Survival Guides Part 5... The Answers !

This will sadly be the very last part of the Survival Guides presented by the students in Felicity’s High Skills Class. This week we will only announce the answers from Hanan and Monica.
We hope that you have enjoyed and learned just as much as we have during these weeks. Many of the tips and advice certainly have made me smile.
The tension is building up, so, we will not keep you waiting any longer…

The country that Hanan was talking about a couple of weeks ago was Saudi Arabia.
When visiting Saudi you should make sure that you dress properly, do not get offended when someone leaves you to wait for them for 2 hours, or when someone is jumping the queue. According to Hanan it is not due to lack of respect, it’s just the way the people are. We choose to call it cultural differences.

When visiting Monica’s home country of Switzerland, you should on the other hand be bang on time! Do not try to bribe a policeman. If you do not want to end up in a jail that is. When you see a famous person, like Boris Becker, pretend you haven't seen them, even if you would love to have their autograph. He most likely wants to be left alone…

So this will be the end of these exciting weeks of Survival Guides from Felicity’s students when visiting their countries.

Do not forget to visit our blog soon to see what exciting news or tips we will give you!

Survival Guides Part 4 - The answers

This will be the final week for the students in Felicity’s Study Skills High Class to give us some tips when visiting their countries.

Last week Laurence and Balazs gave us some excellent advices when visiting their countries.

In the first country you should be careful when crossing a street, not say pleeeeeaaaase to much and quiet frankly, speak your mind. Laurence is French so congratulations to all of you who guessed… France!

The second person to give you some warnings and advices last week was Balazs.
Balazs is from Hungary and when visiting his country you should make sure that you arrive on time and also are aware of your drinking habits when stepping outside.

Survival Guides- Part 4

In our very last Survival Guides; Hanan and Monica will give you some valuable information when visiting their countries.

Country 1

1. When you go to this country. You must look suitably dressed, because females are required to cover there bodies and hair. So it is unlikely to see a women walking around in a bikini over there.

2. In this country you shouldn’t feel offended if someone is late for your appointment by more than two hours, or if someone jumps in front of you in a queue, it is not a sign of disrespect, it is just our way of doing things.

3. It is always advisable to put sun cream on before going outside even if it is just for a short period of time. You should be aware of the damage the sun might cause to your skin.

4. It is common to see a fight among a group of friends after they have had dinner in a restaurant. No need to worry, it is only a sign of generosity, everyone is insisting on paying the bill.

5. The ability to speak a little bit of our language is considered essential as English is not widely spoken. Otherwise you are going to end up very lost and confused.

Country 2

1. In my country it’s very unlikely that anyone will offer anyone a bribe, especially not to a policeman. If you do you will probably end up in a jail.

2. For all formal meetings it is considered essential to be bang on time if you want to maintain good business relations. In the event that you arrive late make sure you look suitably apologetic and embarrassed.

3. Even if a person is well known we respect he wants to cherish his privacy and always keep a distance. Very famous people like Boris Becker and Michael Schumacher like it that we are not overtly friendly and leave them in peace.

4. If people call you by your last name don’t feel offended, we always try to use the polite form. Only family members and good friends use informal language with each other.

So make sure that you read our blog next week to find out which country you cannot walk around wearing a bikini in, and where it’s bad idea to bribe a policeman. Just in case you were thinking of it…

Survival Guides- Part 3

For the past 2 weeks the students in Felicity’s Study Skills High class have been giving us tips and advice on what to do when visiting their countries.

Last week we learned how to survive when visiting Alexey’s and Louise’s countries.

The first country we asked you to take a guess on was Louise’s. In this country you have to be careful in the underground, dress well when going to a restaurant, and eat with manners! Guidelines well worth knowing when visiting… Belgium

The second country is Russia. When travelling around in Alexey’s country you have to avoid the temptation of gambling with strangers. It does get freeeeeeezing cold in the winter, so dress warmly and bring a little hip flask filled with vodka with you. Just to keep you warm.

So what will we be learning from Laurence and Balazs this week, in the third and final part of our survival guides?

Country 1

1. In this country, you shouldn’t “beat around the bush”, just speak your mind, and get to the point.

2. Because of the frankness of this country, it’s not the height of rudeness if your teacher or your boss tells you what they really think about your work. For example, if your boss or teacher doesn’t like your work, they will tell you straight to your face.

3. Politeness: Don’t put five pleases in a sentence, it’s annoying for them, and it’s too much. Just make sure you say ‘please’ at least once.

4. In this country, people drive on the right, so be careful. They will slow down if they see you crossing the street, but be careful with that too.

5. In this country, people do believe in equality, at school and on the street, you shouldn’t show how much money you have, or that you are from an upper class. It will work against you.

Country 2

1. In this country, if you are a guest, they will make you several itineraries, and entertain you, while you are staying at their place.

2. In this country drinking alcohol is banned on the streets. Policeman might arrest you if they see you drinking alcohol outside.

3. Policeman on the streets might ask for your ID, don’t be afraid it’s for public safety, so you should always have your ID with you.

4. You should always arrive on time. They don’t really tolerate it when people arrive late. It’s the height of rudeness.

5. Be careful when crossing the street. People are always in a hurry, and they might not slow down if they see you crossing the street. They can get really angry if they have to slow down just because of you.

So, in both these countries you have to be careful in the traffic, especially when crossing a street, otherwise you might end up getting hurt. Furthermore, do not get offended when people speak their mind in country number one. It will happen, sooner or later.

Can you tell which countries the students are describing?

Don't forget to check back next week for the answers!