Costa Rica has a couple customs that I like.
The first is the greeting and farewell kiss.
I've seen it done between women, or between a man and a woman. But to say hello or good-bye, they give each other a fake kiss on the cheek. Their right cheeks touch and they kiss the air. It's a great way to express friendship, and I like it much better than the awkward, stand there and wave at each other from a distance. I'm not always sure when it's appropriate and when it's not, but I've found that, in general, people are very understanding of my lack of understanding.
The other custom I like is the thank you honk.
If you let a driver through, or pull over to let him pass, you often get a brief little beep or two--just a way to say thanks. It's very friendly, and I think the United States should adopt it. If I was the first one to do it, though, people would probably be confused and/or offended. I'm not sure how one would go about that...
Also, I think there should be a way to say, "Whoops. Sorry." What does that say about me that I feel the need to have a honk to communicate that sentiment?
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