Are Western manners all they’re cracked up to be?

In the West, there are certain things we might take for granted, but I bet you didn’t think knowing how to pose for a photo was one of them.

From the classrooms of the Institute Sarita in China, the nouveau riche are receiving deportment classes, but it’s not just manners and dinner party pleasantries that the students learn, they’re also skilled in areas of how to pose in public, how to raise children and even how to pronounce luxury brand names.

“Most of my clients had an embarrassing moment, overseas or during a business dinner. They come here because they want to make thing easier for themselves,” said the school’s founder, Sara Jane Ho, as quoted by the BBC.

“It’s mostly learning about how to behave in an international environment,” she said.

“The country was so isolated 30 years ago. The spike in wealth has happened in a compressed time. This transformation has created a lot of pressure on individuals,” who range from government officials to stay-at-home wives who like to entertain.

With its new dominant place in the economic world, China reportedly boasts 90 billionaires and more than 2 million millionaires and so there’s a niche for those wanting to learn the ways of the West, which can possibly help with business deals and relations. Here’s what the deportment classes are teaching. But are Western manners all they’re cracked up to be? It doesn’t look like it.

How not to slurp noodles so loudly while travelling abroad:

A very slurp-able post has just hit the blog. Momofuku Noodle Bar – leave a comment! http://t.co/hLS4mPwvDapic.twitter.com/GmkNCOBSHT

— Sara (@Saradujour) May 16, 2014

How to pose elegantly in front of a camera:

https://twitter.com/alnhadl/status/567896367902781441

Proper table manners:

https://twitter.com/LesMcMillanTX/status/570413482442518528

How to pronounce luxury brand names:

https://twitter.com/whatevariana/status/431660816140894208

How to be a good hostess:

“@WorldStarFunny: when ur friend doesn't give u a blanket before going to sleep http://t.co/Kdho7ak3H7” @Cat_Fowl me bc ur the worst hostess

— rob (@villanuevaluv) August 28, 2014

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