In Latino cultures, kisses on the cheek as a greeting are commonplace, and they typically occur between people of opposite sexes (unless a young boy kisses his dad, of course.) But in Buenos Aires, men greet men friends with a kiss on the cheek.
I was invited by a colleague to give a presentation at the Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. When he greeted me, he smiled and kissed me on the cheek. It caught me by surprise and I tried to cover it up by giving him a hug.
After the class, he invited me to his house for dinner. He introduced me to his wife and children, two boys and a girl. There were kisses for everybody.
My friend said: “Here, we greet with a kiss; I noticed you felt awkward when
I enjoyed a delicious empanada dinner with the family, along with lots of laughter and red wine. When I said good-bye, I was completely comfortable with man-to-man kisses.
