My name is Zhao Kai. I'm from No. 1 Middle School. In September, 2016. I got a chance to go to America as an exchange student. It was a busy weekday, I went to school on a crowded 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.
I know it's good manners to offer the seat to the old when I am in China. So I stood up and said to the man, "Sir, would you like to take my seat?" To my surprise, the gentleman smiled, shook his head and said, "Thank you." He didn't accept my offer. I felt very embarrassed(尴尬)and wondered why he did not accept the seat, as most Chinese elderly people would.
When I got home, I was told that if the gentleman had taken the seat, it would have meant he was old. Most westerners of a certain age don't want others to think they are old. So I made a mistake that day, even though I meant to be polite. Thus I got to know about a cultural difference between China and western countries.
