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  Shake That Thing

  Posted Thursday, April 02, 2009 5:47 PM | By Dayo Olopade

  To answer Sam's valid query about what to do when you meet someone new, in a formal or informal setting: HANDSHAKE. Always. Why on earth are we hugging? The last time I hugged a total stranger was at a three-hour spoken-word extravaganza before which the performers worked the crowd and foisted deep, yogic hugs upon innocent spectators. Too crunchy, dude.
  

  And, Hanna, growing up as the daughter of Nigerian immigrants (there, a small curtsy is expected from young women), I was told over and over again that a poor handshake would sully all future impressions, and I had better do it right. Not too firm, said my mother, not too jerky, and smile—with an expression hovering between thoughtfulness and elation. This is the kind of thing I am going to subliminally transmit to my children—with good reason! A solid shake is socially irreplaceable, whether one is "fresh off the boat" or long since assimilated.

  Filed under: hugging, handshakes, protocol

About Dayo Olopade

• Dayo Olopade is the Washington Reporter for the Root.

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