Q1: My Turkish neighbour brought me over a plate of food...
Q1: I've just moved here and my Turkish neighbour brought me over a plate of food. My friend said I can't give her back the plate empty as it's considered rude, and now I have to cook something for her. Is this true?
A1: The polite thing to do is to return the plate with something on it you have cooked, though there's no rush to do this. You can also return it with something you've bought, such as cake, but be careful this can end up with the plate going backwards and forwards indefinitely. Maybe better just to hand it back empty!