Week of March 8-14 Question 2

In some Arab countries when you show the bottom of your foot to others it is disrespectful. This usually happens when people cross their legs when sitting down and the leg that is crossed on top has the bottom of their shoe showing to the person they are interacting with. I see people in the U.S. sitting in this position frequently and is considered normal and OK. But, this body position of showing the bottom of their shoe is a sign of disrespect in some Arab countries.
I have coached and played sports with a person from Japan and another from Korea and they have had some difficulties adjusting to the interaction in sports. The most notable nonverbal interest came from the interaction between them and their teammates. When people would celebrate or greet each other we would give one another a high five, slap on the back, handshake. fist pound, or even a hug. This contact was uncomfortable for these two guys to get used to. They became very uncomfortable at first with all the touching that goes on in celebrating. As time went on they got used to some of the intricacies that occur during sports. They seemed to like the fist pound. It was limited in the lack of contact they had with other people yet they were still able to fit in with how they interacted with their teammates.