14 July 2009

corner view "the unveiling"



In Spain, when meeting someone for the first time (or for the 100th time) it´s proper to give them 2 kisses, one on each cheek. This took a little getting used to considering I come from the land of the firm hand shake and personal space. It´s now second nature for me to give 2 kisses to everyone I meet. This can be a little embarrassing, however, when I´m introduced to someone back in the States and they extend their hand and I lunge to kiss them...

Thanks Kim for this week´s fun theme.

Next week´s is 7:45 pm-Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

You can check out more corner views here!

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, vanessa, britta, virgina, april, b, kyndale samantha, karen, kristina, dorit, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, desiree, di, travelingmama, aimee, sunnymama, amanda, ali, jenell, guusje, britta, juanita, pamela, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, susi, jodi, lily, gillian,

¡Dos besos!


76 comments:

Pamela said...

You brought back a great memory. My husband had an Italian shipmate - Marcello - he was on an exchange program and on my husband's ship during the holidays. He flew his family over and they came to our house for Christmas. The first time I met his wife, Isabelle, I was prepared for the two kisses, but what I didn't know was that in Italy, it's three and even four for a family member! Can you imagine? Four? I think you'd get dizzy going from side to side like that when you're in a big family group. She did say it was exhausting!

Kasia said...

in Poland we actually kiss three times on the cheeks; I always forget that here (or in England) it's only two kisses and people think that I just like kissing! So embarassing, I always have to explain...

Thank you for sharing :)
Have a wonderful day!
Bacio,
Kasia

Vanessa/NessieNoodle said...

I sorta love that, but yes it does take time to get used to when a hand shake will do for most people!

happy to see you Jane!
I am going to be a day late on my unvieling :)

cheers!

Allison said...

I guess the people in Germany are a lot more kissy, kissy than in the States, but I don't think there is a standard number of kisses and it is not done with everyone. I have noticed that it seems to be done a little more often in the "noble" circles. Someone here once told me that he thought kissing was less personal than a hug... I didn't get that one. Since I haven't been here that long, it is still a little outside of my comfort zone... I'll take your word that you get used to it eventually.

caitlin said...

You're beautiful darling. (I would expect nothing less :)

I think it's cool how people do that, we hug a lot in Utah. It's always funny when you go to hug people that were going in for the shake.. it's just awkward.

Great post!

Unknown said...

Yay! Good to see you!
I have trouble with the two kisses too although here in England, kisses are catching up, strangely enough!

kristina - no penny for them said...

you look so happy and beautiful on that picture - was that some sort of fiesta?

the kissing seems to be spreading. as alison said, it's done in germany as well now, but has only been for about twenty years i should think. when i was in school, it was still handshakes only. i don't mind either, really, but the 'correct' policy can be a bit mind-boggling :)

april said...

in switzerland we also kiss three times..your words made me smile...and it's so nice to see you dear jane. wish you a wonderful day. kissx3

Erin said...

So lovely to see you beautiful! I wish people in the States kissed each other on the cheeks.. hand shaking actually feels a bit awkward to me.. I'm more of a hugger. :)

A Captured Reflection said...

How lovely and Jane you look EXACTLY as I imagined, slim, dark haired (long and curly) and stylish. What a babe :-)

Purple Flowers said...

I like the two besos; it's a warm and touching feeling.

Anonymous said...

gorgeous!!! so nice to finally meet you!!! i LOVE that picture!
HUGS!!! (oh god - wait til you see mine!)

Palmer and Co said...

Jane! Yeah! You're gorgeous! What a fab picture! So great to put a face with a name!

Dos Besos back!

Lisa said...

Hi beautiful Jane! We are huggers in Ohio, (not me in particular, but there are a lot of huggers around here).

My CV is blah this week, not feeling too hot.

Lisa :)

Lisa notes... said...

I'm more used to hugs than kisses, too, but, hey, it sounds like fun. :-) Thanks for the smile.

Elizabeth said...

Cool outfit -- I'm assuming that's YOU, looking right at us!

Bonnie said...

It's so wonderful to put a face to the name !! You are looking very Spanish in this photo !! It's perfect ! :)

liza said...

Beautiful! Thank you for the great picture of you!

Unknown said...

Oh what a cute picture :)
kiss .... kiss :)

shayndel said...

Two kisses to the beautiful, unveiled,
you!

Robin said...

I love how all cultures greet in such different ways. I'm a fan of the handshake with the two kisses combined!

Joyce said...

