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Originally Posted by scaeagles
I was having a chat at work about cultural differences in terms of personal space and general tempo.
One guy is from NJ where you don't look at people, keep a certain amount of space between you, and if you aren't moving fast enough, everyone behind you lets you know it loud and clear.
Another guy is from the outskirts Atlanta and it is completely the opposite. Southern mentality....slow pace, ultra friendly, and if you don't greet everyone you see you are considered to be rude. No one much seems to care how long something takes. My father in law, who spent a large portion of his life in Hawaii, said it's pretty much the same there.
Yet another is from South Africa, where apparently there is not much of a concept of personal space. Think Seinfeld "close talker" episode.
It's amazing how this varies by region and country. I find myself to be more like Moonliner described (having grown up in CA).
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With that in mind, stop me if you've heard this one:
An Israeli, a Russian, an Ethiopian and an American were walking down the street: A pollster stops them, saying "Excuse me, what is your opinion of the meat shortage?"
The American says, "What's a shortage?"
The Ethiopian says, "What's meat?"
The Russian says, "What's an opinion?"
The Israeli says, "What's 'Excuse me.'?"
You can probably substitute the South African for the Israeli.