Mongol Quiz
Real quick, here's the long awaited Mongol Quiz:
What common courtesy is inexpressible in Mongol?
Good luck.
What common courtesy is inexpressible in Mongol?
Good luck.
posted by Scottley at 4:37 AM
Thursday, June 22, 2006
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- Name: Scottley
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7 Comments:
How about, "Oh, please, have mercy on my village, great Ghengis"?
I think I just exhausted the repetoire of American humor regarding Mongolia.
Handshake?
Ok, I take handshake back. Come to think of it, I've never heard a Mondol to say "Thank you for not raping my horse!" It only could be because they didn't have words for "Thank you".
As most Mongols know, fermented human milk is tastier than fermented mares milk. This being the case, a visitor often wishes to express his desire for the "gourmet" version. Sadly, a respectful version of "May I drink from you wife?" has yet to determined...
Dad Says: There are many dos and don'ts. Here are my top 4. 1. Avoid standing up when drinking Vodka, tea or other beverage.2. Can't say no if offered tea, food or dairy.3. If you step on someones foot you must shake their hand, saying excuse me is a no-no. 4. If offered a drink you must at least touch the bottle to your lips, you can't refuse a drink.
From the hot tub comes a few others. 5. It is not ok to fart when miling cows. 6. You can't refuse sex with family goat. 7. Women can't shave their pits. 8. Using a tissue or hankerchief to wipe your noses is a tabbo, you must use your sleave. 9. Don't boggart the durhang!
The answer is "applause". In many parts of Mongolia a form of gestural sign language is favored over spoken communication. In this language, showing, touching, or thrusting your elbow to something signifies you think that thing is "good". When an audience of Mongolians hears a performance of music they find particularly stirring, for instance, they would like to show the artist that their ears are pleased. Repeatedly thrusting one's elbows into one's own ears is impossible for most people, hence the common courtesy of applause is inexpressible.
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