
The OK sign we do with our finger and thumb. It has homosexual connotations.
Thumbs up. It's considered rude.
Avoid clicking your tongue. It's a gesture of dismissal.

Etiquette in Mosques
If you are in Turkey you will inevitably visit a mosque at some time, so here are some tips.
Dress conservatively. Knee length skirt and long sleeves, or at least pants are required. Pants and long sleeves for men, although shorts are starting to be allowed in the major mosques.
Shawls or scarves for your head are often provided at the entrance, but you could also bring your own. Or bring a jacket with a hood.
Shoes should be removed before entering a mosque (or anyone's house either) so have non holey socks.
Worshippers are often in the front part of the mosque, so if they are praying don't walk in front of them, or talk in a loud voice. If prayer sessions are going on, you might be asked to leave


Asalamu Alaykum (Go in Peace)











Links:

http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/Religion/mosque_etiquette.html
(Etiquette tips, as well as other tips on traveling in Turkey)

http://www.marmarisland.com/Turkey-guide/Ugly-tourist/Uglytourist.htm
(I think this must have been written by a Turkish person. There are a lot of weird grammar mistakes, but it's kind of funny. One of the sections is how to be a "beautiful tourist")

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/home/
(Turkish daily newspaper)

http://www.istanbultourist.com/
(A great website for booking and planning your trip to Turkey)

Taboos in Japan

Japan is an amazing place to visit, but it can seem like a rather rigid culture. However, there are two sides to everything. The modern and the old. But there are certain etiquettes you should follow if you don't want to appear to be an obnoxious traveler.


Food and Drink
1.) Don't eat/drink while walking. However, I have heard from some people that this is kind of outdated?
2.) Don't leave chopsticks pointing up in your food; don't pass food from your chopsticks to another person's chopsticks; don't pour sauce on your rice (also possibly outdated?); get food from main plates with the fat ends of your chopsticks; leave chopsticks parallel and pointing left on your plate when you are done.
3.) If someone pours you a drink you should reciprocate; don't pour your own drink.










Gifts
1.) Give a gift when you are visiting someone for dinner, etc. or staying with a host family.
2.) Don't give gifts that come in four's or nine's; the word four is similar to the word for death and gifts of nine are considered unlucky.
3.) Offer and receive the gift with both hands (or most things really)

Miscellaneous
1.) Don't blow your nose in public.
2.) Don't talk on your cell phone on the trains or in public places such as restaurants.
3.) Don't wear your shoes inside; usually slippers are provided.
4.) Wear the special bathroom slippers when going to the bathroom.
5.) No tipping is required.

When I was traveling in Japan with my family we had my sister to guide us, who had been living in Japan for about half a year, so we didn't make any too big mistakes. There were a couple incidents though...

I was walking to the bathroom at the hostel I was staying at, and it was late at night. I was still extremely jetlagged and could barely keep my head up. I fumbled for the light switch and finally got it. I went in, did my business, and when I came out I ran headlong into a Japanese lady. She looked at me, and then my feet and gasped in horror. "@#$%$^%^&!" She exclaimed. I had no idea what the matter was and smiled politely. She scurried off, no doubt to tell her friends what she had seen the stupid gaijin do, and I stumbled back to my room. The next morning I mentioned what had happened to my sister.
"You did what?!" She screeched in my ear.
"Really, Liz, it's like 3:00 in the morning for me so please keep it down."
"You wore your regular slippers into the bathroom?"
"Yeah, why? Are there special bathroom slippers or something?"
"Oh my God, you are so oblivious." She sighed, covering her face with her hands, "It's so shameful!"
"Whatever, I'm going back to sleep."