Comments on: Cheek Kissing in Mexico

By: RiverGirl

RiverGirl — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:43:58 +0000

Nutmag – Yes there’s a handshake. And if you are female and the people you are meeting are male they may initiate a kiss on your right cheek, but they may not. Let them take the lead. Be sure to smile. Be sure to say “mucho gusto” after you are introduced (it means “nice to meet you”). Your translator will undoubtedly smooth things over for you. But if you smile politely that will make people comfortable.

By: nutmeg

nutmeg — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 03:09:57 +0000

I’m going to the Yucatan soon and will be meeting with some high up govt officials as part of the trip. What is the appropriate way to meet such people and how the proper respect? is it a handshake? anything else to be aware of? and I speak only English but will have a translator…anything particular it’s important to say/express?

By: mexpat

mexpat — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:09:36 +0000

I guess the kissing was all sorta natural by the time we moved down here having lived near NYC for 7 years where exactly the same kissing rules (and variations you listed) exist. I did have the kissing culture shock when I moved from the South to NYC, though.

By: RiverGirl

RiverGirl — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:38:37 +0000

I dunno Gary…some Brits thaw quicker than others I guess.

By: Gary Denness

Gary Denness — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:08:18 +0000

I’ve been here three years….travelling LA for more than 5….how much longer is it gonna take to defrost me?!

I’d love to list all the madre words I’ve learned (and some that I’ve invented – Spanglish is just the best!) but my mum reads my blog…soooooo….

By: RiverGirl

RiverGirl — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:28:24 +0000

If people are unprepared for a kiss then they feel they have to get out of the way…you kind of have to tell them it’s coming I think.

By: lisaloveloca

lisaloveloca — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:35:36 +0000

LOL@ Gary!! I wanna see a post where you list all of those things you could do to someone’s mother (not mine, back off).

Rivergirl- I’m in total agreement with you on this, I dig on the cheek kiss and I do it in the states too.

I had a friend recently come to visit and when I found her at the airport I automatically went in for the cheek and since she had no idea what I was trying to do to her she kept bobbing her head in avoidance hahahahaha it was a sight all right- I don;t think I actually ended up planting one on her either, I don’t think I even got a chance to make the noise or anything hahahahahaa!

By: RiverGirl

RiverGirl — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:49:28 +0000

Oh Gary, Just give yourself time. I have plenty of repressed Brit friends who have recovered from their cold ways.

Now enjoyment of Lucha Libre totally escapes me. I’m impressed by it, impressed that people happily watch it…I leave a blog post on Lucha Libre to you.

By: Gary Denness

Gary Denness — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:09:25 +0000

Along with ‘Provecho’ this is another activity where my uptight, cold, miserable, stiff upper lip, repressed Britishness exerts itself! One of the first things I teach my students is the handshake!

Sometimes, I just prefer to be a spectator in Mexico. But I’m not completely repressed, I do join in some things. Football and Lucha Libre – I’m well at home. The damage it’s done to my Spanish language is immeasurable though. I must be able to name at least 40 things that one could do to someone’s madre!

By: RiverGirl

RiverGirl — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:36:19 +0000

Yeah I do know what you mean. There’s definitely more of that here than there was in the U.S.