Points on Travel Taboos ( 禁忌 ) Traveling the globe can be a behavioral( 行为的 ) minefield ( 雷区 ), even when you have the best intentions. Try to avoid cultural mistakes when going abroad. Touching Someone Where it’s Offensive : Korea, Thailand, China, Europe and the Middle East. (1) In Mediterranean ( 地中海地区的 ) countries, if you don’t greet them with kisses or a warm embrace( 拥抱 ), you’ll be considered cold. In Thailand, the head is considered sacred-------never pat (拍) a child on the head. Blowing Your Nose Where it’s Offensive: Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, France. Some cultures find it disgusting to blow your nose in public-------especially at the table. (2) Removing Your Shoes...or Not Where it’s Offensive: Hawaii (夏威夷) , the South Pacific (太平洋) , Korea, China and Thailand. Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you uncivilized (不文明的) , but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia, Hawaii, or the Pacific Islands and you’ll be considered disrespectful (无礼的) . Not only does shoe removal very practically keep sand and dirt out of the house, it’s a sign of leaving the outside world behind. (3) Once you are on the ground of a different country, remain highly sensitive (敏感的) to native (本族的) behavior.