Music/SFX #1:  "Shake those hands. / Give me the thing I understand."

 

Christopher:  Put it there, pal.  Let's shake on it.  What is it with people clasping each other's right hand, anyway?  You're part of Springmann's Story on Life, Love and Health.

 

Music/SFX #2:  "Komm gib mir deine Hand."

 

Christopher:  Some historians trace the handshake greeting to the Middle East, where men showed their good will by touching hands, and where the left hand was traditionally reserved for personal hygiene.  I think you understand the implications.  Well, that tradition persists in most Arabic cultures to this day.

 

Music/SFX #3: "Put it there."

 

Christopher:  Thanks to a helpful online guide by the US Air Force Office of Special Investigations, military personnel in Iraq can avoid serious faux pas by not using their left hand to eat, drink or pass items to another person.  Just like spoken language, hand gestures often have unintended meanings in other cultures, and using the left hand in public situations could be seen as rude or a source of shame.

 

Music/SFX #4:  "You made a fool out of me."

 

Christopher:  Oh, and Americans visiting Arabic countries shouldn't touch a dog with either hand.  There are big issues about the cleanliness of dogs in Islamic teachings, and many traditional Muslims wouldn't dream of petting a dog on the street, much less letting one into their home.  Which, by the way, is just one of many things Arabic people find so bizarre about dog-friendly Western TV.  And as for teaching your dog to shake -- well, don't even go there!

 

Music/SFX #5:  "Oh, I wanna have dog breath / I wanna learn to growl"

 

Christopher:  But with dogged persistence, we can all give each other a hand.  And you're part of Springmann's Story on Life, Love and Health.

 

Music/SFX #6:  "My hand goes out and / I have the touch."

 

 

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Suggested music:

1 & 6. "I Have the Touch" – Peter Gabriel

2. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (German version) – The Beatles

3. "Put It There" – Paul McCartney

4. [There must be a million songs that include this line.]

5. "I Wanna Be a Dog" – Nancy Cassidy