I am sick and tired of always being expexted to care how someone else wants to misinterpret normal American behavior. Why do we always have to be the “culturally sensitive” ones? It’s a two way street. Crossing your legs on top of a desk is a normal American male sign of casual relaxation and comfort.
Or rather it should be a two way street. It isn’t. Until it is, I frankly don’t care how someone from some other culture wants to misinterpret my behavior. Now, if they reciprocate, that’s a different matter.
In short, I won’t show submission. Mutual respect? OK. If that makes me an ugly American, so be it.
/SEVERLY edited from original response
That's up to you. It would still behoove you to understand just what it means when a Muslim (or someone raised as a Muslim as in the case of His Awesomeness) gestures his left hand at you (or vice versa).
Most people of the world, particularly in Asia and including the Middle East perceive the soles of another's feet pointed in one's direction to be a deadly insult.