Misunderstandings were always possible in different cultures, even over something as simple as “yes”and “no”.
On Mandy’s first day in Micronesia (an island in the Pacific), she went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks?” The salesman didn’t say anything. Mandy repeated the question. The salesman still said nothing. She later learned that the man had answered her: he had raised his eyebrows, which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Mandy still remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was famous for its sausages. She asked the waiter, “Do you have sausages today?” He nodded his head. Mandy waited, but the sausages never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Mandy had a similar problem when she arrived in India. She taught English for Indian students. After explaining something in class, she asked her students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. She thought some people had not understood, so she explained again. When she asked again, they did the same thing. Actually in India, the meaning of nodding and shaking their heads depend on the area they come from.
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