With her southern French accent my Mom asked: " In the USA, you kiss, you HUG??? What do you do?? (Tu embrasses, tu fais un hug, tu fais quoi???)"
Getting ready to travel overseas takes some clothe, maybe a travel guide, learning a couple of basic sentences “ Where is the train station” “ Where is the restroom” “ Thank you” " yes no"…..
I landed in the USA… I saw plenty of movies… I red some books…. I spoke English... I was ready...
I now know that Human communication consists of 93% body language and paralinguistic cues, while only 7% of communication consists of words themselves.... I experienced my first cultural faux pas the first time I said Hello to a person I had not previously met in France! For a while I would kiss people when they would try to hug me... I would try hugging them when they would extend their hand... I even kissed people on the lips by accident... Learning by experience... I eventually got it right...I think.... so let me ask you, what are the rules?
In France women initiate the handshake. A younger man can't initiate the handshake to an older man or any woman; a person of higher status will initiate the handshake, if you don't know status the oldest man or the female will initiate the handshake.... BUT people kiss at work... men to men, women to women, men to women... when will you know it is OK to kiss in France? Is the USA is a hug the equivalent of a kiss?
In Mexico shake hands or give a slight bow when introduced.... but when do people start kissing each other on the cheek?
In the United Arab Emirate kissing each other on the cheek is a sign of friendship, and it is common amongst male friends, how will you react if you make friends there?
What are the rules here in the USA? Did it happen to you?
