5 Foodways

My name is Arpi. My family is Armenian, but I grew up in Iran. Now I live in the United States. I am a college student here.

One day, I met some other girls in one of my classes. They were two sisters from Kuwait. Their family was also Armenian. I was happy to meet other Armenians. I wanted to be their friend. I invited them to my home the next day.

When the girls arrived, we began to talk in a very friendly way. They sat down and I immediately brought them cookies and fruit. Then I served them coffee. They looked confused, but I didn't pay much attention. Suddenly, about twenty minutes after they arrived, they stood up. They said goodbye, and they left!

The sisters and Arpi were all Armenian, but they had some different customs. Arpi grew up in Iran. In Iran, people serve coffee to their guests at the beginning of a visit. The sisters grew up in Kuwait. In Kuwait, people serve coffee at the end of a visit. Arpi served coffee and the sisters thought Arpi wanted them to leave. It was very early in the visit,so they felt insulted.

The next day, Arpi spoke to the sisters after class. At first, they didn't want to speak to her. But finally, they explained their custom and Arpi explained hers. Arpi was sorry that her guests felt insulted. She apologized.After this,the three girls became good friends.