The French do it, the Italians do it, and yes, the Mexicans do it too. When greeting friends, or even when meeting new people, a kiss on the cheek is the social norm (unless the friends are both men, in which case some form of a handshake or fist bump will take place).
To be honest, this friendly kiss on the cheek took some getting used to, but this is one thing I won't mind getting accustomed to. Personal space seems to be such a treasured thing back home; people don't let anyone into their little bubble. But why don't we kiss hello? It's nice. And definitely more friendly than a stiff handshake that makes it seem like you've just met the president and CEO of an important company rather than your friend's brother. Sometimes figuring out who gets a kiss hello can be tricky, so, to be safe, I always follow the other person's lead. I don't want to lean in to the wrong person. For example, my boss never kisses hello, but a couple of my co-workers do. I figure if I just do as they do I can't go wrong. And, I'm sure, as the weeks turn into months, my slight American personal space issue will dissolve and I will be kissing hello with the best of 'em.
For a good laugh, check out Jerry's Kiss Hello on YouTube. For some reason it won't let me share it here, but if you search for Seinfield Kiss Hello, the result will be a little gem of comedy touching briefly on the subject of the hello kiss. Enjoy.
No comments:
Post a Comment