I will never get this kissing thing down. Is it one, two or three? Is it the same cheek multiple times, or is it a different one. I have no clue and I look like a bumbling fool each time someone goes for the kiss. I just stand there awkwardly. Jordanian greetings take some getting used to.
Affection between men here is surprisingly common. You will see them walking arm in arm. They don’t shy away from greeting each other with a mix between the “bro hug” and kisses on the cheek. It took a while for this to become a normal sight, but I did get used to it. It’s almost cute now.
Girls do much the same here as the do at home. They walk arm and arm and hold hands while giggling.
I met a Jordanian-American student named Amy. I have run into her several times and each time she is a bundle of smiles and energy. The first time I saw her, I was sitting with a group of the CIEE kids and she walks up and introduces herself. After running into her a few more times, we exchanged phone numbers. The other day I was helping her with her presentation on plastic surgery for her English class. She greeted me and went in for the kisses. I froze. I knew it was coming but I had no idea what to do. She got it though, her mom is from Seattle, and knew that us uncultured Americans had no idea what was up.
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