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carolynne
Joined: 24 Sep 2005
Posts: 80
Location: Spain
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 Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2006 3:47 pm Post subject: Rude signs |
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| Is it true that a thumbs up in mexico is vulgar??? Are there any other signs I should be aware of before I offend my students? |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:03 pm Post subject: Re: Rude signs |
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| carolynne wrote: |
| Is it true that a thumbs up in mexico is vulgar??? |
In the part of Mexico where I live, it's not vulgar. People use it here to indicate that something is good or that something meets their approval. |
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thelmadatter
Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 1212
Location: in el Distrito Federal x fin!
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:32 pm Post subject: rude |
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Thumbs up means approval here in central Mexico here. We do a section on gestures in one of my classes (not all rude).
I had a student of Iranian heritage who confirmed to me that the thumbs up sign is rude there. I had a Sikh student who told me that it is the pinky finger in northern India. (Who says there's no ethnic diversity in Mexico?)
Ive heard that the OK sign can be questionable here and other parts of Latin America but not with my students' generation.
I still am trying to get used to the "Thank you" gesture here (bring hand up from waist, palm facing you, fingers up up to chest level maximum). It looks too much like the "_____ you" gesture in NY. If you bring your hand up to high and make a fist - it does mean that here in Mexico. I joke and ask friends why that doesnt mean "Thank you very much"  |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 2:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Yeah, I've never gotten comfortable with that thank you gesture. Nor the traffics cops' gesture for waving you through that always looks like go away to me. |
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PlayadelSoul
Joined: 29 Jun 2005
Posts: 346
Location: Playa del Carmen
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Harmon Hall would have some big problems if the thumbs-up sign were taken as an insult anywhere in Mexico. |
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MELEE
Joined: 22 Jan 2003
Posts: 2583
Location: The Mexican Hinterland
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Guy Courchesne wrote: |
| Nor the traffics cops' gesture for waving you through that always looks like go away to me. |
My husband and I were just commenting the other night, that we have no idea what the traffic cops are trying to say around here(AND HE'S MEXICAN). They just endlessly blow their whistles and wave their hands any old way. Is that hold up? go on? Hi, How ya doing?  |
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Ben Round de Bloc
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1946
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:34 pm Post subject: |
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| MELEE wrote: |
| My husband and I were just commenting the other night, that we have no idea what the traffic cops are trying to say around here . . . |
It's like that in downtown Merida, too. Also, during heavy traffic times, the traffic cops seem to make the situation worse by attempting to direct traffic differently than what the traffic lights indicate. Many of the cops are so short here that they're hard for drivers to see, so some drivers are watching the traffic lights while others who manage to see the traffic cops are trying to figure out what the whistling and hand-waving mean. While all that is going on, pedestrians just have to take their chances crossing streets like always. |
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MikeyG
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 44
Location: Oaxaca
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| Posted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 5:44 pm Post subject: .. |
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| I always thought 'three' was 'zero', until I realized they start counting with the pinky here. |
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M@tt
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 473
Location: here and there
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:58 am Post subject: i'm divulging all my secrets today |
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if you have a particular gesture in mind that you want to test, here's what i suggest: wait until the metro doors close, and then try your gesture on everyone on the opposite side of the glass. it's foolproof and risk-free.
this trick also works really well for that other forbidden pleasure--staring at strangers. |
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Guy Courchesne
Joined: 10 Mar 2003
Posts: 9650
Location: Mexico City
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 12:26 pm Post subject: Re: i'm divulging all my secrets today |
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| M@tt wrote: |
if you have a particular gesture in mind that you want to test, here's what i suggest: wait until the metro doors close, and then try your gesture on everyone on the opposite side of the glass. it's foolproof and risk-free.
this trick also works really well for that other forbidden pleasure--staring at strangers. |
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lozwich
Joined: 25 May 2003
Posts: 1536
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| Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject: Re: i'm divulging all my secrets today |
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| M@tt wrote: |
| this trick also works really well for that other forbidden pleasure--staring at strangers. |
The last place I lived in Australia was a city where everyone stares at everyone else just to check who is the coolest. I hated that, so I developed the habit of staring back, to see who looked away first. Unfortunately, this habit has stayed with me, and on the metro in DF I have to always remind myself not to try to stare down the sleazy men checking out the guera!! |
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