Crazy Customs

As a missionary, I have to constantly remind myself that Haitian customs are neither "odd" nor "bad" - just different. Even after living here for over eight years, I still easily get annoyed. Last night in English, as we watched our little 5 minute video, one of my students asked why Americans always refuse a gift, (You shouldn't have! Oh, it's too much!) and then take it anyway. I was hard pressed to explain it. It's just the polite thing to do. You say no and then you say thank you. And suddenly I looked at my own culture and thought, "Huh???"