Good manners means avoiding the serious stuff
<p><span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> <span word="volunteers">volunteers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="brushing">brushing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="etiquette">etiquette</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="am">am</span> <span word="I">I</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="Beijing">Beijing</span> <span word="university">university</span> <span word="classroom">classroom</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="week">week</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="joined">joined</span> 200 <span word="students">students</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="studying">studying</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="dos">dos</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="ts">ts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="dealing">dealing</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="foreigners">foreigners</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="learnt">learnt</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="lessons">lessons</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>.</p><p>"<span word="OK">OK</span> <span word="guys">guys</span>, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="three">three</span> '<span word="A">A</span>' <span word="principles">principles</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="communications">communications</span>?" <span word="asked">asked</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="instructor">instructor</span>. <span word="There">There</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="pause">pause</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lecture">lecture</span> <span word="hall">hall</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="Acceptance">Acceptance</span>, <span word="Appreciation">Appreciation</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Admiration">Admiration</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="flashed">flashed</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="overhead">overhead</span> <span word="projector">projector</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="sense">sense</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="sort">sort</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="civility">civility</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="taught">taught</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> 10. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="realized">realized</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="fundamental">fundamental</span> <span word="principles">principles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="decent">decent</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="overshadowed">overshadowed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mountain">mountain</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="useless">useless</span> <span word="information">information</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="collected">collected</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 30 <span word="years">years</span> <span word="since">since</span>.</p><p><span word="Olympic">Olympic</span> <span word="organizers">organizers</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ensure">ensure</span> <span word="the">the</span> 100,000-<span word="strong">strong</span> <span word="army">army</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="volunteers">volunteers</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="sensitive">sensitive</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="needs">needs</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="visitors">visitors</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="act">act</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="nicest">nicest</span>, <span word="possible">possible</span> <span word="way">way</span>. <span word="So">So</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="basics">basics</span>.</p><p>"<span word="When">When</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="talking">talking</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Western">Western</span> <span word="countries">countries</span>, <span word="what">what</span> <span word="eight">eight</span> <span word="topics">topics</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="avoided">avoided</span>?" <span word="the">the</span> <span word="lecturer">lecturer</span> <span word="asked">asked</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="wondered">wondered</span> <span word="myself">myself</span>.</p><p>"<span word="Age">Age</span>, <span word="marital">marital</span> <span word="status">status</span>, <span word="salary">salary</span>, <span word="experience">experience</span>, <span word="address">address</span>, <span word="personal">personal</span> <span word="life">life</span>, <span word="religious">religious</span> <span word="belief">belief</span>, <span word="politics">politics</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="people">people</span>."</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="believe">believe</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="covers">covers</span> <span word="everything">everything</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="avoided">avoided</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="topics">topics</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="argument">argument</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="bother">bother</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="talking">talking</span>.</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="reminding">reminding</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="friends">friends</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="West">West</span> <span word="thrives">thrives</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="social">social</span> <span word="conflict">conflict</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="beloved">beloved</span> <span word="field">field</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="journalism">journalism</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="bleeds">bleeds</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="leads">leads</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="newspaper">newspaper</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="news">news</span>, <span word="nobody">nobody</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="buy">buy</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span>'<span word="d">d</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="job">job</span>.</p>
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