Clapping the Italian way vs the Asian way

Something interesting that I learnt.

While in Capri, I had the most interesting conversation between new friends Andrea and Dario, and Cartcart. I don’t remember how it started, but all of a sudden Cartcart demonstrated at how you can tell if a person was left handed or right handed by the way they fold their hands.

I’m right handed because when I fold, my right hand naturally tucks in and the left goes under. Like this :

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Left handers on the other hand, do it with the opposite hands. But when I try to do the opposite side, I get confused.

Cart also demonstrated that the way a person claps will reveal if that person is a left hander or a right hander. For me, my right hand naturally goes up higher than the left.

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Normally, I’d raise my hands all the way up till they are close to my mouth and almost parallel to my body and we clap like this :

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Cart looked at me all puzzled, as Italians clap differently, hands crossed so that they are able to make a louder clap.

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And that was when Dario chipped in, informing that his Japanese colleague claps the same way I did too, as it was considered more elegant and refined. So it’s more a cultural thing.

It’s probably nothing important, but it was quite interesting to me.

7 Replies to “Clapping the Italian way vs the Asian way”

  1. Interesting! Hmmm I’m right-handed but I usually fold my arms the “left-handed” way. But then again I am a little schizophrenic.

    (I say “usually” because I can fold my arms both ways.)

  2. I should say: As a left hander, I thought I would do the things you mentioned “left-handedly” but it turns out I clap and fold my hands in the right hand way! I suspect this is coz one follows his peers, even subconsciously…

  3. Hahaha…I clap the “Italian way”, even though I’m English. I smack the partly cupped fingers of my right hand into my cupped left palm (yes, I am right handed). This makes a very loud, resounding sound. I do have a reputation as a rather loud clapper but then I did study flamenco at college…so I suppose my clap is more Spanish than Italian!!
    Charlotte

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