In a foreign country, a man visited a local restaurant. He didn't speak their language. He ordered something indecipherable off the menu. When the waiter brought him a plate of delicious looking fried noodles, he smiled and made an OK sign at the waiter with his thumb and forefinger linked in a circle. Looking angry, the waiter then picked up the dish and thrown it to his lap. What he did wrong, he wondered. Well, nothing is quite as it seems when it comes to using hand gesture in another country.

    Gestures have been used to replace words in many countries, and they are often specific to a given culture. Gesture may mean something complimentary in one culture, but is highly offensive in another.

    The gesture "thumb-up" is commonly misinterpreted. In English, it is popularly known as 'thumbs up', despite the fact that the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English-speaking Caucasians use it to signal 'OK', which is the same meaning as O.K. ring gesture. The two can in fact be used almost interchangeably(可互换地).

    Avoid using this gesture in Southern Sardina or Northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While American, British and Australian would use the thumb up to signal hitch-hiking to the drivers, this message will not encourage a Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.

    There are no right or wrong signals, only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disharmony among people from different cultures. When we know what to look for, such encounters(特殊经历) with other cultures are actually very interesting, fascinating and fun. It is certainty a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.

    There are various ways in which to read body language so that you can understand how someone is feeling. Reading emotional clues(线索) is one of them.

    Crying is considered to be caused by an explosion of emotion in most cultures. Oftentimes crying is considered a sign of sadness, but crying can also be an expression of happiness. Crying can also come about through laughter and humor. Thus, when judging crying, you'll need to look for other signs to determine the meaning of the crying. Crying can also be forced in order to gain sympathy or to cheat others. This practice is known as "crocodile tears", an expression that draws on the wrong idea that crocodiles "cry" when catching prey(猎物).

    Signs of threat include v-shaped eye brows, wide eyes, and an open or down-turned mouth. In a similar way, Arm tightly crossed over the other is a common sign that the person is angry and is closing himself off to you.

    When people show anxiety, they display increased facial movements, and their mouth made into a thin line. Individuals who are anxious may also play with their hands, unable keep them in one spot. Anxiety can also or have nervous legs. It can be conveyed when people seemingly unconsciously(无意识地) tap their feet or have nervous legs.

Embarrassment can be expressed by turning the eyes or shifting them away, turning of the head and controlled or even tense smiles. If someone looks down at the floor a lot, they are probably shy, afraid, or embarrassed. People also tend to look down when they are upset, or trying to hide something emotional. People are often thinking and feeling unpleasant emotions when they are in the process of staring at the ground.

    There are also some signs of pride. People show pride by displaying a small smile, holding their head backward, and putting their hands on their hips.