shake hands

At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, the then Prince of Wales found himself unexpectedly shaking hands with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

A few hours later, however, he was warmly mingling at a gathering of 7,000 children from 84 countries, fielding their questions, shaking hands and autographing caps and a sports jersey.

Some officers could be seen laughing and shaking hands with the assailants.

At the same time, China is seeking to take advantage of faltering U.S. alliances by positioning itself as a stable partner — “shaking hands rather than shaking fists,” as one Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson put it.

It’s the blurry middle ground where sweet and savory shake hands, where the unexpected happens and where the best things are often a little messy.