Cultural differences in behavior

Our Algerian colleagues have armed us with some interesting advice as we head into newsrooms here about coping with behavior differences.
Don’t be offended, they say, if you are talking to someone and they suddenly interrupt you mid-sentence, wave to someone else and begin another conversation. (Actually, we can just pretend we are at an IRE Conference and this behavior will feel pretty normal.) Never preface a question to someone, they say, with “I have a question for you?” or “Can I ask you a question?” Instead just ask the question. You don’t want to give the person an opening to worry about what kind of question you want to ask and to think up a convincing lie. Don’t accept a simple excuse. You can’t outright challenge (“What? I can’t believe that?”) but you can keep asking questions “Why do you think that will work?” Expect, they tell us, to be told in response to suggestions You Americans (or Brits) have the best; this won’t work here. We have to emphasize similarities.