After Asia: Sniffing (East and West)

I sniff a lot. I trained myself to do it while living in SE Asia. I don't mean sniffing to smell things, but sniffing with a cold nose. And it's problematic while I'm in the UK! Here's why:

In the UK (for some reason) it is considered extremely uncouth / unpleasant to make noises with your nose in public. Most of the UK year is cold, and people are likely to have runny noses - because of the low temperatures, allergies, or actual mild illnesses. But the custom is that you handle these symptoms by dabbing, or blowing into a tissue (or in the old days, a fabric handkerchief). If there's any kind of noise required, it is considered polite to make it in the bathroom with a tissue (and wash your hands afterwards). But for a 'cold nose' from outdoors, for example, you'd dab with a paper tissue, even in public. 

British toddlers are taught "Don't sniff, blow," as parents countrywide reach for tissues to help them. Medically, in fact, there doesn't seem to be much to back nose-blowing (and a few things which suggest it's harmful). The UK preference for a blow over a sniff seems to be mainly just one of tradition, and I guess the gross-out factor of the audio?

In Singapore (and I believe Japan, and some other East Asian countries) the opposite is true. Tissues and handkerchiefs are considered disgusting - because they potentially spread germs. And thus it is much more polite to sniff, rather than blow or dab. In Singapore, this can be taken to the extreme, with full-on nasal-honking and other loud noises from men and women in public. I still find these  outbursts tough to take - because I was brought up in Western culture! 

But after finding out about it, I agree with the lighter aspects of sniffing. Tissues (and worse, non-disposable handkerchiefs) really ARE quite revolting, especially if hands are not washed after use. And while I was living in Singapore, I caught on with the light sniffing trend. (People in the tropics do still get colds, and snuffles from overzealous aircon and other changes in temp!)

SO, a few winter months in the UK, and it looks like I'll need to re-train myself all over again. And invest in banks of paper tissues. A few people have given me odd looks when sniffing (odd looks = a passive British way of expressing 'eeiiw'!) just as I thought 'eeiiw!' when I first moved to Singapore! And it's endless runny-nose-weather in London, so I'd best get with the programme! But I still struggle with the snotty tissue/hanky concept - and prefer to at least chuck after one use. I mean, Asian or not, shouldn't we all be doing that anyway, to limit the spread of winter germs?

:)

English learners: "get with the programme" is a colloquial phrase which means to keep up and follow what others are doing.

Also on this blog:

On or Off? The Shoe Thing 

 

Photo credit: livingwell.borges.com