French Lessons: un bisou

If there is anything France has inadvertently done to me is that it's made me an awkward hugger. I've become quite the fan of les bises, the light kiss [un bisou] on each cheek as a greeting and a parting. So the main problem lies when I go back to visit the US and I find myself naturally going for les bises only to at the last minute remember we hug in America, and the result is a rather awkward hug (usually by the end of a trip I get it back to the old days). The other conundrum is how do I greet my American friends when they come visit me in Paris. As much as possible I try to make them accustomed to the French kisses.

The other thing to note about this French kissing, is that personally I tend to always stick with faire un bisou [to give a kiss] rather than the alternative of less familiar baiser, which also can mean to f***! Oh là là! Talk about a fear of miscommunication. Embrasser quelqu'un(e) is another alternative just to play it safe, but can also mean hug.

French Lessons is an ongoing series where I teach you French words while beefing up my Illustrator skills.