Howdy

At lunch yesterday, we started talking about all the different ways people say hello, starting with "hola" as we were at the "chip restaurant." It wasn't just the words--in all the languages Mama and I could muster (sadly ignorant of most in Africa, Eastern Europe, and parts of Asia)--but also the gestures, such as the wai, or the hands-together bow, in Thailand, the double or triple cheek kiss in France and other parts of Europe, the bow in Japan, the handshake in the U.S. and other places. They both liked the cheek kiss best and spent much of lunch saying "bonjour" and "ciao, bella!" Look up your favorite phrases (though not the gestures) here.