Culture Smart Venezuela

The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Russell Maddicks

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Paperback

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Spanish

Kuperard Publishers
02 October 2012

Travel & holiday guides; Languages & ESL; Spanish - Cultural Material; Phrase Books

Series: Culture Smart!

One of the most complex countries in Latin America, and one of the least understood, Venezuela is vast, and never dull. Its unique culinary traditions, linguistic quirks, colourful history, and busy annual cycle of festivities are part of a rich cultural heritage left by the Spanish conquistadors and the slaves brought from Africa, combined with elements that can be traced back to the indigenous Amerindian inhabitantsVenezuelans are known for being friendly, gregarious, and outgoing. They value family above everything, and love to criticise the status quo but they are also fiercely proud and protective of their homeland and react poorly to criticism from outsiders. They are optimistic and forward-looking, quick with a joke, and instantly familiar with strangers. The key to their confidence comes from the large extended family groups they grow up in, and the constant round of birthdays, baptisms, weddings, and holidays that bring them all together for music, dancing, and general merrymaking.

Culture Smart! Venezuela takes you beyond the stereotypical descriptions of a tropical petro-state, famous for its beauty queens and its populist president, to provide you with an insider s understanding of the country and its people. It looks at the historical roots of modern-day social values and attitudes. It offers advice on what to expect and how to build personal ties, and outlines how flexibility and patience are crucial to any business venture.

Practical tips, valuable insights, and vital statistics have been marshalled to enable you to get to the heart of this vibrant, sometimes contradictory, and increasingly important country.

By: Russell Maddicks
Imprint: Kuperard Publishers
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 169mm, Width: 110mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 181g
ISBN: 9781857336573
ISBN 10: 1857336577
Series: Culture Smart!
Pages: 168
Publication Date: 02 October 2012
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Brief History Politics - Economic Life Traditions - Friendships & Family Relationships Bureaucracy Religion Humour - Local Holidays Taboos Invitations Gifts Dress - Business etiquette - Punctuality & Appointments - Team working Communication Negotiating - Women in Society Tips - Eating Out - Traditional Food - Dos and Don t - Making Friends

Russell Maddicks is a BBC-trained journalist who lived in Venezuela for eleven years. He traveled the length and breadth of the country, and to finance his stay he worked in jobs that helped him to get under the skin of his adopted home: as an English teacher at the British Council; a jungle guide taking tour groups to the base of Angel Falls and the top of Roraima; a translator and interpreter; and a reporter on an English-language newspaper. There are few corners of Venezuela he hasn't visited in his quest to explore every facet of this fascinating country. He is the author of the Bradt Guide to Venezuela (2011).

Reviews for Culture Smart Venezuela: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart! has come to the rescue of hapless travellers...' Sunday Times Travel, ' the perfect introduction to the weird, wonderful and downright odd quirks and customs of various countries.' Global Travel, ' full of fascinating, as well as common sense, tips to help you avoid embarrassing faux pas.' Observer, ' as useful as they are entertaining.' Easy Jet Magazine, ' offer glimpses into the psyche of a faraway world.' New York Times