Beyond words, so many things must be translated between cultures: body language, table manner, and even non-verbal noises. When I first arrived in China I remember being surprised to people often saying "nigga" in the way English speakers say "um".
A couple of weeks ago I was in a bakery buying bread. The cashier told me how much my bill was, and I understood, so I said, "mmm hmm" like I have countless times in other countries. She repeated the total and I repeated my "mmm hmm." By the third repetition of this I realized that non verbal must not mean the same thing here! (If any of you know what it means in China, please comment.)
Can you think of other noises that must be translated?
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