Greeting someone of the opposite sex in Puerto Rico can be pretty different if you are good friends or even just casual acquaintances. My experiences have shown me Puerto Ricans are much more affectionate when it comes to friendship. Once you are friends, it is very common to walk up during a greeting and kiss the opposite sex on the cheek. The greeting is also acceptable for two women. Thankfully for two men it is the standard handshake.

The man will usually give the first kiss on the cheek to show that they consider the female a friend. Even after a few years of living here, I have never initiated the greeting. It is understood that since I am a gringo, that I am not accustomed to the ritual and the female will usually initiate the kiss. Once the kiss has taken place, it will become pretty much the natural form of greeting with that person.

When I first started my new position, I was shocked to see all of the kissing and hugging. This kind of behavior in the States would be considered sexual harassment. It is still pretty strange when greeting a female Puerto Rican style. I have been taught pretty much from day 1 of my life to never touch a girl especially in the workplace. And here I am giving a kiss on a third or even 4^th encounter. Who would have thought that would ever happen?