Do I Have To Kiss Everybody???

[cbonanni]

I kiss all the girls , but only a few guys , mostly family. Usually guys get a bear hug , with out the smootchie sound.

 

[Girino]

In Italy we "only" give two kisses, but in reverse order than here, so during the first few days after I landed I kept kissing people on the mouth because we awkwardly met halfway: they were leaning toward me with their right cheek (Argie style) and I was leaning with my left cheek (Italian style).

Now I go along with the right cheek pretty well, unless once that the Argentinian friend wanted to surprise me by kissing Italian style, while I was already set to kiss the Argie style...

Anyway I am not okay with kissing so much and so many people. I don't even kiss my mum that much. I don't like kissing 90 year old people, I tried to talk them into it, to no avail.
And I don't like to kiss family or complete stranger. I don't even kiss babies.
Some times I can't wait to wash my face after being kissed by someone!

 

[Tilda]

...I didn't know he wanted to kiss me...

I'm also brought up in a country where we value our personal space. And I have also used that sentence, never did I think that those words would come out of my mouth. They sound too weird put together like that.

I have totally gotten over my aversion to someone else touching my face.

 

[nativexpat]

I hated it for the first 3, 4 years. Then I realized that I was putting too much energy into clumsily trying to avoid kissing and that sometimes the cost is high (for example with the moms at school ). I now find that it is just easier to go with it without giving it too much thought, and I have to admit that I feel much more human (I still find it odd to have to kiss the painter and his staff when they come to my house, but what the heck).

 

[nikad]

I have to admit that I have kissed my plumber !

wtf lol

 

[nikad]

omg, omg, omg lol being local I never gave the kiss thing much thought until I met my husband. In general I kiss people I know, friends, friends of friends, family, kids, etc. I have just come to realize I kissed my building super a few weeks ago as I was not paying attention and he is about our age and very nice to us. oh well I do not kiss the plumber, painter, mailman, etc.

 

[syngirl]

Kissing the painter? I hope he's been coming around frequently and you know them well or something! Anyway now that you're kissing him I suppose you can't just stop, haha.

 

[nativexpat]

Well, yes, he's actually a handyman- not just painting, and he has been coming to our house for months now... At first it was a handshake, and the 2 boys who work with him were very respectful - just nodding... but after greeting them in my pjs for months, we have gotten cozy.

 

[pauper]

Well, yes, he's actually a handyman

How handy?

 

[pitipur]

I like the kissing on the cheek because it's a great example of part of the whole culture that I like about being here, that everyone isn't so cold and closed off all the time. Sometimes my american friends say things like "is it weird for you to kiss the guys?" as though there is anything sexual about it at all, and comments like that are why Im glad to be here and not in the states!