Observation #3
For this week’s observation I have been in Laie, Oahu,
Hawaii where I sat in the local McDonalds. It was an interesting experience to watch
and observe the locals as well as the tourists. The non-verbal behavior that I
noticed the most was just a simple smile. From the minute I walked through the
door, I was greeted by several people who just simply smiled. From behind the
counter came several “Aloha” greetings as well. One thing the locals do not
lack here is hospitality. The tourists, on the other hand, showed their impatients
by folding their arms and scowling when the order called was not their own. Even
though they are in what most people would consider to be paradise, they still
showed frustration and irritation through their body language.
To go along with the reading for this week, I observed how
the locals greet each other with a hug and kiss on the check. I loved this! For
me is shows love and respect, and the fact that they are open to showing such
emotion in public, McDonald’s, was awesome too. The family that we are staying
with have taught their children this same tradition. The moment my kids and I arrived
at their home, we were greeted with hugs and “Hello family”. While we are not biologically related to them,
we are still family. I wish more of this culture would rub off on the mainland
people.
Frustration
Content
Irritation
Pleasure
I think it's really neat to be able to observe people of different cultures! It definitely has an impact on how they communicate in many ways.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think that people greet each other differently in different states and I never even thought about looking at people as if they were tourists or locals. Cedar City is really popular this time of year for the festivals so I'll have to keep my eye open and see if I can see the differences in local and tourist actions.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful your trip sounds! I am glad you have seen so many positive examples of nonverbal communication. Great observations.
ReplyDelete