An adorable photo and 2 kisses for you! Hmmm.... sure looks like a lot of men in your corner. xoxo

Emily said...

after being in switzerland about 2 and a half years i'm still not comfortable with the three kisses that is custom here! granted as a very reserved person with three very small children, i don't meet that many native swiss. so i'm sure that is part of the problem! anyway, i always mess it up and end up feeling and looking like an idiot. a lovely post and photo!

Francesca said...

So that's why you count kisses! In this country, you either shake hands (in the North) or kiss twice, but it's not real kissing, it's just a cheek to cheek encounter!
Bacioni!
PS Sorry, I'm a bit slow: is that you? Where? Also, would you please translate the meaning of next week's theme?

Nicola said...

i love the two kisses. italians do it too!
nicola
http://whichname.blogspot.com

Di said...

I get confused by all my friends - many kiss twice, some of the French 3 times and some others 4. I never seem to get the correct cheek for the first kiss - can often lead to the bumping of heads!

Nice to see the bull running outfit!

Have a great week!

Unknown said...

Two kisses to you too. Nice to meet you.
Will keep an eye open if i find you at the street...just to give two kisses.

Kari said...

Hi Jane, It's so geat to finally be able to put a face to the ingenious creaion of Corner View.
Gorgeous picture of you!
Interesting about your take in greetings. In Thailand we wai, a prayer like greeting. Unfortunately it's not so straight forward. The status of the person determines how high or low the positioning of the hands go. Oh yeah it's complicated but I'm still learning.

Jennifer said...

I enjoyed seeing this photo of you- you look so pretty!
Good to know others are confused by the whole kissing thing.
Lots of air kisses happen here in L.A.
I've never mastered that!It always feels a little awkward to me.
I prefer to hug or shake hands with most people.
xo...and a firm handshake...to you :)

spudballoo said...

Oh, you're so pretty! I know, that whole kissy kissy/handshake thing is so complex.In the UK you NEVER kissed anyone (apart from family), but changed at some point in the 80s. Now it's all horribly confused, to kiss, one or two...how well do you have to know someone before you can lunge at them? Sigh.

x (just the one, OK?) oh go on have another x

Sammi said...

It was rather hard unveiling my true self when I put pictures up all the time! I think it looks okay though :o)

It is very odd to think you aren't a cup of Starbucks, though Jane! ;o)

Fantastic Corner View

Kaylovesvintage said...

next time you are in Amsterdam , I find you...lol

Jodi said...

Oh jane that's so true. We recently had a wedding in our family and our beloved E from France joined our fold. It's now kisses galore! We love her! and I love your outfit and face!!!

Anonymous said...

Nice to meet you Jane ! and what a beautiful smile...!! Here, in the south of France, we kiss four time on the cheeks... it was strange for me when i arrived here.

Isabelle said...

You are looking great with your San Firmin white and red set !!

KathyA said...

Someone going in for the handshake, meeting another going for the hug might get a handful!!! Been there!

Martha said...

What a neat idea! :-)

Kwana said...

2 kisses to you!

Amy Bradstreet said...

Oh Jane, you are so lovely!

I'm usually good for a hug, kissing not so much. It's to intimate. That would take me awhile to get used to. I think the personal space bubble in Maine may be a bit large. ; >

Crescent Moon said...

Great picture! I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the kissing, but I think my son would be fine with it. They had a hard time in nursery school convincing him that it wasn't o.k. to kiss all of his classmates.

Unknown said...

Great pictures!!
you are lovely!!
happy to see you
;)

Regina said...

Nice post and a lovely blog.
Regina

Chiara Ulivi said...

nice to meet you jane!! you're so pretty :))
kisses (I'm italian so I'm not afraid to kiss anyone on the cheek!!)

Traveling Mama said...

I was so happy when we arrived in Spain that my Greek family had acquainted me with the idea of greeting with a kiss. You wouldn't believe the kisses we get here in Morocco. One cheek, then the other, then kiss, kiss, kiss, and if you are really liked maybe another few kisses! At first it was awkward trying to figure it all out, but now I just go with it! (All this kissing is between women only, though! It would be scandalous between a man and a woman!)
BTW- You are adorable and should be photographed often!

sealaura said...

latin americans are very kissy too. I always "prepare" my boyfriend when we are about to meet new people for the besos since he is a good texan boy! I like it that americans (at least the ones I know) are at least more open to abrazos when you meet and say good bye. I have to say as a language teacher and as Latin American we truly believe in "saludar y despedirse de una persona". No slipping away from a party, my mom always made us greet everyone that came and went from our house. great topic! :)

Anonymous said...

Love u in the outfit! Lob

Susanne said...

In German we kiss two times...in France, close to us, three times. It´s funny...and I don´t know the history for the difference ;-)
two kisses :-)
Susanne

onegoldensun said...

