I have some people coming over who practice Buddhism, what should I know?

My family is helping two people from Nepal to come to the United States to study, and their family will be visiting us temporarily. I was told that their family practices Buddhism, but I find myself somewhat lacking in knowledge on the religion/philosophy/culture that surrounds Buddhism. I don't wish to offend them or to put them into awkward situations, are there any significant things I should know? I've been reading online and I seem to get the impression that Buddhists do not eat beef. But do they eat meat at all? I have a little statuette of the Buddha that a friend gave to me as a gift once when I was going through a phase with eastern philosophy, due to an inside not quite joke that I share with this friend she had drawn a [geometrical symbol](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesica_piscis) on the belly of the statuette. Would this be something they would find offensive? To sum up my question: What do I need to know about Buddhism to interact with Buddhists from Nepal in a way that is respectful of their beliefs?