What Are You Trying to Say?

I was reading about the Iranian-American astronaut, Anousheh Ansari, who became one of only a handful of private citizens who have made the journey into space on their own tab. Word is that she paid in excess of $20 million for the ride into space in a Russian capsule bound for the International Space Station. She is scheduled to spend ten days in orbit. What does that have to do with today's blog? Well, as I was looking at articles regarding Ms. Ansari I happened upon this picture that you should be seeing on the right. Most of you will be shrugging your shoulders and saying, "so what" but there will be some out there who will be tittering.

Why should that be the case? Well, in India for example, the gesture she is making indicates she wants to go to the bathroom. It's a common enough gesture and in this case completely harmless but it brings light to the fact that there are so many things we do out there without thinking that can be misconstrued or misunderstood. Look up the term 'gesture' in wikipedia and you'll find a wealth of information on what various gestures or actions can mean to different culture. For example, over here in the U.S. we often give a thumbs up as a meaning of something positive or acknowledging something in the affirmative. As such, in Iraq, when soldiers are confronted with the gesture there is a belief that it is all meant in good form. However, there are some who believe the gesture to be the Middle Eastern equivalent of giving the finger. Vast differences and totally different meanings.

The gesture is generally thought to have originated in Rome during the days of the gladiators and although there is debate on which was good and which was bad, the thumbs up and thumbs down had a lot to do with a gladiator's fate. Similarly, the ever-popular middle finger is a gesture believed to have originated in Rome during the same years. It is thought that both of these gestures gained popularity with the second World War as more and more Americans came over to Europe and saw these gestures in common usage.

A simple action of scratching your chin or biting your thumb are very serious offenses in Europe. Just as anyone over in the U.S. would understand a finger across the throat being a threat of death against someone, similar interpretations would abound about the chin scratching and thumb-biting in Europe. I'm almost afraid to imagine what rubbing your temples might mean someplace. One gesture that seems to have a universally positive meaning is the placing of the palms together and holding them as if in prayer. No matter what part of the world you go to, it is amazing to see that this gesture means the same thing.

Now in examining the picture of Ms. Ansari again, I'm sure it wasn't her intention to make that gesture and indeed, if you look at her thumb, it too appears to be extended. This could mean one of two things. She is giving the shaka gesture, more commonly known as the 'hang loose' gesture from Hawaii; or she could be giving the gesture for horns which is the universal gesture for devils and demons. I don't think the latter is what she was attempting to 'say' but it just makes you realize just how much can be said with nothing more than your hands.