Describe a person from a different cultural background: IELTS cue card with sample answer

I’d like to talk about my close friend, Kenji, who comes from a small coastal town in Japan called Kamakura. We first crossed paths about five years ago while I was backpacking through Asia; we ended up sharing a dorm room in a bustling hostel in Tokyo. Despite the language barrier initially, we bonded over a mutual love for photography and street food, and we’ve kept in touch ever since through video calls. What strikes me most about Kenji is his profound sense of 'omotenashi', or Japanese hospitality, which is essentially the art of anticipating someone’s needs before they even ask. When I visited him last year, he planned every detail of my trip with such meticulous care, ensuring I experienced authentic local life rather than just the tourist traps. From him, I’ve learned the value of mindfulness and the importance of slowing down to appreciate the finer details of everyday existence. In my own culture, we are often quite rushed and efficiency-driven, but Kenji taught me that taking time to prepare a proper cup of tea or observing the changing of the seasons can be deeply restorative. He also introduced me to the concept of 'kintsugi', the practice of repairing broken pottery with gold lacquer. This philosophy—that something broken can become more beautiful for having been damaged—has fundamentally shifted my perspective on my own personal failures and setbacks. Learning about these cultural nuances through his eyes has not only broadened my horizons but has also made me a more patient and observant person in my own day-to-day life.