My name is Zhao Kai. I'm a middle school student in Guangxi. In September, 2017, I got a chance to go to America as an exchange student(交换生).
It was a busy Monday. I went to school by bus and there were lots of people. Luckily, I got a seat. After a few stops, an elderly foreigner got on the bus and stood just a few steps away from me.
In China, it's good manners to offer the seat to the elderly. So I stood up and said to the man, "Sir, please sit here." To my surprise, the man smiled, shook his head and said, "No, thank you." I felt very puzzled and wondered why he didn't accept the seat.
When I got school, I was told that if the man took the seat, it meant that he was old. Most Americans of a certain age don't want others to think they are old. I made a mistake that day, but I learned about the cultural differences between China and America.
