Ummm...What Do You Plan on Doing with That Handkerchief?

Every culture, every society has its taboos. There are also behaviors that, while not rising to the level of taboo, could be considered violations of basic societal norms or maybe just poor form. When we lived in Indonesia, any intimate contact, like kissing, was strictly forbidden in public or in the media. (Oddly, any gross verbal obscenity was perfectly all right, as long as it was in English). In Bulgaria, polite people just did not talk about Gypsies (Roma), or even acknowledge their presence. One day in Ukraine, I started absentmindedly whistling a tune to myself (Do You Know the Way to San Jose?) when the person next to me whirled, horror etched on her face. It wasn't bacharachophobia. I learned you cannot whistle indoors without incurring the certainty of losing every kopeck of your hard earned money. In my own country, I guess it’s pretty much anything goes – with the exception of running for public office as an avowed atheist, or expressing remorse over becoming a parent.

Here in Laos, people have their own “dos and don’ts”. Here is a partial list:

DO
eat anything that moves
take off your shoes when entering a home
use any excuse to have a holiday or a party
smile, laugh, and say “sabaidee” a lot
ride an entire family of 5 on a motorbike
eat all day and stay skinny
wear high top sneakers with a long skirt
listen to the same half-dozen songs over and over for months (years)

DON’T

act angry or aggressive in public
ever touch a monk if you’re female
ever touch a female if you’re a monk
blow your nose in public
stay out past 11:00 PM
hug or kiss in public
use your car’s horn excessively
hold your head higher than the Buddha
touch someone’s head (unless you’re a hair stylist)

As you can see, it’s pretty easy to live within the limits of society, provided you’re not a bellicose, sex-crazed, night owl with a bad head cold.