If you’ve been around me for any amount of extended time, you know that when I’m in a good mood, I generally do one of three things: sing, hum or whistle. Half the time, I don’t even realize I’m doing it, it’s just a happiness by-product. So, yesterday I was having a great day and needed to grab a few items at the grocery store before heading home. As I was waiting in the checkout line, one of my favorite songs came on and I began to whistle along with the tune.
All of a sudden the cashier gave me a weird look, made eyes at the woman behind me, and reached for her phone. I had no idea what was going on, so I just stood there waiting for her to ring me up, acutely aware that the energy in the space had changed. A moment later she passes me her phone and it says, “We do not like it when you whistle.” I was very taken aback by this, as I’d never heard of whistling being a bad thing before. There wasn’t any point in questioning it, so I just apologized and moved on quickly, reminding myself that I’m the guest in their country. I couldn’t help but feel bad afterward. Why hadn’t anyone warned me about this? What else didn’t I know?
I was determined to understand what was behind her comment, so I reached out to a knowledgeable contact to see if they could demystify my interaction. I was surprised to learn that in Kazakh culture, whistling invites bad luck and/or bad weather. Some even say you are whistling away your money. And when I did some internet research on it, I found this interesting article. Who knew whistling was such a thing internationally!? Well now you know! You’re welcome. :) I’m sure that won’t be the last mess up I have here.
