Imagine you are sitting in a room, and someone walks by that you know. They stare straight at you, but do not even bother to greet you, or even worse turn their head away and ignore you. How does that make you feel? In our daily life, most of us greet people multiple times in a day. In different cultures, different greetings are appropriate or considered normal. We need to be aware and open minded that we may be meeting someone with different cultural greetings than our own.

The first time I realized how important greetings are was in Senegal. In Senegal, it is most essential that you greet everyone you know by asking them several times about themselves, their family, and their household. I enjoyed taking time out to greet people, as I am used to most people asking me how I am, and by the time I answer they are usually about 50 feet from me running in the other direction.

I always find it most important before I travel somewhere to learn how people greet each other. If you do not know how to properly greet someone, then how do you expect to have a meaningful conversation with them? Most recently, spending time in South America and Europe, I experienced many awkward greetings. It is almost like being on a date with an awkward first kiss. Sometimes no one knows what to do! After talking to my sister about our similar experiences with awkward greetings, she shared her philosophy of just going for it! So, when she is with a new group of people, she greets them in the most culturally appropriate way possible.

Recently, I witnessed a situation in which two people knew each other, and one chose not the greet the other. This was seen as the ultimate disrespect by the one who did not receive a greeting. Have you ever thought about the importance of the way you greet another person? Do you always greet someone by the way you feel is appropriate, or do you ever think about the way they greet people in their culture? No, we can not always get it right, and believe me I have many funny stories of greeting another person the wrong way. A few days ago I greeted my friend in Arabic and said goodnight instead of good morning, and she laughed and corrected me. But the point is that our efforts show that we are trying to respect, connect, and communicate with others. Have you ever thought about the ways that greeting and showing respect can correlate to conflict? Some scholars have argued that two of our basic needs are recognition and respect. And when those needs are threatened, the chances of conflict are increased. So take a moment to think about the way you greet others. Is there anything you need to change?

One of the most beautiful places I traveled to was Istanbul, Turkey. I was constantly greeted with kindness, hospitality, and a cup of delicious Turkish tea. In honor of wonderful Turkish meetings and greeting, let's eat some Turkish Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper!! The recipe is at the bottom.

WASTE LAND

Synopsis- "Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives." -http://www.wastelandmovie.com/synopsis.html

This documentary explores the lives of those in society who often go overlooked, by greeting, respecting, telling their story, and creating positive change.

This is a delicious recipe I found online:

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kebabs with Aleppo Pepper

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons Aleppo pepper* or 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper plus 2 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika, plus additional Aleppo pepper or paprika for sprinkling
1 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt** (8 ounces)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 garlic cloves, peeled, flattened
2 unpeeled lemons; 1 thinly sliced into rounds, 1 cut into wedges for serving 2 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken (thighs and/or breast halves), cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes
Flat metal skewers or Wood skewers (if you are using the oven)

Preparation

If using Aleppo pepper, place in large bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon warm water. Let stand until thick paste forms, about 5 minutes. If using dried crushed red pepper and paprika combination, place in large bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons warm water and let stand until paste forms, about 5 minutes. Add yogurt, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper to spice mixture in bowl; whisk to blend. Stir in garlic and lemon slices, then chicken. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Thread chicken pieces on metal skewers, dividing equally.

Discard marinade in bowl. Sprinkle each skewer with salt, pepper, and additional Aleppo pepper or paprika. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill chicken until golden brown and cooked through, turning skewers occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer skewers to platter. Surround with lemon wedges and serve.

If you do not have a barbecue you may also put the skewers in the oven (use the wood skewers). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put chicken in the oven for 30 minutes.

*A slightly sweet Syrian pepper with a moderate heat level; available at some specialty foods stores and from wholespice.com.

** A thick yogurt; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores (such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods markets) and Greek markets. If unavailable, place regular yogurt in cheesecloth-lined strainer set over large bowl. Cover and chill overnight to drain.

Ingredient tip:
Aleppo pepper is sold finely ground or crushed into small flakes; either one will work well in this recipe.

Zevk!