Curacao

Greetings

Men greeting Men - Men usually shake hands when greeting one another and maintain direct eye contact. At a first meeting a warm handshake will suffice and is sometimes combined with slight touches on the arms and/or elbows. Good friends and family will engage in a light hug.

Women greeting Women- At a first meeting, women generally shake hands. Friends and close acquaintances may share a light hug with a kiss on the cheek.

Greetings between Men & Women- At a first meeting a regular handshake will do. Friends, family and close acquaintances usually share a light kiss on the cheek.

Communication Style

• The communication style tends to depend heavily on how well you know the other person. People tend to be more direct the more familiar they are with each other.

• Saying good morning/afternoon/night when arriving and saying have a good day/after/night when leaving is VERY important. Otherwise you would be considered impolite.

Personal Space & Touch

• People tend to communicate at an arms length, although with an increased level of familiarity, this distance can decrease. (i.e. with family, friends, etc.
• Touching during conversations is not very common, and usually frowned upon in a work setting. With good friends and family it's not that common as well, just during greetings.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is considered good manners in most all instances.

Gestures

• Pointing with one finger is a bit rude; people usually use the whole hand. Beckoning is also done with the whole hand. Same for saying goodbye and hello.

Views of Time

• There is a silent code of " Bonaire time" where there is a 15 - 20 minute leeway. After that one should be giving notice that one will be late.
• People don't really covet their time; there is usually not a rigid schedule for things.

Gender Roles

• Women usually work, but they are also held responsible for the raising of their children and the organization of their household. This usually holds for foreign women as well.

Taboos

• Giving someone the middle finger is a major insult.

• Saying good morning/afternoon/night when arriving and saying have a good day/after/night when leaving is VERY important. Otherwise you would be considered impolite.

Law & Order

• The legal age to drink in a bar is 18, and not really enforced. The legal age to buy alcohol is 16, and also not heavily enforced.
• Penalties for drugs are usually jail time and they are more enforced than the drinking laws.

Dress

• For Men: Conservative shirts and ties are usually expected and most upper management types where suits. Depending on the situation, business casual clothing may be appropriate.
• For Women: nice dresses, blouses, and jacket will suffice. Most women are usually wear heels.
• Jeans, shorts and sandals are usually not appropriate.

Titles & Business Cards

• Mr. and/or Mrs., followed by the last name are usually the most common titles.
• There is no specific ritual surrounding the giving of business cards although it is advisable to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• It’s best to show up on time. Small talk is common until the meeting starts.

Gift Giving

• At the start of a business relationship it is often considered polite to bring a small gift. The gifts are not to be opened right away and should be wrapped.

In the Classroom

• Students tend to dress casually, but usually avoid wearing very revealing or ragged clothing.