Don't forget your pleases and thank-yous unless you're Chinese

Mama always taught me to remember my "pleases" and "thank-yous", but my Chinese friends have been trying to teach me to forget them.

You see, in the United States, you should always express your gratitude, no matter how close you are with others or how small their favors.

But in China, such keqi (politeness) is viewed as creating distance between peers who are more than acquaintances.