![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVT9OEYNK5GVdOQWdsGoqeWWXz1T9nDBBVMrsmx_F0-7wXvcBurlmihGipB6ejBpjp20eHDRfiDlK3oz9Iy0mk4c5JyEqagHNdyMoYvDaawO0riE0Jht3TGrWpNc-3cPG3Je8koC_O8aW/s320/tumblr_lmja9dtR0Y1qc3axx.jpg)
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My favorite lesson this year was teaching about hand gestures in America vs Japan.
USA's "come" gesture:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C0D_6I65YZSI7URooeKKGk3fr7CoNzy6IyTh4uCsJVASf4DMx43SU4Ffus_ckmFnvf6eQ1T6hQYj18Hmhzji5ACJIV-nd52Jq_uc2tADeP8DK3vCUyejsSeF-Wl5qeYQbGqqrVORB_qz/s320/4575db28d6538e45ff70be8a8f7c0002.jpg)
Japan's gesture for "come" is similar to go away in English.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVuiUGfuTVMkcftXaToLBTKUgtPGjhU9hZMmIn3TDqRlA2qqzShluX1UeP6uUH_fz-vqkrZthjaTGgqid4ruKm7PnzrNn661nzRntbkfPT2Bt0BneJI3eJQU_UcO9h7rrncJ37GsYWBr_/s320/Beckoning-a-japanese-gesture.jpg)
The first time I was beckoned in Japan, I thought the shop keeper was telling me, "No foreigners allowed." Turns out she was welcoming me in.
Gestures get weirder.
This is the sign for money in Japanese:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5COx3k80jhsFgO0o5RojT0t47s7jDwfF5ERXBi02ZFBCkG2sVbeDo0tb199eIG6k9wNqAVC0iDG8E5Tjg899SUrVgHDhcC5U-Lr_78Mp2WfmyQy49Sb52ihoV3ntkjkTcDeVB4ptj_1O/s320/hqdefault.jpg)
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This is the sign for asshole in American sign language, which is well-known thanks to the film Mr. Holland's Opus:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuema5bTQH-GsfM3zsBxEZW54N35uoWyU2rqlrD4RFM1LG5lswPtZm-yFy7qGlJCV8gippvEAYPLRKxSI7hYBf-O9pwPA6cv7HYCOscoRWqTENUR145o7LjASP2-QpGmhDPh8kt9pYGDD6/s320/hqdefault.jpg)
Okay is also the hand gesture for money in Japan.
No one asked me what it meant in English.
I just explained it was a bad word and that was enough for them. The culture here isn't that curious.
You of course know this sign:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9txLAdOActK053q3-LUHTSE4P4iW1ADgYBjPVpqK7eAVQm-lmt1jStau9k2o-9jdXx4EvZw092kbRx307ExC5P4ez3frFzzXs_GhWgvg0iLoZTser14RRWqD09Pq1FNVVGF-6b4bGXP5/s320/Two-Finger-Hand-Peace-Sign-Hand-Coloring-Page.jpg)
Turn it around:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM3xNHrECTCq_VKeqGToIcsLcLnXc0B0DWUG0l0kgKRCfY4yN_VieHRmhjYJGRNpYgYAMfHeq1g2GqSow15U8Sr2QOU3RyUpOAdn2XgLUYolS9ZfCokyGXsfvlCrMg-s820SEWi_UXaEWh/s400/winston_churchill_flick-v.jpg)
In many parts of the world, that means:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4xrsBye_oFDdzepAZnz6Zb_Vxn2Gz3heOn4IiT9bqx_hQq8XhsCSiJJAOB52naKCm8gTrKsfUolSpGhaS3nfe_vdXJIe7RZWm0RH_Bff6cNvcuYUSxLkUcU-G1iTPVHs3i6xZ_v84ddB/s320/trump_middle_finger.jpg)
And finally, I noticed that in Japan if you move your hand while doing the sign for "a little," it means no thanks:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2DSG9Y-wvYFGjulJV24QVZqoDV634Y1bWbIiL1lnr5_kerU5HBif0MoT2n1rZiuyeGyfNCO1si7y2h33VQE6n5ixRwlnqPbIwGYz60Pu1pGmmoAS6yEI9X85Zo-11H9uS1raxFIBV7eF/s320/HandGesture.jpg)
What's your most commonly used hand gesture?
Remember to remember . . .