I'm going to admit a short-coming I have, right here, right now. I cannot elegantly do the hug plus cheek kiss. I know, can I walk and talk? Yes I can. What I can't figure out is how to couple the hug movement with the face movement in order to kiss the hugee yet allow the hugee to reciprocate the kiss, ie not moving your head to little or too much while still maintaining appropriate hug firmness.
Who thought of this idea anyway? Can't we just keep them separate? I almost prefer the French version which includes two cheek kisses. That way, the motion is deliberate and pretty much EVERYONE who does it has to concentrate, so any flubs are more easily forgiven.
The other issue is never being able to tell when the other person is going to do the cheek kiss. Sure, if you're a reporter meeting an actress at a downtown hotel/loft, then yes, it's safe to say you'll get the hug/cheek kiss. However, normal people never turn in for the kill until they're safely out of your peripheral.
So, I have a few rules I've decided to follow in this matter. I hope you will, too:
1. Never, EVER do the hug + cheek kiss. Ever. No matter what city you're in, no matter the custom. There's a moratorium on this, and it starts now.
2. When people do this move to you, make a big show of how much you don't like it. "Wow. Gross." is an appropriate response.
3. Or, make a big show of how much you don't "do that sort of thing." "Oh, okay, you do that? I don't really do that sort of thing." and then walk away and throw your coat elegantly on a chair. (note: if there are no chairs, throw the coat at the person you just hugged)
4. START doing a revised version of the hug. Hug the person tightly, rest your head slightly sideways on their shoulder, then exhale audibly. It'll show them how much you really want to be touching them.
5. or START doing an emotionally and physically detached version of the hug. When arriving at your destination, quickly mime a hug, blow an air-kiss, then sit down as quickly as possible before the person can put their hands on you.
Good luck!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like the hug + cheek kiss. The trick is to do the kiss quickly right before completing the hug. Like while you're moving in for the embrace. Try that, and if you still don't like the whole thing, we'll talk. But I don't think it's fair of you to write something off just because you're no good at it.
ReplyDelete