The articles not only highlight hand gestures, but also cultural practices, from driving to socializing, that are acceptable and those that are not. Because we always want to have good manners no matter where we go. In the June issue, Etiquette 101 highlights some do’s and don’ts of Mediterranean culture.

It’s all Greek to me…
Get this straight before you go…“yes” means “no” and “no” means “yes”. At least when it comes to head nodding.

As shown in the drawing above (sorry if my scan is kind of blurry), raising the head means “no” and lowering it mean “yes”. Watch how you gesture “five”…or you might just tell a vendor to go to a very “hot” place instead.

Hitting the road in Italy…
Just try not to get hit… whether your a driver or pedestrian. I never want to be the guy in scene #5.

Because of language barriers, we travelers sometimes have to use our hands to help get our point across. The article Etiquette 101: Hand Gestures reveals which gestures will do just that…and which are sure to offend the person your communicating with. We don’t want that to happen, so keep on reading…

In the future, Two JetSet Divas plan to occasionally highlight gestures from a specific country (the good, the bad, and the ugly) or the meanings around the world for gestures we use here in the U.S.




We’ll start with some common gestures:

Thumbs Up

America - Generally means “Cool” or “That’s good!”. Tilt the hand a little and it could mean “hitchhiking”.
Nigeria, Greece, Southern Italy, and parts of Russia and the Middle East - Considered an obscene gesture.
Austria, France, Germany - Means the number one.
Japan - Means the number five. So, you might think you said “That’s good” and end up ordering five more!




Okay

America - Generally means “A-OK”.
France - Means “zero” or “nothing”.
Denmark and Italy - Could mean an insult.
Brazil, Paraguay, Guatemala - Obscene gesture.

Peace sign

America - Generally means “peace”. If reversed (palm in), the gesture can mean “peace out” or “I’m gone”.
U.K. and Australia - If reversed (palm in), gesture is considered obscene.






Here’s a nice, yet complex chart of gestures from the Conde Nast article. The next time you trek around the globe, make sure you use your hands wisely.

source: Global Business Etiquette

1) Paris, France - The City of Lights and the foundation of all classic love stories.









2) Italy
Rome- A visit to the Trevi Fountain to wish for true love is a must.




 
Venice - Who wouldn’t love to end the day with a Gondola ride. (An easy 5 hour train ride from Rome…kill two birds with one international plane ticket.)






 
3) Ithaca, Greek Islands - Home of Odysseus an intial suitor of Helen of Troy. Destroyed by fire years ago, no building on the island is over 50 years old.

4) Aruba - Crystal clear water and white sand beaches….need we say more??

5) New York City - Much closer to home and filled with romantic attractions.








For other suggested cities, AOL as their own list of Romantic Cities.
Do you have a suggestion? Tell us about your romantic rendevous!

Surprise your sweetie with a little JetSet love…Check out these Valentine’s Day Escapades specials from Air France .