I love seeing when two people from different cultures come together for the first time. That awkward moment when they decide if they're going to shake hands, bow, or air kiss is always amusing if only because I've been in that situation so many times myself.
It's also funny how quickly we can become used to another culture's way of doing things. I've been teaching in Japan for a long time; at the end of the semester, students usually say goodbye with bows or the occasional handshake. Then, one year, I did a stint at a local Brazilian school. At the end of the semester there were hugs and cheek kisses and crying. Color me culture-shock-pink because, even though (in this specific instance) Brazilian culture is closer to (my) American culture, I had grown so used to Japanese culture that I didn't know how to react!
I love seeing when two people from different cultures come together for the first time. That awkward moment when they decide if they're going to shake hands, bow, or air kiss is always amusing if only because I've been in that situation so many times myself.
It's also funny how quickly we can become used to another culture's way of doing things. I've been teaching in Japan for a long time; at the end of the semester, students usually say goodbye with bows or the occasional handshake. Then, one year, I did a stint at a local Brazilian school. At the end of the semester there were hugs and cheek kisses and crying. Color me culture-shock-pink because, even though (in this specific instance) Brazilian culture is closer to (my) American culture, I had grown so used to Japanese culture that I didn't know how to react!