Describe:
One time I was looking for a table with two others in the canteen. There were not many places left and we saw one table that was half full. A few Finnish people were having lunch on that one, but there were exactly three places left. So I asked if we could sit with them. One person of the group said 'yes', but then she turned her back to me and clearly didn't want any conversation with us.
Interpret:
If I had to describe the behaviour of the woman in my cultural perspective, I would call it rude. For me it is normal to be open and talk to new people who are sitting at the same table.
If I would try to imagine how Finnish people see this, I would say that this was normal. Because I had never met the people before and I am a stranger, which makes it normal not to talk to me or try to avoid a conversation.
Another explanation would be that she was too shy to talk. It might not have been a typical cultural thing, but a personal one. Maybe it was just her personality.
Evaluate:
In the beginning I thought she was very rude and not polite. But when I started to think about cultural differences, it became more clear to me that this is probably more normal for them than for me. Also, some people told me that you should not take it too personal when a Finnish person doesn't want to talk with you. Cultures are different! If I were a Finn, I would have maybe done the same thing as her, because I am a foreigner and approaching her in another language than her mother tongue.
I used this picture, because it shows that every culture is different. You might not always understand each other, but you can learn about the culture!
I had an experience like this when i wanted to ask an address to a women in the street.. She looked me like 'no you cannot ask'. At first, i thought it is rude but yes as you said it is about culture totally.
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