the waaater thing is definately showing you don't speak up to snuff, the glass was the hint.

this is rarer now but "manners" in england are all about class. i had a cold on a train and sneezed and sniffled a few times on my last trip and an imperious woman and her husband got up to move to the back of the train saying"you're revolting". i gave her the finger and told her to stick it..., brits with pretensions to be upper class can still be jerks. i get a kick out of chatting with them while travellin as usually they are under educated or un educated just born to a bit of money. no point in trying to hang with them.

now middle class and working class are easy to get along with, especially of you say you're canadian. the pretensions of lcass have mostly dissappeared there. i met a few tipsy sorts on friday or saturday night and i talked to them as i would talk to any one and had no problems. i think the reputation comes from a growing hostility to those with class pretensions. they used to be able to get away with murder, now they might get murdered for mouthing off at a partier on the weekend.

in paris i got invited into peoples homes and had a great time. again it depends on your attitude. americans are friendly but they are domineering and the french hate that, and they have had several revolutions and hate the british class pretensions. they have their own pretensions of being the most cultured people in the world but it may be true.

i got free places to stay, got invited to big private parties and had a great time in paris, and my spoken french was much worse back then, and i was a travelling hippy looking busker. soa lot depends on you attitude.. the french are very cultured and if you can get along you will find great music art and happenings . i should have stayed longer.