Cultural Conduct

One cultural facet that I think deserves its fifteen minutes of fame. In Western culture it is customary for men to shake hands with other men and hug women that you know. However in Maldives it is exactly the opposite. The men hug the other men and shake hands with the women! Needless to say this took some getting used to. I am told that really devout Muslim men don’t touch women (other than their wives) at all and kiss other men on the cheeks by way of greeting.