The Established Aliens

Chapter 3: MASTER THE DOS AND DON'TS

Laws, Cultures, and Norms of the Country.

The phrase 'When in Rome, do as Romans' emphasizes the importance of adapting yourself to the laws, cultures, and norms of any country you find yourself as a foreigner. 'Culture' basically is a people's way of life, and understanding a people's way of life is a prerequisite for thoughtful and engaged citizenship in a dynamic and interconnected world. However, culture does not act in isolation; the law influences culture, culture influences the direction, and vice versa. For example, an egalitarian culture may establish rules that respect the rights of individuals and guarantee that these rights are not violated. In the same vein, laws that enforce equal rights of men and women may influence a change in cultural values regarding the position of men and women in society; hence, you must bear in mind that the world, at ever,y tick-tock of the rock, is evolving. An assumption that what used to be is what is still in vogue may be a very costly assumption. The UK's exit (Brexit) from the European Union affected the UK's trade and economic policies and its legal and cultural stand. So your mastery of the DOs and DON'Ts, laws, cultures, and norms of a foreign country is crucial and must be appropriately assimilated.

Ask questions

-' No man becomes a fool until he stops asking questions' (Charles Steinmetz). As strange as the culture, norms, and DOs and DON'Ts of a foreign country may be, gaining an understanding of it begins with asking questions; you may want to ask questions like:

-What is the most celebrated festival/holiday in your country?

-Is your government restricted from using any popular website or software applications?

-How do you guys handle racism?

-Is there a unique way to greet elders in your communities?

-What are the most popular slangs in your country and their meanings?

-Are people allowed to protest?

-Are women allowed certain kinds of dresses?

-Any religious restrictions in your country?

Be creative to ask questions that would help you understand your foreign country's cultural and legal stand of interest. Also, ensure that you get relevant information from other foreigners in that country. Try to ascertain if there is any association of foreigners or clubs that can help you adapt and understand the culture and law of that land. Remember that good and important questions can trigger long and exciting stories that can be fun and informative simultaneously.

Build Local Relationships.

This would largely depend on caution, skill, and humility because this requires deep trust seeing that you are more or less at the mercy of the natives you have chosen to relate with. Your success hinges on the strength and quality of the relationships you build. Building local relationships could seem very awkward at the start, but not just everyone can fit into your circle, especially when you are on foreign soil; a few tips to help you bond with people of like minds are; Take a hobby class, Volunteer with an organization you care about, Join a language club.

Attend Court Hearings:

You can attend court hearings to broaden your understanding of a foreign country's law, but you must be careful about obeying the court rules for entering court premises.

Read the Dailies, Books, and Journals and Listen to Podcasts and Relevant Shows.

The mind is flexible enough to adapt, and reading is one of those ways we can understand a new environment and how things work in that environment; reading newspapers and literary texts would help you develop your awareness of the DOs and DON'Ts of the country you reside in. However, below are a few countries of the world and what they accept as their DOs and DON'Ts: