news summary and response

http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20200512-say-hello-to-the-worlds-new-greetings

Summary.

Bella-Daily Steele and Ruth Terry wrote an article titled "Say hello to the world's new greetings," published on BBC news website on 13th May 2020. The article was about the temporary replacement of physical greetings in many countries including China, New Zealand, France, Tanzania, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Afghanistan because of the COVID - 19 outbreak. From China to Afghanistan, handshakings, hugging, Hongi (New Zealander's traditional greeting of nose and forehead pressing together,) cheek kissing, head touching, hand clasping and kissing, and nose kissing have been replaced by non-physical greetings respectively.

Response.

There are a few things that I learn after finish reading the article. The first one is the variation of greetings in many cultures all over the world before the coronavirus epidemic, for each culture has its own distinctive characteristics that differ from one another. Secondly, a nation's traditions and customs can be changed or replaced with or without the consensus of its citizens. By witnessing the replacement of the greetings method in many countries, I realize that when people in a country change, their cultures, traditions, and customs change too. Also, the way that people in these countries react to and accept the changes varies. The Wuhan Shake in China was spontaneously invented by the people living among the epicenter to show solidarity and optimism. Whereas the indigenous tribes in New Zealand like the Maori and Kiwi actively change their traditional greeting, the French reluctantly have to avoid using bias - cheek kissing when they want to greet each other. Tanzanian anthropologist Alexander Mwijage working at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences expresses his concern that social ties between communities can be deteriorated due to the social distancing and new greeting of "foot shake." It is unsure whether what Alexander Mwijage worries about is true or not, but the Turks are surely know how to adapt to the situation by using the eyvallah - one hand is put at heart and bow slightly -  a centuries-old greeting gesture used by the Ottomans. The Turks think that using the eyvallah is the right way to show and preserve their values during the COVID-19 outbreak.