Body language
Friend or foe?
Big festivals are often described as temporary cities. With hundreds of thousands of people fenced into a couple of fields, you'll find a huge cross section of society and could well come away having made some good friends. At the same time, there'll always be some individuals who target people like you for all the wrong reasons, so it's worth being on your guard. Then again, if you're wasted and paranoid, everyone could be out to get you.
Trust your instincts
There's a great deal of debate about whether certain non-verbal signals are inborn, instinctive or learned, but when it comes to body language, experts agree that every one of us speaks with a slightly different accent. We can give you the basics, but if you're reading festival-goers for real then be sure to look between the lines - no matter what kind of world they appear to have come from. That dude over there with the mohican, neck tattoo and scary facial piercings? Are you sure he's staring at you because he wants a fight, or because he thinks you might've been in the cub scouts together as kids? Only you can decide. Just make that judgement based on the way they behave, not the way they look.
Festival of love: reading him
Like your typical animal, a man on the make tends to preen himself - anything from checking his hair to his shirt cuffs. If sex is on his subconscious, so to speak, then his hands won't be far from his genitals - i.e. on his hips or in his pockets. The crotch display is a bit of a male giveaway, especially when he's seated, so if you find yourself faced with legs parted like the Red Sea, you can be pretty sure he's mentally undressed you already.
Festival of love: reading her
Women are subtler than men in their physical displays of affection. If she's interested then you may see similar preening gestures, but also check out the way she's looking at you. Holding your gaze, looking away, and then glancing back is a kind of peek-a-boo you can't afford to ignore. Unless she doesn't look back, of course. Also watch for the way she handles her wrists. Why? Because it's a part of the female body that's considered to be erotically charged. It's a pulse point after all, not to mention a prime target for perfume. Crossing and uncrossing the legs may also be a promising sign too, but it could just mean she's busting to get up and away - so don't take the signs too literally!
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