Different countries have wildly different forms of greeting.

In the USA, when you pass by someone you know, a nod is acceptable, and you usually shake hands with someone you first meet. But in Latin countries, a firm handshake    1    (consider) rude. In my home country, Mauritius, when people meet, they usually kiss each other     2     the cheeks. This is also common in France,     3     the act is called faire la bise. However, this is not     4    universal rule.

During my first week in the USA, I kissed every single girl I met. My friends had to tell me that that was inappropriate,    5    (leave) me in great embarrassment. What is common here, however, is for friends    6    (hug) each other – something I was not used to. Hugs always make me     7    (frighten) because I don’t really like that. This may seem strange since even kissing     8    (stranger) is normal in my country. Now that I think about it, I hate cheek-kissing as well.

Wouldn’t it be     9    (enjoy) to have a greeting code that is     10    (wide) acceptable? I’m not saying we should start doing that, but we can surely do something to avoid misunderstanding.