After 16 years of living in the Netherlands, cultural misunderstandings don’t shake me like they used to. However, listening to a group of new expatriates brought it all rushing back. It felt like déjà vu. Someone described feeling constantly out of sync too warm in some rooms, too distant in others. Too direct one day, too indirect the next. Always adjusting. Always recalibrating. In many Asian cultures, for example, warmth is shown through proactive gestures. People bring sweets to the office after a holiday, insist you eat more, or offer gifts, favors, and unsolicited help. They do this not to gain influence, but because relationships matter. In these contexts, generosity…