Etiquette. Dining/business Entertaining

Front 1

- Business lunches have become popular.
- You will proablby be treated to at least one evening banquet. You should always return the favor.
- Banquests at restaurants can be ordered at various degree of extravagance. Be sure to reciprocate at the same price per person as your Chinese host has spent at your banquest - Never surpass your host in the degree of lavishness.
- Most banquests start betwen 6:30 and 7:00 p.m. and last for several hours. You shoud arrive about thirt minutes before your gusts - they will arrive on time.
- If you are the guest, always arrive promptly or even a little early.
- Busines is not generally discussed during a meal.
- Never begin to eat or drink before your host does.
- When eating rice, it is customary to hold the bowl close to your mouth.
- At a meal, eat lightly in the beginning, as there could be up to twenty courses served. Expect your host to keep fillin gyour bowl with ffod whenever you empty it. Finishing all of your food may be an insult to your host, because it could mena he did not provide enough food. Leaving a bowl completely full is also rude.
- the Chinese use chopsticks for eating and a porceling spoon for soup. Your attempts at using chopsticks will be appreciated. When you are finished, set your chopsticks on the chopsticks rest. Placing them parellel on top of your bowl is considered a sign of bad luck.
- Try not to drop your chopsticks, it is considered bad luck.
- Serving dishes are not passed around. Reach for food with your chopsticks, but do not use the end you put in your mouth! It is acceptable to reach in front of others ot get to the serving dishes.
- Good topics of conversation include Chinese sights, art, calligraphy, and inquiries about health of the other's family. Genrally conversation during a meal focuses on the meal itself and is full of compliments to the preparer.
- U. S football in called "olive ball" in Mandaring chinese because th eball is roughly olive shaped.
- The serving of fruit signals the end of the meal
- If you do not want refills of tea, leave some in your cup.
- If you smoke, offer your cigarretes to others in your group. Many Chinese are heave smokers.

-
-

Back 1

Dining/Business Enertaining (China)

Front 2

- Hosting vistitors is considered a virtue among Egyptians, so they will take care of much of the entertaining within their country.
- Be prepared to revove your shoes before entering a building. follow the lead of your host. In Egypt, the male guest of honor is traditionaly seated to the right of the host.
- Remember that alcohol and pork are prohibited to strict Muslims. If you invite an Egyptian to a social event, make sure there are nonalcoholic drinks available.
- some Egyptians wil use Western eating utensils and have Western furniture in the home. Others eat Arab style, using only their right hand and sitting on carpet.
- Traditionally, if you are invited to dine in a Egyptian home, it is considered insulting if you add additioanl salt to your food. doing so implies that you find their hospitality lacking.
- In all but most formal restaurants, the propeiter may visit your table and converse for a while. Egyptians condsider this being hospitable, not being intrusive.
- do not anything on your plate. Leaving a little food is a sign that you have had enough

Back 2

Dining/Business Enertaining (Egypt)

Front 3

- Always have a good supply of soft drinks, tea, coffee, Danish, cookies, snacks, and so forth, on the meeting table. Russians try hard to provide a variety of refreshments when conducting business and appreciate your reciprocating in kind.
- Russian hotels and restaurants may still have doormen who seem less than gracious. This is probably because doormen often double as security guards. do not try to engage them in conversation.
- Russian restaurenats have improved over the last decade. Menus generally reflect the availbale fare and service is faster.
- Dinner generally begins around 7:00 p.m., because most offices close around 6:00 P.M.
- quite often, Russians will state the time in a simple military format, so if you say "Meet me at 7 o' clock", they will assume that it is 7:00 a.m.. If you mean 7:00 p.m., specify nineteen o'clock, or nineteen hundred, Just try to avoid sounding artifically militaristic; Russians do not say "Zero seven hundred" for 7:00 a.m.
- Russians are very confident in their aboility to drink heavily and still remain "clear". They may prefer to conduct business when you are drunk.
- It is a great honor to be invited to a Russian home. It may also be a great burden for the host. Russian tradition demands that you be served a lunch or dinner that far exceeds everyone's appetite and, sometimes, the financial capabilites of hte hosts. for example, caviar might be served with huge spoons.
- It is good to know a few toasts. The most common is NA zdorovye, which means "to your health"
- In arestaruant or nightclub, Russians amy invite you to dance or to come over to their table. Accept graciously.

Back 3

Dining/Business Enertaining (Russia)

Front 4

- Although South African executives usually arise early enough to attend a breakfast meeting, business breakfasts are relatively uncommon. However, they might discuss business at an early morning tee-time on the golf course.
- Business meetings can be held over lunch or dinner.
- Business may be discussed in a restaurant, but genrally not over a meal at home.
- Invitations to white South African homes ar enot ususuall. In good weather, these will often be barbeques, or braais, out by the pool.
- Feel free to ask your host what you can bring, Even if your host says you don't need to bring anything, at least bring a bottle of wine, or a dessert.
- Alcohol can be purchased only at very linited times.
- Large amounts of alcohol are often consumed at a braai. On a weekend, a lunchtime braii can last all afternoon and into the evening.
- Even though business is rarely discussed at a braai, they are important for successful business relationships. A white South African must like and trust you to work with you.
- Invitations to the homes of the nonwhite business community are rare. Most business entertaiing will be done in restaurants.

Back 4

Dining/Business Enertaining (South Africa)