I go back to India every year, and I see the friends I grew up with. My ideas about human touch have changed, but my friends haven't. They like to hold my hand while going for a stroll. They put their arms around me and sit next to me on a couch — thigh-to-thigh. This makes me wonder about a lot of things. Being in close physical proximity with friends in India makes me feel close to them, close enough that I could share anything.
I find Americans very friendly, but the unsaid rule of personal space never lets you get close to people, even when they are your friends. There is an invisible circle around a person, which seems impenetrable. Sometimes, I'm tempted to throw my arm around my American friends, squeeze their shoulders or hold their hand a little longer during a handshake.
Then I wonder if it would be a touch awkward