Auntie

One thing I love about Indian and African culture is that little children call people they meet “Auntie” or “Uncle”. You don’t have to be related, just older and of the associated gender. Kids don’t have to remember everyone’s names, just a term of endearment. This strikes me as lovely- I feel instantly connected to a little kid when he calls me Auntie.

Another thing that I’ve noticed kids do in Morocco and Uganda is to present themselves and greet a whole room. They enter, start working clockwise and handshake or kiss every person in the room. Hello Auntie. Hello Uncle. My colleague’s son who was 4 already had it down. Love it.