Dos Besos

La Plaza de Cervantes

After successfully flying from Boston to Newark and Newark to Madrid, navigating customs and the Madrid baggage claim, getting into a cab I thought I was home free. All I had left was to knock on the door of my house family. I had no idea finding the house would be so difficult. They live in an apartment building in the second building on the eighth floor in apartment c. The address I gave to the taxi driver made it look like it was 28 and there was no 28 to be found. With the help of the taxi driver, a random women on the street, a postman all communicating with hand gestures and my host brother happening to see me out the window I finally arrived at the correct building and had to take a 2ft by 2ft elevator with two huge suitcases to their floor.
Upon my arrival I was greeted by my host mom and host brother. This is where things started to get a little more complicated. I went to shake my host brother's hand and he went in to kiss me on the cheek I was startled and moved back quickly. He then proceed to kiss my other cheek. With a very confused look on my face all he said was "en españa dos besos" (in Spain two kisses). Since this first encounter with a completely new way of meeting someone for the first time I have successfully used "dos besos" with my host sister, host mom, host brother's best friend, a waiter and a random guy who knew English in a bar. Never a hand shake or a hug, always two kisses.