How To Non-Awkwardly Greet People From Different Countries

Cultural norms are confusing, but it's even worse when they're embarrassing: nobody wants to be that tourist who asks for cheese at dinner in Italy or forgets a gift in Japan.

We know how to "shush" people already, but before that, how do you greet someone in a new country? One kiss, two kisses, three kiss or none?

The rules change by region in certain countries, and they can vary between family, friends and new acquaintances -- so be prepared for anything. But if you know the basics and pay attention to your surroundings, you'll be ready to adapt when your time comes for an introductory smooch.

Avoid that awkward head swivel with this simple guide.

FIFA World Cup 2014: Five reasons it went wrong for Spain

Spain became the fifth holders to be eliminated from the World Cup at the first stage after their 2-0 defeat by Chile at the Maracana on Wednesday.

We have a look at five reasons why it all went wrong for the holders in Brazil.

- Sticking with the old-timers

After the 5-1 defeat against the Netherlands, coach Vicente del Bosque was forced to react and chose to drop both Xavi Hernandez and Gerard Pique, replacing them with Pedro Rodriguez and Javi Martinez. However, it would appear that the rejuvenation of the Spain squad should have begun sooner. A player like Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke, full of energy and desire, was introduced to the side too late.

And the decision to keep faith in Iker Casillas proved to be a mistake. The captain of the great teams of the recent past he may be, but he has not been playing regularly for Real Madrid and Del Bosque has enough alternatives in the goalkeeping department, even in the absence of the injured Victor Valdes.

It's Brazil's World Cup to loose - World Cup Predictions

Looking for a World Cup favorite? All you really need to know is this: The World Cup gets underway Thursday in Sao Paulo, and it’s really hard to beat Brazil in Brazil.

The table below calculates every team’s chances of advancing past the group stage and eventually winning the tournament. The forecasts are based on the Soccer Power Index (SPI) — a system that combines game- and player-based ratings to estimate a team’s overall skill level — to calculate odds of each country’s performance during the two stages of the World Cup. SPI has Brazil as the heavy favorite, with a 45 percent chance of winning the World Cup, well ahead of Argentina (13 percent), Germany (11 percent) and Spain (8 percent).

True, Brazil is the betting favorite to win the World Cup — but perhaps not by as wide a margin as it should be. The team’s price at the betting market Betfair as of early Sunday evening implied that it has about a 23 percent chance of winning the World Cup — only a little better than Argentina (19 percent), Germany (13 percent) and Spain (13 percent).

World Events Calendar 2014

Find out exactly when and where your favourite international festivals are kicking off in 2014 and plan your trips accordingly, plus see our list of important dates and public holidays around the world.

January

• 01 Jan: New Year's Day
• 02 Jan - 02 Feb: Dubai Shopping Festival - Dubai 
• 05 Jan - 28 Jan: Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival - China
• 13 Jan - 26 Jan: Australian Open tennis - Melbourne, Australia
• 14 Jan: Jaipur Kite Festival - India
• 15 Jan: Full Moon Party - Koh Phangan, Thailand
• 20 Jan: Martin Luther King Day – USA
• 26 Jan: Australia Day
• 31 Jan: Chinese New Year

Who has the hardest World Cup 2014 draw?

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is approaching and the draw has been made. And after every World Cup draw, a debate ensues as to which group is deemed the "group of death." Quickly many proclaimed Group B, with Spain and the Netherlands to be the one, but the analysis shows that in fact Group G is this tournament's deadliest.

GROUP A

• Brazil
• Croatia
• Mexico
• Cameroon

GROUP B

• Spain
• Netherlands
• Chile
• Australia

GROUP C

• Colombia
• Greece
• Ivory Coast
• Japan

GROUP D

• Uruguay
• Italy
• England
• Costa Rica

GROUP E

• Switzerland
• France
• Ecuador
• Honduras

GROUP F

• Argentina
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Nigeria
• Iran

GROUP G

• Germany
• Portugal
• United States
• Ghana

GROUP H

• Belgium
• Russia
• Algeria
• Korea

Analysis of all the teams of FIFA World Cup 2014 Brazil

GROUP A
Brazil (BRA), Croatia (CRO), Mexico (MEX), Cameroon (CMR)

GROUP B
Spain (ESP), Netherlands (NED), Chile (CHI), Australia (AUS)

GROUP C
Colombia (COL), Greece (GRE), Ivory Coast (CIV), Japan (JPN)

GROUP D
Uruguay (URU), Costa Rica (CRC), England (ENG), Italy (ITA)

GROUP E
Switzerland (SUI), Ecuador (ECU), France (FRA), Honduras (HON)

GROUP F
Argentina (ARG), Bosnia & Herzegovina (BIH), Iran (IRN), Nigeria (NGA)

GROUP G
Germany (GER), Portugal (POR), Ghana (GHA), USA (USA)

GROUP H
Belgium (BEL), Algeria (ALG), Russia (RUS), Korea Republic (KOR)