East meets West
Hand movement has become a topic of interest to me, as I am now in a presentation class. I don't move my hands, however, I clasp them tightly, when I am nervous. It is like all of my energy goes there. I have to work on that in class.
I've noticed that when I am talking to someone I move my hands a lot. Especially if I am trying to describe something, I tend to visualize it and my hands start making the actions of what I'm visualizing.
We have a Japanese housemate who is here for only one semester. His English is pretty good but I often notice when he is struggling to grasp what I am saying so I find myself being even more expressive through my hands.
I was talking to him about how in a story of mine my cat goes through his cat flap and the only way for me to follow him was to go through the cat flap too, but it was too small so in my story the cat flap increased in size for me to go through. I was practically drawing the cat flap in the air. I could see him watching my hands haha.
Does anyone else do this?
umbrellasky - I have quite the calm exterior, one wouldn't know it on here, by the nature of my posts. I rarely move my hands when speaking. perhaps it is my eastern background that has caused this -- in contrast to being say, Italian or something. As a japanese person, your house mate may certainly be curious. Generally asians are not expressive in that way, with over usage of loud hand movements! He must be amused, in a good way.
I always thought it was because I was Italian.
But yeah, I'm with ya.
Btmangan - Likely because you are Italian. Duh, it makes sense now. How your posts are sweet and passionate. Ok, on second glance, I am now understanding the collective soul song a bit more...I notice it is in your Sig. Which is what you were telling me before, I just didn't make the connection. For a dark haired girl, I can be so blond! tee hee (no offense blonds, I am kidding)
I dated two Italians once. A green eye'd one and a brown eye'd one. I tend to like European men. I suppose it is the contrast. They may read my lack of outward expression as mystery, who knows...Here is an excerpt of Eat Pray Love that you all may like, the book opens this way:
"I wish Giovanni would kiss me...Giovanni is my Tandem Exchange partner. That sounds like an innuendo, but unfortunately it's not. All it really means is that we meet a few evenings a week here in rome to practice each other's languages. We speak first in Italian, and he is patient with me; then we speak in English, and I am patient with him. I discovered Giovanni a few weeks after I'd arrived in Rome...Tall, dark and handsome...with those iant brown liquid-centre Italian eyes that just unstitch me..." Elizabeth goes onto fantasize.
I'm reading this book, to discuss it with a friend, I figure I may as well share some of it as I go along! I hope that doesn't bother you all. All that I do in life somehow, becomes intermingled. I suppose it is the same for you all too.
silly... hands don't have mouths.
GreenCoyote - always the comedian!
Yeah I love to talk with my hands. I have noticed that the more comfortable I am with people, the more I talk with my hands. I suppose if I were with real life INFJs like you guys then my hands would move more. But if I were not so comfortable then my hands would more less or not at all. Haha, to observe my level of comfort, watch my hands. :crazy:
The Vizier - to continue what I was saying above. We are a lot a like. When I was younger, I was overly expressive with my hands. I caught myself on that, now I barely move them! But now that you say this, in tense or unknown situations, or around unknown people I tend to not move as freely. Around people I know, I naturally move my hands.
...I've been told by a Chinese student I went to uni with, that I have very German manerisims, so she thought I was German for a while. Funnily enough I am of German decent, but I have liniage from several Europien countries, including Italian by the way (Italian liniage for the win!). I think what she meant was I am very carful in my movment, and I can be quite precise.
Filigeedreamer - As mentioned before in my post here, certainly there seems to be East / West differences in verbal and physical communication. When my parents arrived to Canada, many years ago, they were quite afraid! They first lived in Little Italy (Toronto) and moved out rather quickly. The loudness of the conversations, and passionate displays kind of scared them! hehehe
It is strange. I did work once for a close knit Canadian couple at a small company. I was amazing at my job, but I did not express much external passion. I generally remained cool. They were suspicious of me, etc (slight racists also). They wanted me to become upset when things went wrong, and be elated when things went well. I am pretty calm, externally.
I learned from them, but didn't take their behavior too personally. I was disappointed in some of their interpretations though, but they weren't from the Big City, so I don't really fault too many persons that have not dealt with other cultures before. Depending on the business type, I have some advantages. I appear to be cool under pressure.
