Do you have manners?

Korean pop culture is taking the world by storm. Gangnam Style and Psy are now international. Girls as young as 12 and 14 years old are auditioning to be K Pop stars. Every girl's dream is to be the next big hit.

So when I read this article, I was curious to know what the audition panelists look for during the K Pop audition. Singing and dancing are a definite must. Does she have the "X factor"? To my surprise, this is what one of the top judges said:

Yes, indeed! What IS the point of being a star if you don't have manners? Fans don't remain fans forever if you can't be nice to them. A 12-year-old Singaporean boy who made the cut as one of Psy's backup dancers for his local concert was thrilled to bits when Psy casually put his arm on the boy's shoulder during the group photo. Yes, Psy does have manners. No airs about him at all.

Same goes with any culture in the world. Manners speak louder than anything else. Business, tourism, friendship? Manners. Nobody wants to deal with rude or uncooperative people. Hong Kong used to known for extremely poor customer service. That changed as they prepared to return to China. Today, Hong Kong is one of the friendliest places in the world to visit. Thousands of tourists and business people flock to Hong Kong annually, bringing in much-needed cash to fuel the economy.

Going cross cultural is not easy. Learning the customs and behaviour of another culture is often a mystery that takes a long time to solve. Begin by being a student. Find out as much as you can before you get there. Most importantly, bring along your best manners. They will open doors for you.

Happy learning!

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