[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by moltovir

If you go to Japan they expect you to bow, if a Japanese comes to Belgium we expect them to shake our hand. I see that as a sign of respect for eachothers culture.

Originally Posted by Xandax

Actually - it is rude.
Just like it would be rude if westerns doing buisness in for instance in Japan did not bow to their japaneese counterparts, instead of offer the hand
<snip>
It is about respect for the hosts customs, which the visitor should show, in my personal view/opinion but also from a diplomatic and buisness viewpoint.
It is basically "Negotion 101"

I understand you point of view, but I disagree. I think the idea of "when you are in Rome, do as the Romans" is outdated and irrelevant in many cases. If you visit a country as a tourist, it's one thing: you go there volontarily and you have no obligations. Neither do the people in the country have towards you. If you don't like the custums of the country you visit, you can leave or choose not to go there. If, however, you are on professional visit, in this case a policial meeting, I think both sides have equal responsibility since the meeting is based on a mutual agreement. The host has choosen to invite them and the visitors have choosen to come, for a specific professional purpose. There is no reason why one party should be forced to adjust more than the other. For the Irani, not shaking hands with a woman they are not related to, is not just a habit, it is a religious and moral doctrine. Why should the host have the right to force them to break their religous and ethical values?
Sure it is polite to adapt to a place you visit, but if cultural values conflict, I do not think the host party has special rights of the host party's values deserve more respect because they are hosts.

Originally Posted by Moltovir

Are you a total abstainer then? I think you exaggerate by stating that only European culture is fixated with alcohol. Nearly every country has it's own kind of alcoholic beverage, and Belgium happens to have a little more than others. The US, the ex-USSR, Asia, Latin-America, South- and Central Africa: everywhere alcohol is used to celebrate things or to create a pleasant atmosphere.

Yes I am. (And socially speaking, in no other part of the world than Europe, is it social problem for me not to drink alcohol.) Alcohol is used in many parts of the world, but it is also not used in many parts of the world. Also, there is a difference between using alcohol for celebrations and special events, compared to the European every day consumption. Whether alcohol use creates a pleasant atmosphere or not is a subjective question.

Alcohol is only toxic when drank in large quantities: there's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking a glass wine or two a day. Serving quality wine is seen as a sign of respect and hospitality.

Alcohol may have beneficial effects on the cardiovscular system in small doses, although as I posted in Frogus thread, the hitherto known safe doses are very low, lower than 1-2 glass of wine/day. You are of course entitled to your opinion, but your opinion is not consistent with current scientific knowledge about the effects of alcohol.
Moderate social drinking show damaging effects in some studies but not in all. I am not going to say it is "something wrong" with drinking 1-2 glasses of wine/day, but it cannot be considered safe from a health perspective. The safety limit for healthy people is currently, in wine, 1/2 bottle of wine/week for women, 2/3 bottle for men (gender differences are based on average body size). Since a bottle of wine is about 5-6 glasses of wine, 1 glass/day would exceed the safety limit. 2 glasses/day would be in the "risk zone" for both men and women.