(Bk Business) Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D.-The Nonverbal Advantage_ Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work -Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2008)

154 The Nonverbal Advantage
Some cultures add a cheek kiss to the greeting. Scandinavians
are happy with a single kiss, the French and the Spanish
prefer a double, and the Dutch, Belgians, and Arabs go for
a triple kiss. In Turkey, in addition to the normal handshake,
a much younger person may kiss your hand and press it to
his head as a sign of respect.
Exceptions to the handshake greeting can be seen in Japan
and South Korea (bowing), in India (the namaste—palms
held together in a prayer gesture), and in Arab and Islamic
cultures (the salaam—touching the heart with the right palm
and then sweeping the forearm up and outward).
TRY THIS
Take out your business card and exchange cards with
a colleague. Now do the same thing but pretend
you are in Asia. Do you know the difference?
In Asian business meetings you pass out business cards
(using both hands, as you should to present any gift) to
your counterparts in order of seniority. And, when handed
a card by an Asian counterpart, you should study it before
respectfully stowing it among your belongings. If you
casually disregard the business cards of others—or bend,
fold, or mutilate them—it is considered highly insulting.
Cards are presented
and received with
two hands in most
Asian cultures.