Ugly Americans Watch Your Chopsticks and Your Feet

Online, March 16, 2011 (Newswire.com) - When in Asia, it's never a good idea to stick your chopsticks straight up in the rice -- that's how food is offered to the dead. And while you're at it, don't pass your chopsticks to anyone else at the table -- that's a Buddhist funeral rite.

But if you are in Japan, it's OK to slurp your noodles. Just don't fill your own glass with alcohol; instead, you should pour for others and wait for them to reciprocate. Otherwise, they'll think you're an alcoholic. And to show appreciation, give a gift, never cash.

Those faux pas are just a few of the many that American travelers should avoid when exploring the world, according to a new online guide to international etiquette provided by the Lonely Planet. The guide covers drinking habits, table manners, tipping and bargaining, body language and business etiquette.

Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world, publishing about 500 titles in eight languages, as well as TV programs, a magazine, mobile phone applications and web sites.