Describe a person from a different culture whom you have met

I'd like to talk about a Japanese student named Haruka, whom I met two years ago when she came to my university for a one-semester exchange programme. We were put in the same study group for a course on world history, and I was assigned to help her settle in.

She was a quiet, polite girl, always bowing slightly when she met someone, which at first I found unusual. In the beginning, we had some communication difficulties because her English was not perfect and mine was limited too, but we managed with gestures, drawings and translation apps. Over a few weeks, we became good friends.

I learned a great deal about her culture. For example, she explained that in Japan it is considered rude to speak loudly on public transport, and people carry their rubbish with them until they find a bin. She also taught me how to use chopsticks properly, and she cooked a Japanese curry for our group, which was surprisingly sweet. In return, I introduced her to our national dishes, like plov, and she was thrilled to eat with her hands for the first time.

I felt excited and a little nervous at first, because I was worried about making a mistake or offending her. But I soon realised that people everywhere share the same basic values, such as respect, kindness and humour. The differences make conversation more interesting rather than more difficult.

Meeting her has made me far more open-minded, and I'm now saving to visit Japan one day and see everything she described.