Is the following a Tibet custom? The Dalai Lama was in front of a crowd video-taped when he told some kid to “suck my tongue.” It’s in the NBC.com News articles right now. I hope the cultural context was right from Tibet.
It was supposed to be a joke.
I found the bit below. Tongue sucking is not a part of the tradition:
Sticking out one’s tongue is a sign of respect or agreement and was often used as a greeting in traditional Tibetan culture. According to Tibetan folklore, a cruel ninth-century Tibetan king had a black tongue, so people stick out their tongues to show that they are not like him (and aren’t his reincarnation). - SOURCE
I read elsewhere this greeting is not normally used in a group setting but I cannot find the citation for it so not sure.
That’s a lotta weird for a joke. “I got your nose” not cutting it anymore?
(Let me guess- it’s a zen thing. 
)
nevermind
The Dalai Lama has a long history of being playful with kids. And I mean that in a non-creepy way.
The forehead touching thing is a blessing and an honor for a Lama to bestow it on one. It’s an incredible honor for the DL to take off his hat and give a blessing. The video’s I’ve seen of the hug are nothing out of the ordinary for anyone hugging a child. The tounge was a bit odd but followed up with another forehead touching. I for one give the 89 year old DL the benefit of the doubt that he was being playful.
In my experience of multiple trips and about 6 months total in Tibet in the 1980’s, it is a common Tibetan greeting to stick out your tounge maybe a quarter inch or so and bite down on it smiling. This photo the tounge protrudes more than I remember, but the smiling/bite down is right.
What you wrote sounds good in the context of the video. I should visit Tibet sometime soon as it makes the most sense when I’m there.