I couldn't understand this and asked him why they did it this way. It is a mark of status if people are willing to wait for you. In many cultures, relationships are more important than time. People don't mind waiting. We might not think this way, but knowing that our friends do can help us avoid frustration at our differences.
Cultures often differ in how they handle conflict.
Westerners tend to be quite direct and value honest discussion of differences. However in many non-Western cultures people will go to great lengths to avoid confrontation. Very little of what manifests itself as conflict between individuals is truly personal conflict. A Spirituality for Leadership in a Multiculutural Community by Eric H. F. Law, is a wonderful book written by an Asian-American, with many practical suggestions for promoting good communication and trust in a multicultural setting. Another helpful resource is the online article Culture Shock .