206

Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands: Asia
●
Foreign consular oces in the United States
●
Key ocers at U.S. foreign service posts
www.customs.ustreas.gov
Produces a database that can be queried by topic, (e.g., travel
requirements, importing procedures, etc.), or an individual’s sta-
tus (e.g., importer, traveler, carrier, etc.)
www.cia.gov
e U.S. Central Intelligence Agency produces several documents
of note for global travelers. ese include:
●
e World Factbook (at www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook)
●
An online directory called “e Chiefs of State and Cabinet
Members of Foreign Governments,” available at www.cia
.gov/cia/publications/chiefs/index.html. is informational
directory is updated weekly and includes many governments
of the world, including some with which the United States
of America has no diplomatic exchanges, and which are not
ocially recognized.
Corruption and Bribery
www.transparency.org
Transparency International, a worldwide nongovernmental orga-
nization, reports on corruption and bribery around the world.
ey issue an annual “Corruption Perceptions Index,” which
relates to perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by busi-
nesspeople, academics, and risk analysts. In the “2005 Corruption

immediately—in local currency—and le a claim once you return
home.)
While we do not endorse any specic organizations, the Bureau
of Consular Aairs maintains an extensive list of Travel Insurance
Companies, as well as Air Ambulance, Med-Evac companies, and
Executive Medical Services. A list of these rms is available at
http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/health/health_1185.html.
Appendix C

207
208
Appendix D
Avoiding Fashion Faux Pas
“D  S”   from country to country. One
person’s power suit is another’s poor taste, and none of us want to
distract potential clients with our wild attire.
Even mistakes in your accessories can be highly detrimental to
a prospective sale. For example, there’s the story of the Texan and
the Italian in Chile. A large Chilean rm was nearing the end of a
contract-evaluation process for oileld equipment. e Texan and
Italian CEOs both had bids in on the contract; both wanted the job.
When the nal negotiations approached, the president of the Chilean
rm asked to meet the short-list bidders before making his decision.
e CEO from Texas arrived for his meeting in Santiago wearing
an expensive light-gray suit. His jewelry a designer watch, a heavy
gold ring from his alma mater, a massive silver belt buckle, and a
pair of snakeskin boots. When the Italian arrived, he wore a dark,
well-tted suit, a subtle tie, and was devoid of jewelry. Although the
U.S. company actually had a broader line of products, the Chilean
awarded the contract to the Italian rm, and explains that “the

Colors of clothing can have signicant meaning around the world.
Some hues and patterns can set the wrong tone in certain locations:
●
Yellow is associated with illness in South Korea, and certain shades
of yellow are reserved for the royal families to wear in Malaysia.
●
White is a color of mourning in much of Asia.
●
Green hats (like the famous “John Deere” signature caps) carry
the connotation that you are a cuckold (your wife is cheating on
you) in certain parts of Asia. Don’t hand them out at exhibitions
or conferences!
In general, bright, vivid colors are not a good choice for business
apparel in any country. Your garments form a large part of people’s
rst impressions of you, so investing in suitable attire will allow your
clients to spend more time listening to what you say, rather than
looking at what you wear.
Appendix D

209
210
Appendix E
Holidays
E     celebrates holidays, and little or no
work is conducted during these celebrations. However, holidays are
always subject to change. Governments frequently add, delete, or
move certain ocial holidays. Furthermore, the dates for many holi-
days do not fall on the same day in the Western (Gregorian) calendar
each year. is may be because they are dated using a calendar that
does not correspond to the Western calendar (for example, the Ara-