If Asia is Asia, then basically once you have researched one country you have mastered them all, right? Wrong! Asia is a region, not a country. There are so many variances from one country to another that need to be understood — I couldn’t hope to possibly cover them all in this column.

The following are important issues to consider as social conduct rules. They can alter significantly and are often foreign to our upbringing.

* Appropriate strength of a handshake can vary.

* To bow or not to bow?

* Do you initiate a handshake to women?

* What name do you use in an introduction or meeting?

* When should you exchange business cards?

* What should be written on the card?

* Do you understand what can be considered as obscene gestures?

* Appropriate business attire?

* Is gift giving appropriate?

* Are certain colours offensive?

I am not implying that doing business in Asian region means that you need to become an expert on regional customs, but it is important to make a genuine effort to understand local people and their culture.

Following are key extracts taken from the web on appropriate business conduct in Singapore. I don’t know about other executives, but without doing this research, I would be 99 per cent sure to offend in some small way:

* Do not touch anyone on the head — not even a child — as the head is considered sacred;

* Never signal or point at someone with your forefinger;

* Do not pound your fist on an open palm; it is an obscene gesture in Singapore;

* The foot is considered the lowest part of the body, and is thought of as being unclean;

* Never point your foot or the sole of your shoe at anyone;

A common question asked of executives when talking with a new contact is, “What do you know about my business?”. If you don’t know the answer, you go nowhere. If you know about the technical aspects of their business, but demonstrate limited knowledge of their social conduct rules, the result could well be the same.

In their diverse cultures, they found commonalities.

Film commissioners from all over Asia met in Manila recently to discuss vital issues affecting the movie industries in their respective countries.

Hosted by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the meeting of the Asian Film Commissioners’ Network (AFCNet) was held for three days in June.

Seven delegates from five countries discussed such urgent issues as censorship, dwindling audience patronage due to Hollywood influx, and lack of funds, marketing support and incentives, among others.

“Although we are competitors, we share common problems and can help each other find solutions,” said Philippine representative Digna H. Santiago, executive director of the Philippine Film Export Services Office which is under the FDCP.

“This meeting is an important step in making the Philippines a shooting venue for foreign productions. The event shows that the Philippines is considered a major player among film commissioners in Asia,” said Rolando S. Atienza, FDCP head.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

The Nigerian community in Indonesia celebrated its 49th Independence Day anniversary in a festive atmosphere Friday at the Gran Melia Hotel in Jakarta.

Nigerian Independence Day actually fell on Thursday, but the colorful reception was pushed back to Friday. The Embassy organized a seminar on investment potentials in Nigeria at the same hotel on Thursday.

The hotel ballroom looked like a little Nigeria, as most Nigerian guests wore colorful traditional dresses. Everybody was in a joyous mood, and there was a special Nigerian food corner and free flow of drinks.

Nigerian Ambassador to Indonesia Ibrahim Baba Mai-Sule personally welcomed the guests, most of whom were prominent members of the local Nigerian community, senior government officials, businesspeople, Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto and the Foreign Ministry’s director general for Asia-Pacific and African Affairs, T.M. Hamzah Thayeb, as well as members of the diplomatic community.

.Reference resource: Click Here.

In India even though one won’t find difficult to enter the market but paper work, regulations, and regional diversity takes a lot of time of the foreign entrepreneur to enter the market. The tax rates and regulation with in the country varies from one state to another and overall there are 28 states in India. Understanding and going through each of them is task in itself.

In Philippines even though one won’t find the language problem while doing business with the local players but the being an island nation it provides its own geographical challenges. Secondly the government policies and regulations are not very easy in the country and starting a business often requires Filipino partners. If an entrepreneur wants to enter in the agriculture industry then he/she has to take number of clearance from the government and has to live with the protective nature of policy making.

In South Korea starting a business can be tricky due to the language barrier. Most of the contracts in South Korea are written in Korean and one has to have a reliable lawyer and business partner to excel in the South Korean business environment. Secondly unlike the western society the South Korean society is a hierarchy society and age of the person means a lot while doing business with them. Negotiations in South Korea are also more determined by respect and affiliation rather than purely business terms.

Korea or study abroad Thailand trips.

In these enchanting nations, you’ll quickly find adventure, fun, nightlife and a great opportunity for cultural education. Tourists and students alike take delight in the enticing and charismatic attractions of these many nations. Over the past few years, travel throughout the different countries of

Asia and programs such as study abroad Malaysia have become very popular and trendy. From the nature guides of Thailand to the fashion
boutiques of Tokyo, Asia offers a once in a lifetime experience for anyone interested.

Vacations on the beautiful sandy beaches of Asia are popular for many Americans and Europeans. As you travel through the countries of

Southeast Asia, your trip isn’t complete without at least attempt at surfing and one fun beach party. There aren’t many travelers and students who can walk away from Asia’s beaches without a lasting memory of their white sands, which are quite rare..

A trip to Asia gives you the chance to fully discover what nature’s beauty holds. If you are planning a vacation or thinking about signing up for a study abroad Thailand program, this part of the world is the perfect destination. Everyday you wake to the discovery of new cultures. Become fascinated with the world famous hospitality of the Asian culture and tradition. Here are a few more good reasons why you should sign up for a study abroad South Korea or study abroad Malaysia program:

A long getaway is an excellent chance to spend some time in Asia. You are almost guaranteed a great time while staying within your spending
budget. This is because of the favorable the dollar exchange rate with the currency of the countries of Asia. What can possibly be better than having a great time while basically spending no money to do so?

