bear hug

And it imbues the foodstuffs, home goods, clothes, paraphernalia and tchotchkes that hail from here with a sort of unquantifiable, ineffable, sun-kissed, surf-adjacent vibe that wraps around you like a cartoon bear hug.

“Every day, a huge bear hug,” she recalled.

Another leader, Evelyn Santiago, wrapped her in a bear hug and steered her to a table overflowing with snacks and art supplies.

It must also be said that when populist and anti-democratic politicians give Israel a bear hug based on their religious convictions, it is incumbent on those of us who know better, to reject such affiliation.

State dinners are best known as bear hugs for overseas allies, and Thursday’s honoree was Kenya.