French Discourage Kissing In Order To Curb Swine Flu Spread
We were going to use a photo of people kissing cheeks, but come on; kitties!
Just when we were coming around to the idea of being rude by not returning handshakes and thereby steering clear of Swine Flu, the French had to go and ruin all our fun. You see, they've reminded us that the traditional double-cheek-kiss—called la bise—is also pretty unsanitary if you don't want to catch the H1N1 virus, especially if you're greeting someone who has just traveled and may be exposed.
We can't shake hands and we can't cheek-kiss; what will we will do? Thank heavens there's still the good old rump-pat, and the "hey-yo" wave. We do feel badly for the Frenchies though:
In schools, teachers are telling their young charges to forgo the bise, and instead capture their displays of affection in heart-shaped greetings to slip into 'bise boxes.' It is restraint that is easier to sell to young students than their older brothers and sisters. Some things, however, are finding an accepting audience: masks—which do a pretty good job of discouraging just about any sort of kissing.
Sounds like France might unwittingly be turning their young school children into germaphobes. On the other hand, they are actually getting modern kids to physically write stuff down instead of simply texting or typing to each other? On the other hand, we have no response to the even more ridiculous new idea to not wear neckties because "it is the least frequently washed article of clothing." Yes, that makes us imagine all kinds of yucky germs sitting on our neckties, but really this could snowball so easily.
What do we give up after cheek-kisses and neckties? Perhaps using real china plates at restaurants just in case they haven't been thoroughly and properly washed? We suppose it all depends on how many more deaths result from Swine Flu.
Related Stories:
· H1N1 forces French to bid adieu to kiss [CNN]
· The Handshake: Travel's Newest Enemy [Jaunted]
· Swine Flu Coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Kevin Steele]
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