Culture crash

[Globalcitizen12]

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I am actually not very sure of what etiquette to use for Americans. Africans shake hands. American shake hands in professional settings and then in formal setting when meeting someone for first time. The problem is that America has no clear rules on what to do when you meet friends. Some will shake you hands others just issue a verbal greeting. The problems is because of my African upbringing I want to shake hands or I will feel I am being rude. So every encounter becomes a moment of awkwardness. Here is a guy describing his cultural crash
 

my brother married a Japanese woman. We're French-English dual nationals. At the wedding it was a constant question of bow, kiss or shake hands. Get it wrong and you end up headbutting a French woman in the mouth or, even worse, kissing a Japanese man and mortally embarrassing him

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T-VWbV6TJxU

the other dilemma I have is not wanting to shake hands with Americans especially pet owners because of the habit of people scooping dog poop with their hands. I do not want to shake someone hand because they may have just finished cleaning up after their dog. I even stopped eating anything prepared at home of people with pets. I have come to realize it is almost an impossibility to live with an animal at home and be clean.

[MOON Ki]

not wanting to shake hands with Americans especially pet owners because of the habit of people scooping dog poop with their hands. I do not want to shake someone hand because they may have just finished cleaning up after their dog.

They do not use their bare hands.  Anyways ... according to your logic, you should never shake hands at all, given that people use their hands to wipe their butts, and you never know what one has been doing.   Come to think of it, I believe strict Islam forbids the use of toilet paper and insists on washing with water and hands.

I have come to realize it is almost an impossibility to live with an animal at home and be clean.

I don't see why it is impossible.   But if one thinks in terms of the way we keep dogs at home---i.e. not particularly clean and locked up in a small shed/box---then there could be problems.

[Georgesoros]

Every time you meet a close friend after a couple days - Hug
New people - shake/hug depending on how you connect
DAILY Colleagues - Hi

[Globalcitizen12]

[jakoyo]