Greetings Can Be Confusing

I’m generally not much of a people-person as most of you already know. I hate small talk, I hate partaking in a conversation that’s clearly leading nowhere, I dislike most events what with the abundance of pretentious “muah, muah” people and I’m generally someone who calls it as it is, so to some people who aren't used to straightforwardness, I can come off as a cynical a-hole, and I’m totally fine with that. Giving me more reason to avoid people are greetings. Mainly because there's a lot of intimacy and invasion of my personal space. And then there's the dilemma of: Do you go in for the side hug? The handshake? The single cheek kiss? The “homie handshake”?! Which one do you fucken’ choose?! Who the Hell knows. It’s situational, but here’s a little backgrounder and info on some common greetings. 

HUGS
Hugs involve a lot of touching. It’s an invasion of personal space. I generally only hug people I’m close to. Which narrows it down to 3 people. But there are a few different forms of hugs, so let’s investigate further. 

THE SIDE HUG 

A hug in which both parties hug by wrapping one arm around the shoulder of the other person, as if posing for a photo, rather than the traditional "front hug" (aka, the crotch high-five) or wrapping both arms around the shoulders or waist from the front. We use the side hug to avoid both parties’ crotches from touching, which to some, may appear to emulate sexual activity. Don’t believe me? There’s a name for this – the Christian Side Hug that comes with a song and everything. 

Whoa, whoa, WHOA! At least buy me dinner first. 

See? I wasn't kidding. 

THE FRONT HUG aka THE MALE/BRO HUG

The true origin of this hug is unknown but it probably became popular through the hip hop culture in Amedika. This is basically a combination of the handshake and a hug where more often, two males will make a handshake and then while their hands are still locked between their bodies, bump their shoulders together, followed by a pat on the back and then a quick-as-fuck release. Uncomfortable for some? Not really since there's an easy flow from the handshake to the hug and the locked hands between torsos keep the bodies apart, allowing comfortable space between the dudes hugging. 

Get your bro hug right, bro. 

UNACCEPTABLE: THE BEAR HUG 

"I never got any love as a child" 

KISSING 
Ah, here’s the one that confuses the fuck outta me the most. Based on common sense, you’d expect a guy to only kiss the cheek of a girl (and even then, only if she initiates it by placing turning her cheek towards you to indicate that she’s game for it), but no. Oh no. My Turkish uncle came to visit one day and did the same, and I literally blanked out for a few seconds not knowing what to do, but out of fear of offending him, went in for it. On BOTH cheeks! I felt violated, repulsed and a little itchy from all the stubble. I don’t even feel comfortable kissing my mum, so that should give you some perspective. 

SINGLE CHEEK KISS

There are countries, and regions, throughout Europe where men greet one another with kisses on either cheek. According to some article in Time Magazine that I did not read, "a single kiss is an acceptable greeting in the United States, but it's mostly a big-city phenomenon. It’s also normal to kiss once only in Mexico and Belgium, while in the Galapagos, women kiss on the right cheek only. East syyydeeee! 



DOUBLE CHEEK KISS

 If a culture embraces kissing as a form of greeting, one of the most difficult lessons is to learn how many and to whom!  That whole Turkish uncle encounter made sense after some reading. Apparently in Turkey, men are more touchy-feely with the same sex, often extending handshakes for the females and embraces and cheek-kisses for the dudes. Now I understand Turkish baths (hammam). Italians, Hungarians and Romanians usually kiss twice in a greeting too, but I think they’re alright with both genders. 

THE TRIPLE CHEEK KISS 

So apparently in places like Russia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, the Netherlands (nuuuuuuu!!!) and Egypt it’s pretty normal to “kiss three times, on alternate cheeks.” 

CHEEK KISSING 101: Usually it's the right cheek first, but be prepared to change direction at the last minute. There aren't any set rules on whether you should go for one or two kisses, except that you should be wary with those you’re less familiar with - two might seem over the top. Heck, for me, even one seems over the top. Be clear on your decision, but if confusion occurs then take charge and make a quick decision. Sound effects, air kissing, butt grabbing and saliva traces should be avoided, and don’t for a moment confuse a cheek kiss for a romantic one, you perv. 

Yeah, nothing like this

HANDSHAKES
Handshakes are the most basic form of greeting involving two people who grasp one of each other's hands, in most cases accompanied by a brief up and down movement of the grasped hands. Unfortunately, thanks to gang members, hipsters, buff men and secret societies, even a hand greeting can be rather confusing these days. 

How it's supposed to be done

What often happens in reality

FIST BUMP 

Two participants form a closed fist with one hand, and then lightly tap the front of their fists together. The participant's fists may can be both either vertically oriented or horizontally oriented. It is crucial to get your aim right or you may just end up punching someone in the face. It is proven that fist bumps spread fewer germs than handshakes. It also takes very little time and intimacy, so I’m down with that. This will be my official greeting. 

HOMIE HANDSHAKE  

This one gets a little confusing. Go in for a regular handshake, palm to palm. Rotate your hand so you are clasping the thumb of your broseph's hand. Then slide your palms away from each other and grip the finger tips slightly before snapping them apart. This is usually followed by a goofy grin and a false sense of accomplishment. 

AVOID: The Beefcake Handshake 
We get it, you’re on protein shakes and you practically live in the gym, but that’s no reason to put someone on a six month hiatus from wanking privileges just to prove your strength. 

Yearrghh! I crush your puny leetle hands

And there you have it. Hopefully this gives you a better idea on how to execute your next greeting and avoid having a John Mayer moment like the one below: