Season 5 ~ Episode #40 - - - The Kissing Controversy

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Permalink Reply by Anita (Caladrius Theless) on March 4, 2014 at 2:05pm

With parents from two very different cultures- one that uses air-kiss-greetings, and one that doesn't- I found Link's conundrum particularly funny. I'm an air-kisser (one side only), but with a subconscious sense of whether or not to employ it. I'm not really conscious of when I make the decision, it just happens, or it doesn't.

I am very awkward with the European-style double kisses. The 2nd one always catches me by surprise, so I'm inevitabley withdrawing as the other person is leaning in for round 2.

K-ModPermalink Reply by Victoria (Centauromadoose) on March 5, 2014 at 9:48pm

The idea of cheek kisses as a greeting has always freaked me out. I wouldn't know how to react, and then I'd probably offend the person because I'd be standing there with a bewildered expression on my face (and definitely not returning the cheek kiss). I don't know, maybe it's the Japanese culture influence, where you basically don't touch anybody ever...a handshake or a wave will usually do it for me, haha.

Permalink Reply by Lilian Brandon (Tachyonic Raven) on March 15, 2014 at 8:39pm

Several summers ago I had a research internship at a university, and shared an office with an Italian post-doc. At the end of the summer when I was saying my goodbyes to everyone I worked with, he did the European cheek-cheek air kiss thing. It caught me off guard and was very startling!