Bugsy Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 I think, I kissed the whole female content of our village last Sunday at our annual Marche Noel and now, guess what, I'm starting a cold.If Avian Flu ever hits France, we're all doomed............................[:(][:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 [:D]On our local walks we shake hands and bisou about 60 people on average! I too have caught a cold in this way. Significant that this has never happened to Mr Cooperlola and I didn't manage to pass it on to him either. You can read what you will into that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 If I have a cold, I always say so in explaining why no kiss. Everyone seems to appreciate it. I have begged my daughter to exercise the same caution - yet, every day upon seeing her friends, they alway kiss. She has been sick for about a week now. Do they never learn? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Katie Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 Also, I often feel sorry for my 14 year old daughter when you get all these big hairy men leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. She is so polite, although she hesitates, her face says it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted December 7, 2006 Share Posted December 7, 2006 If the café is full for a special occasion and you turn up last - God help you! Once I've done the rounds I pretend to start kissing the first lot of people again saying "I have to leave now - goodbye!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 As an act of rebellion, I have started an anti-kissing campaign in at least 2 of the associations I belong to. I explain "nothing personal", it's just that ... "Je ne suis pas bisou" and if someone insists, then I insist on showing them what some people do in other countries, i.e. a full body hug - which I notice, somewhat wickedly, that many French cannot cope with (men or women: the men seem to think it is a come-on, the women shirk away as if I am about to drag them into some unspeakable act!). If someone seems genuinely hurt that I refuse to kiss them, I will oblige but also tell them about not being very "bisou". I am very touchy-feely so do not shy away from physical contact with most people, yet I have never liked this indiscriminate kissing.I found out that there are quite a few French women who actually feel the same and don't like to have to kiss all the toads and princes alike, but they would never have dared saying no, and now some of them are even joining in the campaign![:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 I love all the kissing so much that I'm willing to risk catching the cold. Perhaps it makes a difference that I'm not usually in France for the winter.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Twinks, I so identify with this as the Sarthois tradition is 4 per person. An entire evening can come and go in this way! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 Funny how we all like different things. I love hugging. I was born and raised in France, and am sure that in those days (not a centenarian by a long shot) there was far, far less kissing than now. I seem to even remember that it was the "cousins de Bretagne" who were prone to kissing.Here by the way, unlike Sarthe, it is three. As for catching colds, someone pointed out that shaking hands is actually more unhygienic, as faces and cheeks are often cleaner than hands...think of all the places hands go to - the woman who pointed this out to me is French and a reluctant kisser, yet when we have to go and kiss whole rows of people (when the association meets) she much prefers kissing to shaking hands - especially with the men she confided, as you don't know where their hands have just been. That was a rather risque comment coming from her (sorry I can't do accents with this keyboard).Still, flu and cold viruses will find their way to you if they decide to, through door handles, sneezes, etc... Let's just keep taking the echinacea and the Vit C, and carry on with our favored greeting practices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 My first trip to France with my ever sooo-british OH was quite an eye opener for him. After meeting the whole family and kissing (3 in my area of Deux-Sèvres) all the women as well as all the men, he swore to NEVER be subjected to this again! He since pushes forward a resolute hand inviting a firm handshake with the men.... Still kisses the women though.....[8-)]Son&Heir goes for the 'student' hug which takes the French men off guard a little!... I call it a 'student' hug as I have only seen it done by our son when he was at Uni in Manchester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWINKLE Posted December 8, 2006 Share Posted December 8, 2006 The café I go to is in the middle of two villages. The people from one village have two kisses and the other village which is only 7 mins. away have four kisses. There are two families who live here but are originally from l'Herault and they insist on 3 kisses. They often invite a load of their friends from the coast and so sometimes it's not only physically tiring but mentally too. "This ones a 2 kiss - oh and those two are 4 kisses - umm she's a 3 kiss" I'm worn out even before I arrive just thinking about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 Someone just sent me this - I thought it might be relevant here - but ... I can't get the sound to work on my computer for some reason, so have no idea what is being said...http://www.freehugs.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 [quote user="5-element"].....so have no idea what is being said...http://www.freehugs.org/[/quote]All that is being said : ....just the sound track of the song 'All the same' by sick puppies..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 So having no sound was a good thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted December 10, 2006 Share Posted December 10, 2006 I'll bear that in mind, Missy and Cooperlola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nico Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 i hate all the kissing!! im not really a kissing kind of person and i find it even stranger kissing someone i barely even know! i dont mind when theres just a few people but as some others have said, when there is a whole family for example, you are there for about 5 minutes just with greeting them and its so tiring! whats wrong with a simple hello? why do they get so offended if u just say hi? i dont get it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre ZFP Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 I'm quite sure that I have offended by 1) Not kissing when I should and 2) kissing when I shouldn't but there again I have never really got to grip with 'Tu' and resort to 'vous' with the result that small children giggle and grown ups think I'm very stand-offish Ah well, maybe one day I'll get it right.Oh yeah, 4 in PdC, 3 in Luxembourg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nico Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 i did it just recently, my boyfriend just started work in a very posh hotel and we went for him to sign his contract. he had previously told me off for not kissing people that he knows (apparently that gives me the right to kiss them?!) we met his manager, who he already knew as he worked there last year aswell, normally i wait to see how my bf is greeting people as to know what to do but as it was a man it didnt really help as they all shake hands here. so he shook his hand and i kissed him which he didnt seem too bothered by but i was then told by my bf that this was an awful thing to do and he could get into alot of trouble for it and i had surely caused offence! oops! so now i dont know what to do next time i see him cos im sure he will be thinking there is that rude english girl again, do i continue as i started or revert to a handshake?! oh how confusing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoddy Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 "why do they get so offended "I think they get offended because it's part of their culture and it seems rude not to.Before I retired a young woman who'd applied for a job at my place of work refused to shake hands with my boss when she came for an interview. She said it was for religous reasons. My boss was offended and I knew that from that moment on she had no chance of being offered the job. Maybe the French feel the same way about kissing.Hoddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nico Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 yes i think thats why. when i was in the UK the company i worked for employed alot of french people but we still had to bisou even though that is not in our culture and they were in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkmetal Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 well with me I can never find the Shikira lookalike to kiss i just get the old birds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suninfrance Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 I don't mind the Bisou tradition but I draw the line when it almost comes to a full on snog. Happened a couple of times recently and I now go out of my way to avoid those men Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 [quote user="Suninfrance"]I don't mind the Bisou tradition but I draw the line when it almost comes to a full on snog. Happened a couple of times recently and I now go out of my way to avoid those men[/quote]Rather depends on the man in question.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suninfrance Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 I agree entirely - but these ones just not up to stade de france standard - lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 It is hardly kissing is it. It can be a peck on the cheek (or not), as you don't have to actually kiss their cheek or they yours. There is no full fledged kissing on the lips, well unless you want to, ofcourse.I don't always bisous people. My eccentric ways means that I can get away with some things sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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