To kiss or not to kiss…

It appears that residents of France, the land of romance, may have to curb their propensity to get close and kiss. Due to swine flu fears, French authorities have recommended that people stop kissing and have even gone so far in some locations as to ban giving les bises .

Anyone who has been to France knows that les bises are an integral part of French culture. Friends and family greet each other with bises; in certain social settings when meeting someone new you exchange bises; one of my former managers even greeted all of his female direct reports and colleagues with bises each morning. It remains to be seen how effective the close contact avoidance recommendations and bans will be. I however am skeptical…

For more about it click here or here.