Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF - Page 2

Tinman · 03-05-2013, 01:24 PM

Well to get back on track....

I was told that people from islamic cultures tent to push down (or remove) the backs of their shoes (because it's a pain to lace and unlace them 5 times a day for prayer). They then have a distinctive way of walking in them (like when one weras slippers or thong-sandals) so the shoes don't go flying off.

So if you see somone walking like they are in slippers & are not it could give away that they are from an islamic culture.
Or ofcourse if their shoe backs are pushed down.

RyanW · 03-05-2013, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maz

No. Claiming that white straight men can even be stigmatised and stereotyped is questionable. And arguing about food-preferences as if they where the same as sexual preferences is missing the point by miles.

Just to defend Bill, and bring this back somewhere toward the actual topic...

Hand holding as an expression of platonic affection is not the norm in the West. To suggest that feeling awkward expressing affection in a way that is not normal for your culture can only be the result of homophobia is a bit... odd.

I for one wouldn't hold another man's hand in public, because to me (as a product of my upbringing) it is a romantic gesture, and I do not have romantic relationships with men*. I also wouldn't share such a gesture with women with whom I'm not in a romantic relationship.

* Not that I see anything wrong with those who do. If someone is homosexual, I do not assume they hate heterosexuals. It seems the opposite courtesy is occasionally seen as optional.**

** And do not get me started on how much I HATE the term "breeder."

rust · 03-05-2013, 02:33 PM

The parts of one's culture that are most difficult to un-learn are usually the
culture's typical unwritten non-verbal communication rules. Eye contact has
already been mentioned, another common example is personal space, like the
usual distance between two persons in a neutral situation.

whswhs · 03-05-2013, 03:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maz

No. Claiming that white straight men can even be stigmatised and stereotyped is questionable. And arguing about food-preferences as if they where the same as sexual preferences is missing the point by miles.

But this is a discussion that will take this thread way way off topic so lets stop it. You are welcome to start a new thread about the oppression of white straight men.

Talking about "oppression" is already reframing the discussion in terms entirely different from those I was using. Oppression is something that a society does to a category of people; it is not something an individual can do. And since no single individual can change the behavior of an entire society, no single individual can be guilty of oppression. But an individual can be guilty of intolerance, and of injustice, and those are what I was talking about.

Bill Stoddard

vicky_molokh · 03-24-2013, 09:53 AM

Found another tell-tale (actually, it's silly that I missed it the first two sessions), though it's partly linguistic too:

Turning a final i-vowel into a y-consonant. The character is supposedly Japanese, so ending a word in a consonant is pretty weird already, particularly when it is a word spoken in your native language (the word being 'hai').

Planning to dig through body language peculiarity guides and see if he shows a conspicuous lack of reaction to some gestures.

trans · 03-24-2013, 10:50 AM

This is probably not quite on the original topic, but I hope a funny story all the same.

In 1984 I was jaywalking in what was then still called Leningrad, near Gorkovskaya Metro Station. One of a pair of Milli-men, i.e. Militia men or policemen, crooked his finger at me and asked me if I was a "prieezhij", which means someone who moved to the city recently from the sticks. I said that I was even more than that, I was a foreigner, and definitely not "myasNOJ". What I should have said was "MESTnyj", i.e. not "local". As it was, I said was "I am not meaty".

vicky_molokh · 03-24-2013, 10:55 AM

The inability to pronounce the letter/sound Ы is a pretty nasty shibboleth on its own, yes. (That is, it would likely be noticeable even after sorting out the 'familiar-sound' errors.)

trans · 03-24-2013, 11:02 AM

I don't have any problem with Ы, but I do sometimes pronounce the "Z" in Zugspitze in the American way, much to my shame.

vicky_molokh · 03-24-2013, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trans

I don't have any problem with Ы, but I do sometimes pronounce the "Z" in Zugspitze in the American way, much to my shame.

Good for you. Many people have troubles with it.

trans · 03-24-2013, 11:48 AM

The Ukrainian "г", on the other hand, is a real killer for me. I think I mentioned that here before.

03-05-2013, 01:24 PM	#11
Tinman Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New York City	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF Well to get back on track.... I was told that people from islamic cultures tent to push down (or remove) the backs of their shoes (because it's a pain to lace and unlace them 5 times a day for prayer). They then have a distinctive way of walking in them (like when one weras slippers or thong-sandals) so the shoes don't go flying off. So if you see somone walking like they are in slippers & are not it could give away that they are from an islamic culture. Or ofcourse if their shoe backs are pushed down.

03-05-2013, 02:33 PM	#13
rust Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Where the Celts originated	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF The parts of one's culture that are most difficult to un-learn are usually the culture's typical unwritten non-verbal communication rules. Eye contact has already been mentioned, another common example is personal space, like the usual distance between two persons in a neutral situation.

03-24-2013, 09:53 AM	#15
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF Found another tell-tale (actually, it's silly that I missed it the first two sessions), though it's partly linguistic too: Turning a final i-vowel into a y-consonant. The character is supposedly Japanese, so ending a word in a consonant is pretty weird already, particularly when it is a word spoken in your native language (the word being 'hai'). Planning to dig through body language peculiarity guides and see if he shows a conspicuous lack of reaction to some gestures. __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper

03-24-2013, 10:50 AM	#16
trans Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg, Germany	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF This is probably not quite on the original topic, but I hope a funny story all the same. In 1984 I was jaywalking in what was then still called Leningrad, near Gorkovskaya Metro Station. One of a pair of Milli-men, i.e. Militia men or policemen, crooked his finger at me and asked me if I was a "prieezhij", which means someone who moved to the city recently from the sticks. I said that I was even more than that, I was a foreigner, and definitely not "myasNOJ". What I should have said was "MESTnyj", i.e. not "local". As it was, I said was "I am not meaty".

03-24-2013, 10:55 AM	#17
vicky_molokh GURPS FAQ Keeper Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Kyïv, Ukraine	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF The inability to pronounce the letter/sound Ы is a pretty nasty shibboleth on its own, yes. (That is, it would likely be noticeable even after sorting out the 'familiar-sound' errors.) __________________ Vicky 'Molokh', GURPS FAQ and uFAQ Keeper

03-24-2013, 11:02 AM	#18
trans Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg, Germany	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF I don't have any problem with Ы, but I do sometimes pronounce the "Z" in Zugspitze in the American way, much to my shame.

03-24-2013, 11:48 AM	#20
trans Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Augsburg, Germany	Re: Subtle / obscure signs for identifying native CF The Ukrainian "г", on the other hand, is a real killer for me. I think I mentioned that here before.