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4. Greeting people awkwardly. When I lived in the States, it took me years to learn to greet people using the appropriate firm handshake or hug (depending on the situation and/or level of familiarity with the greetee). I never felt like I was doing it right.
Then I moved here, and it became totally unclear how to greet anyone no matter what the situation or level of familiarity. People would often fail to introduce themselves or shake hands. Even after a lengthy period of conversation we still somehow wouldn't get round to exchanging actual names and I'd be reduced to asking others in private afterward who that was. If I couldn't remember (or failed to discover) their name on the second meeting, I'd feel uncomfortable going for the more familiar kiss on the cheek - and of course if you've decided that one kiss is appropriate, the other person will inevitably lean in for the second on the other cheek and then you have to do follow through but there's this pause that makes it clear you misjudged and oh, the embarrassment. And if you've decided to go for two kisses, maybe because you've already been at the pub for an hour and they've just arrived and you're overflowing with sauce-induced love for humanity in general and they've just finished a rotten day at work, they'll pull away and oh, the embarrassment.
The saving grace of this fiasco was learning that this is the right way to greet people in Britain. Now I have an excuse to do it forever. Hurrah!
Then I moved here, and it became totally unclear how to greet anyone no matter what the situation or level of familiarity. People would often fail to introduce themselves or shake hands. Even after a lengthy period of conversation we still somehow wouldn't get round to exchanging actual names and I'd be reduced to asking others in private afterward who that was. If I couldn't remember (or failed to discover) their name on the second meeting, I'd feel uncomfortable going for the more familiar kiss on the cheek - and of course if you've decided that one kiss is appropriate, the other person will inevitably lean in for the second on the other cheek and then you have to do follow through but there's this pause that makes it clear you misjudged and oh, the embarrassment. And if you've decided to go for two kisses, maybe because you've already been at the pub for an hour and they've just arrived and you're overflowing with sauce-induced love for humanity in general and they've just finished a rotten day at work, they'll pull away and oh, the embarrassment.
The saving grace of this fiasco was learning that this is the right way to greet people in Britain. Now I have an excuse to do it forever. Hurrah!
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The only people I've ever kissed on the cheek are actual blood-related aunties, and possibly my Mum (although she was just as likely to go for the lips). Close friends? I learned how to hug them at university (I took the advanced course), and I've even progressed to hugging relative strangers if I have sufficient reason to feel well-disposed or grateful towards them, and they seem like the sort of person who wouldn't thing I was being weird... but I draw the line at kissing of any kind.
Women that I fancy? Avert my gaze, shuffle my feet while blushing profusely, and silently pass somebody else in the room a hand-written note respectfully requesting permission, that only identifies the intended kissee by an abstruse technical description of our most recent previous interaction with each other.
...And that even worked, once!
HOTTEST. KISS. EVAR!!! =:o>
Also, my first (of the variety that are (a) erotically/romantically motivated, and (b) voluntary on the other person's part. Kiss-chase was a big part of my pre-teen playground experience, and I was *ALMOST NEVER* the chasee. =:o\ )