I love the european tradition of kissing on the cheeks, I remember it so well from my summer abroad in France. I find it charming and warm. I am enjoying your photos so much, Jane!

Leciawp said...

Hello - nice to see you! :) (or perhaps, ola)

sunnymama said...

Pleased to meet you! I'm enjoying this weeks Corner View :)

Coucou Couture said...

Jane!! how pretty...i love the longer girlish locks! what's with the red scarf? i hope you're not running with the bulls at Pamplona, because i hear someone became shishkabob recently...you look happy and content! i miss hanging out with you here in the summer ...

Cam said...

Jane, it's nice to see you! I am finally officially onboard with Corner View...mine comes from St. Simon's Island!

Two kisses right back at you!

la lune dans le ciel said...

the mystery is lifted! No I'm kidding there is so much to discover about yourself and your world ... three kisses for you!

Jeanette said...

Hi Jane, would you please take me out of the list? It's summertime, and when it's summer, my head is so empty to write blogs or emails, that i'm going on a sort off Stop.

I'll hope you understand, and i hope to come back in september.

Greetz, Jeanette

Ana Cristina Abreu said...

hey, we used to do this here in brazil too! but with our greatest friends we always give a big hug and a kiss!
i'm kind embarresed for being introduce for new people sometimes because of that!

beijos jane!!

Ana Cristina Abreu said...

is that you on the shot?
you're beuatiful jane... i and love your hair!!!

beijos

Ritva said...

hello you beautiful!
i just came home from a trip, but i´m happy to tell you, that i have done my unveiling.
in finland we don´t kiss. or at least we didn´t used to. we hug. or just stare and say hei! or moi!
sometimes just a nod will do.

hugs and kisses!

Dana said...

ciao jane, from sunny Florida! love the kisses in italy. .. . dana

Unknown said...

Nice to meet you :) Kissing is not part of traditional culture here, unfortunately :)

Liz said...

I love the cheek kissing, so sweet and charming and such warmth...

epe said...

un gusto conocerte jane! tres besos para ti! :)

adrienne said...

i've been a bit of a corner view lurker, but this weeks theme has been so inspiring that the time for my own unveiling has arrived!

how do i join the corner view list?

Juana said...

Funny! Back in Argentine, we kiss only one cheek, so, after 30 years in Italy, when I met another argentinians, after the first kiss, they stop for a while, and remembering that now I am half italian, came back for the second one!

Annie said...

I think it is a nice custom

Anonymous said...

jane! i am madly getting ready for maine! you should meet us there! just a hop across the ocean - more later!!!

Ma life à moi said...

It's nice to see you Jane, por fin !
The outfit suits you extremely well.
Un abrazo fuerte :)

Sophie

kyndale said...

I love the kisses on the cheek thing :) I wonder how that came about?

Anonymous said...

*kiss* *kiss*

*hug* *hug*

:)

that's so interesting!

just letting you know I just posted my corner view...

Ida/FarEastLogbook said...

Cool with all the matching clothes!! Where you all getting ready for running with the bulls?
I must admit that I don't like the 'kissing -greeting', hugs yes, but I just feel silly making kissing sounds/motions out into the open air.
Love your hair btw.

natsumi said...

Great picture! Two kisses are lovely!
Actually, we don't do these in Japan but kisses and hugs are much better!!

malo said...

I live in a country where the hand shake is the everyday way of greeting.It would be really awkward for me to kiss on the cheek. But secretly I love this way of greeting.

Anonymous said...

Jaaaaaaane!!! I already thought you were beautiful from what I read on your blog and the comments you leave.....and this picture only confirms it. I keep messing things up; in holland it's 3 kisses, in Italy two and you start on the left side...or something, and in France (french friends)....uaahhgg...I don't know..it's always different.
Have a nice weekend my dear, XXX, Carmie.

aimee said...

you are a beauty!!

Janis said...

Hi Jane, a little late - but I made it... I am comfortable with whatever kiss, hug, handshake people throw at me. I grew up with a lot of kisses and close body space (Italian-American) so I'll accomodate, bring it on!
Bacci, bacci :)

You look lovely in your photo too!

Daan said...

Dear Jane, a quik hello from Liverpool.
I just put up my CV for this wednesday.
I couldn't do the last CV and i wanted to join this week's.
I do not know if i have any internet excess this wednesday, therefor my early View.
We are traveling through England at the moment, so i do my best to join all CV's ;-)

Love, daan

Dorte said...

Hi Jane, a little late, but really nice to see you.
2 besos!

pink

I knew a girl who was blue. So she painted her world pink. xoxo