"if someone smiles at you it is polite to smile back."

In our culture ...


Something my Greek friends constantly find hilarious to the point of tedium is the British tendency to sa "sorry" at just about every given opportunity ...

... sorry can I get that basket, sorry but do you know where the toilets are etc etc etc ...

... Something that has always worked for me no matter who I am talking to or where has been making eye contact and being polite and friendly.

Every now and then you meet someone with a problem, but they do not fall into racial or cultural categories.