Dear John,

Thank you for your letter. I was glad to hear you are thinking about coming to Kazakhstan!

You asked me about tipping in our country. Well, it isn't customary here, as a service charge is included in hotel and restaurant bills and taxi fares are usually fixed. As for the rules about saying "thank you"/"sorry"/"please", I guess, they are universal. If you are invited to someone’s house for dinner, it is polite to bring something, such as flowers, candy or pastries.

I know you like taking a lot of pictures in every country you visit, but here you should ask permission before taking a photo of someone.

In general, our people are very kind and understanding and they forgive any mistakes made by foreigners.

Please let me know when you are planning to come.

I'll be looking forward to your letter.

Best wishes,

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