affection

The other night when we were at the hotel I was sitting outside the nori-bong room (yes, they had an underground karaoke station under the hotel, complete with several rooms and big screen TV's) with a couple other teachers. One of the other male teachers, who is maybe about 40 or so was sitting next to me and started putting his head on my shoulder and his arm through my arm. and I had no idea what to do.
One of the things I love about korea, and i think this is normative in many countries, is that women and men are much more affectionate than in the west. Women hold hands with women all the time walking down the street. Less so, but still prevalent, is men holding hands with men. I think it is great that western ideas of sexual touch have not yet infected the east. Is it a coincidence that so much sexual freedom and liberation has coincided with virtually every kind of touch becoming latent with sexuality? You can blame it on the media, but it first found a foothold somewhere. When sex loses its meaning and becomes nebulous, it could show up anywhere. So who is more free? Me, who in my sexually free world cant help but think a possible sexual tinge to every touch, or my co-teacher, who lives in a world defined by "sexual boundaries" that we might deem sexually regressive?
It is sad that a hand on someones shoulder, at least in the back of our minds, has us thinking "better watch out, i dont want this to get weird". I love the idea of being able to be more affectionate to my male friends, but as far as i can see, I could never do it.
I didnt know exactly what my fellow teacher meant when he put his head on my shoulder, but i knew it wasn't bad in any way. It was hard enough not to recoil, much less reciprocate. The only thing i could was sit there. and not move.