Blow or Sniff — Culture Shock

Some nationalities may find it offensive when Icelanders clear their throat or sniff up their noses in front of them. On the other hand, some Icelanders may find it offensive when other nationalities blow their noses into a handkerchief or tissue. I personally never got used to people blowing their noses into a handkerchief or tissue, e.g. when having dinner when I was studying in the USA. That is why I found it interesting to read the article To Blow or to Sniff — Culture Shock for an Expatto by Kaushik Iyer, who moved from India to London.

Blowing your nose in public was probably the first culture shock I experienced in London, and I reacted how you would expect most expats to react — I got irritated and kept comparing the situation to things back home.
In India, we were taught, early on to be very shy of any sort of sound from our body, except maybe belching after a hearty meal. Blowing your nose in public or at the office would be a definite no-no for most of us. We would much rather sniff, till we reach a toilet or somewhere more private before we blow our nose. There are some exceptions, but in general, most Indians find blowing one’s nose in front of others very inconsiderate.

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