10 pieces of advice for foreigners: How to cope with the people from MONTENEGRO (PHOTO)

Most of the people who live in Montenegro are not different from other people neighboring them, but there are some peculiarities one can see when you take a closer look.

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A woman from The Netherlands, Marianne van Twillert, has been living in Montenegro for over 50 years and she gave a few useful tips for the people wishing to visit this country.

Traffic

- Montenegrin people despise traffic rules. Drivers like to pass the red light, they park where they want, and they just love racing with other drivers. You will be surprised to see many of them holding a cellphone or a cigarette while driving at the same time. Police are doing nothing and the only thing you can do is to relax and accept this state of chaos. But beware, especially at the roundabouts - says the author.

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia

Food

If your Montenegrin friends invite you for a meal, expect to be fed until you are full, says Marianne.

- If you want to stop eating or drinking, simply leave some food on the plate and the glass half-full, otherwise it will end badly. When you are visiting, always bring a bottle of wine, chocolate, or flowers. Be careful to take an odd number of flowers, because they take even number only for the funerals. When you go into the Montenegrin house, you are expected to take off your shoes, especially in the rural area. This is not something important in modern buildings - she adds.

In Montenegro, people usually make a toast drinking home-made brandy, clinking their glasses and saying "Živeli!" ("Cheers!") to each other.

Meeting

Foto-ilustracija: Profimedia

When you are meeting someone in Montenegro, hand shaking is a regular thing to do.

Kissing someone when seeing for the first time is not customary, but after that first time, if you like that person,you can kiss them three times on the cheeks.

Of course, you can hug them and kiss once or twice.

Business

- Be aware that your Montenegrin partner likes being late to the meetings. When dealing with them, patience is really useful because the meetings can last for a long time, and Montenegrin people, especially the older generations, adore listening to themselves and they hate being interrupted. You do not wish to say to your Montenegrin business associate that they are lying and do not point fingers at them. Standing with your hands in your pockets or turning your back on them is a sign of disrespect.

At the restaurant

Marianne says that checking your bill at the restaurant, in a cafe or in a pub is a sign of mistrust to the waiters and they will be offended.

- Do not be surprised if a waiter is not smiling, that does not mean that he is primitive or hostile, Montenegrin people just do not like formal smiles - says the author of the blog: montenegro-for.me.

Foto: Promo

Marianne advises the men to, if they call a girl or a woman from Montenegro to have a drink with them, they should be ready to pay the bill.

Still, she adds, if you are going to the restaurant with your Montenegrin friends, they will insist on paying the bill.

- It is customary for the host to cover all expenses - writes Marianne, adding the fact that Montenegro people are very generous, but that they expect of others to offer to pay for the lunch in the future.

Queues

Montenegrin, writes Marianne, are not really of good manners when it comes to wait in the lines.

- If somebody pushes you in the line in the supermarket or in the bank, just relax and stay calm - adds she.

Patriotism

People from Montenegro like to bash their country, but they do not like when a foreigner does it.

That is why it is always better to talk with them about the nature, family, places to visit, etc.

Avoid talking about politics, because you will never understand the intricate political situation in the country.

Foto: Wikipedia/Stratforder

Racism and discrimination

Try to understand why Montenegrin sometimes stare at the people of different races.

They are not racists per se, they are just curious - there are not many foreigners from other continents in Montenegro.

Marianne also states that most of the people feel quaint when the subject of LGBT population is mentioned, and that they do not want to talk about it.

- Respect their emotions, they are built upon tradition and orthodox church - says this blogger.

Money

People from Montenegro have a different perspective than people from western Europe when talking about money.

For them, to talk about money is rude. They think that money is something that should be spent, not kept in the bank.

And this is understandable - a lot of people have just their salaries to live with during the month (app. 480 Euro).

Most of the people do not want to have big, luxurious houses or modern furniture, but they cannot live without good food, coffee with their friends, and a trendy cellphone.

To have a year plan about investments and bills - for them this is a waste of time.

Foto: Pixabay

Character

Montenegrin people are proud, self-confident, hospitable, and generous.

Still, there are many who are lazy and they enjoy doing nothing, just sitting in a pub with their friends talking about all the possible world problems.

They simply do not have that "inner need" to work.

Do not blame them for that, try to understand that for them friends and family are still the center of their society and thoughts.

To conclude, Marianne states that foreigners are always welcome, and that people from Montenegro appreciate them.

- If you are open-minded and friendly, and if you are not behaving like you know everything just because you come out of a well-developed country, everything should be fine.

- Montenegrin people are proud, and they do not like when someone behaves as if they are above them. Respect their opinion, even if it is different than yours - concludes Marianne.

(Telegraf.co.uk/vijesti.me)