"When I visited Tallinn, Estonia, some years back my boyfriend and I stayed with a local host family: an Estonian man, his Russian wife and their son. The first time I met my host "mother", she seemed friendly, but we had barely said 'hello' and 'nice to meet you' when she asked: 'Do you believe in God?' I was taken aback by her questioning. I don't believe in God, but because I didn't know why she was asking, I didn't dare to say so and just muttered something vague, feeling very uncomfortable. Questions were racing through my head: Why did she want to know? Was she deeply religious and only wanted equally religious guests in her house? Was she worried about what was going to happen under her roof if she let my boyfriend and me share a room?
Years later I read online that asking about one's beliefs or religion is very common in Russia when meeting new people. It's considered a bit like small talk: a topic to get the conversation going so you can get to know someone better. In Sweden, we're the opposite: we tend to avoid topics like religion or politics with people unless we know them well."
A.L. (female), Sweden
Great blog :). This will be useful for travellers.
ReplyDeleteI have a blog about traveling/living in Asia too. Do have a look at http://www.knowledgeofasia.com
Glad you like it! We do hope it will be a useful resource, but it can only happen with your help, so everyone please post a culture bump if you've experienced one. :)
ReplyDeleteYour blog looks great too, lots of information there. The posts on Asia-related apps look particularly good!