Getting there is half the fun

I used to work with a Spanish girl, who regularly surprised me with her personal disclosures (and, queried my own). Openly astonished at an interaction she had with another work colleague one day, I commented on her candidness. She explained to me that in Spain, people are encouraged to reveal personal info. about themselves to others, as a way of interacting / communicating / forming relationships. It’s just a natural part of getting to know someone new. She found it strange that in NZ culture, people didn’t reveal that kind of stuff until well after those relationships had already been formed – and sometimes not even then. That was a valuable cultural insight for me.