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Dear Richard,

I'm so glad you're coming to China! Your mother tells me you're worried about what you should and shouldn't do as a guest in China. Here's some advice.

You will probably be invited to a dinner. There will be a lot of different dishes, not just three courses. You may find it difficult to use chopsticks if you haven't tried before. It's a good idea to get some practice beforehand. When the food is served, you should wait until you're invited to eat. The plates will be placed in the middle of the table for everyone to share. Take a little of everything and then have some more of the things you like.

Preparation of a big meal takes a long time and everything will look beautiful, so it's a good topic of conversation. You'd better join in the conversation and say how much you like it.

At the end of the meal, you will usually be served with fruit.

I hope this is helpful. Email me if you have any other questions.

Yours,

Zhang Dawei