LOOKING someone straight in the eye is bad manners for Ethiopians, but taking a pencil from a classmate without asking shows your friendship is close enough to do away with formality.

These are a couple of the ways misunderstandings can arise for the 150 Ethiopians now living in Tasmania.

It is up to cross-cultural workers such as Terhas Bayru not only to translate the language but also to explain cultural differences to both newcomers and locals.

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