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When you are invited to attend a party in the west, the first important thing you need to know is arriving late. It is a great embarrassment( 尴尬 ) to arrive at a party early or even on time. Therefore, unless you are the host of the party, you never want to be the first person present at a party. Why? Because people are afraid that others may think that they have no life or nothing better to do than waiting for a party to start. Many people try to show an image( 形象 ) of business which, whether true or not, has something to do with success. So by arriving late, you are saying: “I live a full life and it's really exciting.” Therefore, an 8 o'clock party usually doesn't really start until maybe 9 o'clock as everyone wants to be thought of as a busy and important person with lots of things to do. In other words, a party is one of those rare occasions( 极少数场合 ) where your punctuality can actually hurt you. It's quite a strange thing, isn't it? Anyhow, remember, be late!