A teenage girl was visiting the United States from Ethiopia. She complained that Americans were “so rude.”

“Why do you think Americans are rude?” she was asked.

“Because we went to the swimming pool and five or six girls asked me, ‘How do you stay so thin?’ I was so shocked and upset I had to leave.”

In America, a statement such as “How do you stay so thin?” isn’t even a request for information as much as a compliment. However, coming from Ethiopia where plumpness is the most desirable physical body type (ya’ gotta love it!), the girl was insulted by the question.

Here’s another example. Some Europeans have commented that Americans are rude because they’ve noticed that we often whistle as well as clap at large public events. In parts of Europe, whistling after a concert means that the audience disapproved of the performance.

Other visitors to America have commented on how “dirty” Americans are. Some Japanese people, for example, consider Americans to be dirty because, when we take a bath, we clean ourselves in the bath water and then soak in the same water. To some Japanese taking a bath that way makes no sense at all. In Japan, it’s the custom to shower and clean first, then get into the bath to relax.

Some people find the American way of waiting in line to be quite impractical. If someone were waiting in a post office line, for example, and had to fill out a label, everyone behind her would have to wait. In other countries, people crowd around a service window so that many transactions can be going on at once. While you’re filling out your label, someone else is paying for his or her purchase and so on. Many Americans would see this “crowding” as chaotic and would complain that people aren’t taking turns.

Take one other area of communication ­– gestures. In France what we would call the “okay” sign means something or someone is worthless. It means that they are a zero. In Japan, the same gesture is the sign for money. In parts of India, rocking the head from side to side doesn’t mean “No.” Instead it means, “Yes, I’m listening.” Some cultures teach that looking directly at someone is a sign of respect. Others teach just the opposite: to show respect, never look a person of authority in the eye.

Even if you don’t travel to other parts of the world, the fact is people from all over the globe live right here. We’ll want to understand one another because even people from similar backgrounds can misunderstand each other and experience cultural collisions. If some people can misunderstand American values, rituals and gestures so much, what might we be misunderstanding about them?

Hope you enjoyed the Olympics as much as I did!

This article may be reprinted when this full byline is used:

Susan O’Halloran is a story artist, workshop presenter, television personality and keynote speaker whose work explores the complex issues of social justice. She is an author of four books plus diversity curriculums, CDs and films. The Chicago Reader says O’Halloran “has mastered the Irish art of telling stories that are funny and heart-wrenching at the same time.” For a copy of a free teleseminar with Susan, go to www.susanohalloran.com