When I was younger and we visited family in Pakistan, everyone would put garlands around us at the airport. At the time I used to find it a little dramatic! And I was never sure when I could remove the garlands either.
On my visit this week, I not only anticipated the garlands - I smiled when I saw them. And instead of fretting about when or how to take them off, I let my family lead. When we got to the car, they decided it would be better to put the garlands in the boot. So off they came - no questions asked my side.
Moral of the story: if in cultural doubt - go with the flow. (Mostly).
#overtoyou: Putting garlands around guests who arrive is something those from many cultures do as a welcoming gesture. Have you ever been ‘garlanded’ when you arrived somewhere? Or do you do this for guests when they come to your home or country?
📸: the garlanding is usually followed by some mandatory airport photos. It’s a whole protocol. 🤓 Here’s one with my dad at Islamabad airport before we drove 3-4 hours to get to DIKhan in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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