I n social gatherings, even though everyone might be sitting in the same room, it is common for women to start their interaction mostly with other women and similarly, men with men. During a typical after dinner gathering coffee, tea, candy, cookies, pastries and fruit are served. A dinner invitation to someone's home is a special honor. At the dinner table it is customary for the hostess to offer additional servings many times and with great insistence. The guest is expected to oblige after several such offers.
Dinners are leisurely affairs, to be savored slowly along with the delicious home-cooked food.
Sometimes guests bring flowers or sweets to such occasions. Even in ordinary shopping a lot of personal information is exchanged between the vendor and the customer, setting the stage for everyone to fulfill their responsibilities in the transaction. T here are a few subjects which need to be treated with care. These include the flag, the army, the country, and religion. Even though people take great pleasure in explaining and answering questions about these, criticism or disrespect, even in jest, is not taken lightly.