A: Hey, look at these paintings on the wall! Aren’t they beautiful? Linda bought some good paintings.

B: Yeah, very impressive. Oh, this one’s marvelous!

A: Sure, they’re very colorful.

B: Thank you. You are very generous with your compliments.

A: You know the first thing most Chinese students would ask is how much did this painting cost?

B: Right. I’ve noticed that too. They always ask that question before they say anything else.

A: That’s true. Most Chinese do that. I don’t know why. It’s just a habit. I’ve noticed that foreigners often make compliments soon after they see a product someone has bought - even if they don’t really mean it.

B: Yeah, we’re just different. We can’t figure out why many Chinese people don’t give big hugs to their own parents after they grow up.

A: No, we don’t do that. At least very few people I know do that.

B: And as far as I know, it’s not common for a Chinese to say, I love you to anyone including his or her soul mate.

A: Cindy, please don’t misunderstand. We’re not saying that one way is better than another. They’re just different, that’s all.

B: I know. Americans say those three words a lot, especially in movies. I wonder if they really mean it.

A: We do, most of the time. Sometimes we tell our loved ones that we’re proud of them too. Words are important.