I've already said that I'm not an expert in the art of bisous and that I especially dislike my doctor's bisous, but there's more..
When I first came to France, I joined a gym like all good Americans do. And after becoming a regular, I noticed a strange phenomenon - the trainer bisoused hello and goodbye, no matter whether you were sweaty or not. Can you imagine the amount of sweat collected on his cheek by the end of the day?
This grossness continues in the park these days, since I no longer have time to go to the gym, when I encounter a fellow runner/acquaintance. Big, sweaty bisous. It always throws me off...
It once again got me thinking of all the cold sores- called button de herpes in French - that are oh so contagious and totally wigged me out. And I thought of the oozing herpes sore an unnamed family member had while I was pregnant and how I couldn't bring myself to say DON'T TOUCH ME WITH THAT THING (in a nice way of course). And all the other germs my doctor's bisous have.
So here's the question: why is it that the only thing that keeps the French from bisousing is a cold? Not a button herpes and not sweat?! And why is the cold a bisous barrier since the general belief in France is that you catch a cold by sitting in a draft?
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Bisous and germs and stuff...again.
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6 comments:
No answer... just a tiny "ew".
(in a former life, I remember being grossed out to have to be cheek-to-cheek with a very pimply cheek)
You ask a very good question... and one I muster over myself. I really don't get the whole "I really shouldn't give you the bises today because I'm sick"... especially when they give 'em to you anyways. It makes me wonder... do you ever get the whole kissing situation under control, or does it forever remain an obstacle?
You give the bises avec your doctor? I can't even imagine doing that with my doctor. Maybe someday later on if our doctor-patient relationship should continue...
Maybe there's a reason so many people are sick in Annecy right now...too many bisous!
I rarely experience "lip contact" when giving or receiving les bises. It's mostly just cheek to cheek with a little air kissing.
This would be a fabulous topic for a doctoral dissertation.
One? Two? Three? Four? Who decides how many?
OMG, you totally grossed me out with this post, but you're SOOOO right! Good question, really. And what is up with the French obsession with "courants d'air"?!?! Yeah, like you're totally going to catch a cold from a draft that easily! I just don't UNDERSTAND that! When so many people don't wash their HANDS after going to the BATHROOM! Can we say contradiction?!
And it's interesting to note different people's bisous technique -- some air-kiss, like WCS said above, some are happy to rub up against you, some bend down in bizarre positions -- there are innumerable ways! It would make for an intriguing study, wouldn't it?!
Everyone's got their own style wcs,consider yourself lucky that you obly have cheek to cheek bisous....blech.
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