Something I noticed is that here everyone greets everyone else when they arrive or leave somewhere. It can be nice, but sometimes I feel awkward if I don't really know them.
The other big thing I had to get used to was the 'kissing.' Of course, we only do it girl-to-girl, but it still was weird for me. Now even I do it. When you meet someone, you give a kind-of-side-hug, then make a kissing sound with your cheek next to theirs.
In a different part of Belgium, I heard they do 3 'kisses' and in France I think it is 2.
I just found this link...too bad I didn't discover it last summer ;)
Meeting Etiquette
. Greetings entail a degree of formality. A brief handshake is the common greeting among people who do not know each other.
. Once a relationship is developed, three kisses on the cheek may replace the handshake. This is more a kissing of the air near the person's cheek. Start with the left cheek and alternate.
. Men never kiss other men; they always shake hands.
Lol! Weird. :P Greeks maul you. haha...:P
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you included that last part about men not kissing other men.
ReplyDeleteYah, the men not kissing men is a good thing.... :) But, wow, that's alot of kissing if you have to kiss every person 3 times! and then they have to kiss you 3 times as well???
ReplyDeleteI think that what Leah was saying was that the tradition is not that women and men have to kiss each other....I don't think she was referring to same-gender exhange of kisses...?!
ReplyDeleteInteresting... I wouldn't do well there- I hate kissing/hugging people I don't really know!
ReplyDelete