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Comment by wavefunction | Hacker News Reader

Well this was in the US, where people do not kiss colleagues on the cheek. I know your intentions are fair in mentioning this cultural practice but that sort of justification also presents a fair amount of minimization of obvious harassment. I mean, do you kiss everyone on the cheek in Spanish-speaking countries or just very close friends?

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I live in France, and it is natural to kiss on the cheek. Recently I was in UK and without even thinking about it I kissed a girl on the cheek to welcome her. After it happened I just realized what was going on. The thing is that it takes some time to reframe your behavior. But I have also been away several months and then it was feeling weird for me to kiss a girl on the cheek.

Recently had a French colleague do this to me in New Zealand. Was nothing short of hilarious. I made a warning sign for his desk.

In France it can even include the men kissing the men and nobody thinks anything of it. Cultures really differ a lot in this respect.

Also in Italy, everyone. It is just the standard way to present yourself and/or say goodbye. I would also say I am more prone to do it with those people I don't know at all or very well than with my close friends.

EVERYONE. In Spain they do it twice. Cause they are gangsters.

In France, it depends where you live, in some area people do it up to 4-5 times. It can be quite disturbing, even for a french :)

Is that the French version of an awkwardly long handshake?

I'm Swiss, we do it three times.

I live in multicultural London, and have no idea how to conduct myself in public.

Simple don't make eye contact with anyone who you weren't officially introduced too and only talk about the weather unless it's rugby season.

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