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Sooner or later your presence will definitely be noticed in the local community where you work, either through your appearance or by the way and the manner in which you speak. Your presence might not be really noticed if you are working remotely from a big city unlike when you are working remotely from a small town. The sooner you realize that you can’t completely hide your identity the quicker it is for you to blend in with the locals. Below are few tips that might help you in blending in easily with your local community while working remotely.
Cloth
The smart thing to do as a digital nomad is to research the dress code of the locals. In some part of the world, it might be termed offensive walking around with a bikini or short dresses that expose some part of your body. The colour of your cloth too is of great significance depending on the culture of the guys in your local community. Putting on black cloth might be seen as a sign of mourning the dead. Embrace the culture and dress code of the people in your local community, in no time you will be seen as one of theirs.
Learn the language
This is very vital if you work in a country that speaks in languages quite different from that of your home country. Therefore it is imperative you learn the language of your host community. You might find it very difficult making a purchase at the local store without the knowledge of your host community language .Master the short phrases in their language, at least the greetings.
Eye Contact and Body Language
This factor is often not considered important in blending with your host community, but it plays a vital role in getting you settled down. In some parts of Europe, it may be considered rude and supercilious staring at someone longer than five or six second, most especially when this act is not accompanied with a smile or greeting. While in some other parts of the world, maintenance of eye contact during at interaction is considered as a sign of honesty and respect. However, doing this in some Asian and Africa countries might also be considered rude and disrespectful. Eye contact is also acceptable in some Arabic countries but it not acceptable during a conversation with the opposite sex.
Personal space
Another factor that plays a pivotal role but often neglected is the distance of interaction with the locals. You should observe the way and manner in which the local greet one another, taking note of the gesture and facial expression accompanied with the greeting. Observe whether they kiss each other or shake hands while greeting. The mode of greeting may also vary with age and gender.
Volume of your voice
It is advised you keep your voice down until you have figured out the way and manner in the locals use their voice during a conversation. The locals might get so irritated with a loud voice, you may be considered as being arrogant for raising your voice. Above all try not to make any personal statement while in the midst of the locals it may be interpreted to something else.
Blending in with your local community is not all about completely losing your identity, it’s more of you being aware of your new environment which makes it easier for you to get accepted by the people. Take your time to study the culture and adapt to it. I guarantee you will enjoy working as a digital nomad from that country.
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