To Kiss Kiss or To HUG?

Lately, I have been thinking about my trip back to L.A. and how great it is going to be to see my friends and family again. When I picture finally seeing them, I see myself giving them the biggest hug ever. The tighter the hug, the more I missed them dearly. Hugs make me feel better when I have a bad day, are the most comforting gestures from a loved one, and are simply important to me.

Then that made me do what I love to do best... compare and contrast. Here in Italy, you greet someone with a kiss on the cheek to the right and then to the left... Kiss kiss... Pretty simple and cordial, right? Actually, when I first came here it was out of the norm for me. I felt it to be so intimate to actually go cheek to cheek with someone you barely met. I was so cautious at the beginning - advancing slowly to avoid having a cheekbone collision or suffer from beard prickles. Believe me, not common for Chinese people. =) American traditions call for a simple handshake on first encounter and for good friends a hug, a kiss, or a kiss and a hug combo.

Oh and I can't forget about that huge decision to kiss or not to kiss for someone who is an acquaintance that you have met before and now meet again after not seeing them for a while. Some would kiss, some would not.... It's great when I have someone right before me to make the call, but does this really need to be a huge decision? For Americans, if they aren't close friends, then a simple wave and "hey" would suffice... but here, it's like I don't want to make an.... a derriere... of myself.

The funny thing is, my outlook has completely reversed. I now feel the kiss kiss to be less intimate than a hug. I miss meeting my friends and family after a long time of not seeing them and just giving them a great big bear hug. Then when I come back to Italy after not seeing my family here, I have this urge to just hug them but hold back and give them the normal kiss kiss.

So what's more intimate? What do you prefer? What are you more comfortable with? I guess it is all relative and depends on what you were raised with as are many things... just another hole in the culture shock belt. =)

xoxoxo