I wanted to talk about manners today. As we all know, manners different in each country, but sometimes even the smallest reaction can be the one biggest difference between countries.

For example, ever since I was little, I was raised to say “bless you” or “gesundheit” after someone sneezes. After growing up with this custom, I say it naturally everytime someone sneezes, and hear someone say it everytime I sneeze. It is my habit.

However, everytime I am in China, I need to get used to the fact that this is not a Chinese custom. The first time I came to the country, when I sneezed around my new friends, no one said anything. Confused, I looked around at everyone and no one seemed to notice. Then I sneezed again, and then one of my friends gave me a tissue.

Same happened when one of my Chinese friends was hanging out with my foreign friends and I. He sneezed, and we all proceeded to say “bless you”. Confused, he said, “Why did you say that? It is just a sneeze!” 不同的国家，不同的风俗。

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