If you want to do a little bit of homework, you can easily find some inexpensive tour and travel packages. It isn’t difficult to find some travel agencies which are offering discounted prices for the entire vacation experience. There are also plenty of vacation rentals available offering a relaxing experience that you soon won’t forget.

The Southeast Asia region is world renowned for its stunning collection of beaches. Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia have
some of the most beautiful beaches found anywhere in the world.

In general, booking early will get you a good deal; booking a summer flight in January or February will be far less costly than booking the same flight in March or April. With the reduction in capacity, half empty planes are becoming less and less common. This means that the chance of snapping up a last minute deal is low. However, you should never say never. In the event that you cannot find cheap international flights to Asia, one of the options you can explore when travelling in Asia is the low cost carriers that operate within the major hubs in the region. Singapore’s Changi Airport could be considered a hub for many of the major air carriers, much like Atlanta in the United States.

There are many low cost, no frills airlines around the world. However, they mostly operate in a given region and rarely travel between continents. This means that even if you cannot find cheap international flights to Asia, you can still avail of bargain prices on domestic flights between the cities of the same country. Some low cost carriers will also operate between Asian countries.

If you are travelling around Asia, it might be an idea to consider booking flights on the low cost carriers between the countries that you intend visiting. Long haul flights offered by low cost airlines are only now being introduced between London and some parts of Southeast Asia. However, travel between south eastern Asian countries such as Singapore and Vietnam can be accomplished relying mainly on the low cost air carriers. There are also a handful of domestic airlines operating in Asian countries.

Experts warn that despite the overall positive outlook on the Asian investment market, investors should be selective as to where they put their money. Predictions and valuations can be stretched and sometimes the expectations are unrealistic. In 2006, Credit Suisse said that the market for investment continues to offer incredibly profitable and positive opportunities. It is reported, then, that the world can expect a consistent growth in the Asian market for the next three to four years from 2006… Thus, investment opportunities in the Asian countries continue to be aplenty.

Governments in countries like Japan, China and India have shifted their focus from consuming imported goods to exploiting local and domestic products, thereby helping to boost their local economies. This has given small, growing companies in these Asian countries room and opportunity for growth… from the investor’s point of view, this is extremely good news. The Asian economy is set for robust growth and expansion in the long run which providing lucrative returns for foreign investors.

Countries like China, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan have sent many unknowing stock market players into silence in recent years because of the dramatic rise in their economic conditions. Each of these countries presents different investment opportunities for investors and the range of their expertise has narrowed down. While some people would argue that Asian investment in China and India would be the most lucrative, others would prefer to techno-friendly countries like Korea, Taiwan and Japan where they already have a strong following for their electronic products and gaming technology as well as household products. Japan and Korea looks to be nose-to-nose for the communications sector too, so, in the near future, the pendulum could swing either way, depending on the number of foreign investors and growth of their domestic markets.

While the US market limps back to health, investors from other parts of the world, particularly countries in Europe, Canada and Australia are eyeing potentially profitable long-term partnerships with companies from these countries. US consumers are generally swallowed by the grave need to save money and reduce the cost of living, the Asian and European market continues to stride ahead. Not long ago, the US market determines the performance of other markets, particularly Asia.But now,the reverse are true. As long as the US market continues to post health growth and do not suffer prolong recession, Asia will continue to grow and provide foreign investors with many investment opportunities.

So what does this saving face mean? It means that when people deal with each other there is a greatly heightened awareness and priority on avoiding a perception of embarrassment or humiliation. This applies to you and to the other parties involved. An example would be a conversation between a student and their teacher. The teacher explains a process, and the student does not understand. In the west this would not be a very big deal at all. The student would be happy to, (and in fact be expected to), alert the teacher that they did not understand, and ask for it to be explained in a different way.

In the South East Asian countries of say Thailand or Indonesia, this type of situation would need to be handled carefully. From the students perspective, they firstly would not want to appear slow or inattentive, and may have an issue in asking for a clarification in the class environment. Also, as they would hold their teacher in high esteem, they would definitely not want to allude that they lacked the skills to explain things clearly. From the teachers perspective, they may find it difficult to accept a student expressing confusion in the classroom.

So in these countries, the student may well hold their tongue and either ask a fellow student, or seek to speak to their teacher in private later.

Another issue on this region that visitors may come across is etiquette at religious places. The term for a temple in Buddhist countries such as Thailand and Cambodia is Wat. When visiting a Wat, be sure to dress conservatively. There is no need to be formal, but please do not go in beach clothes or your short disco dress! Additionally, you will inevitably see a collection of shoes at the door. This is simply as the correct etiquette is to take your footwear off before entering. So if you are planning a day of serious temple visiting, a good tip is not to wear lace up shoes. You will find yourself exhausted by the end of the day if you do.

Basic rules that apply anywhere including wearing expensive jewelry and clothing and showing large amounts of cash. These are indicators that you have items of value. It can lead you to being the victim of a robbery or worse crime. To avoid being the victim of a scam don’t exchange currency with anyone except an authorized agent. Fully investigate prior to making purchases such as jewelry, art, and antiques. Traveling to Asia can be a great experience. If you take the time to follow these basic tips, you will be more likely to enjoy your trip as well as return safely. By being prepared, you will be able to avoid surprises that will ruin your trip. By registering with the US Embassy, you will have an ally in the case something does take place. Having all these things in place will help you be able to focus on the beauty of Asia.