Interesting, right? I thought so too. I don't think they see being polite as weakness, some cultures just have different ideas of being polite. Someone like me who's "yes please.. may I please have a.. thank you" it's just not in everyone's culture. I find that stuff fascinating.

I don't know exactly what traditions are other than a lot of hand gestures as they're having a conversation. Perhaps silence or maybe even just a one-word "hello" is the best suggestion. I guess we didn't stay there long enough for me to give you a better answer.

It was a good friend we met in England actually, he and I remain in super tight contact, he's Syrian. He's the one who told me that when I told him we'd be going there next. He was specific about it, too, "don't do your American 'please, please, thank you, thank you", back home that's seen as weakness."