I am betting that title has you wondering about me even more than normal. Well, there is a reason. Hubs and I have traveled to other countries before: Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico. But we never encountered some of the following distinct differences. The picture is of downtown Toronto looking out from one of the turrets of a castle we toured.
For one, I never realized how much Americans slouch when walking or sitting unless they were salesmen. You could spot an American in Toronto just by how they sit and walk without listening to them talk. We stayed at a British hotel called the Fairmont Royal York which had a whole lot of English or British people staying there. When they walked or sat, their posture was very erect and there wasn't one slouching Brit.
Next huge noticeable difference is how the British address their children and their children address their parents. One night we left the hotel and went to a restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was Fisherman's Wharf (yes the same owner as the one in San Francisco). Sitting directly behind us was a British couple with their 3 boys, approximate ages 8, 10, 12. First they all marched in with the father first, then the mother, then each boy in descending age order. Reminded me of the "Sound of Music" only with less kids. Their steps were also in sync. The boys and father all stood behind their chair until their mother was seated, then they sat down.
Each boy was very properly impeccably dressed in a short sleeved dress shirt and tie and khaki type trousers. The father was in a suit and tie. The mother was an original June Cleaver complete with a shirtwaist dress with full skirt and low 'sensible' pumps and a sweater draped over her shoulders. I felt like we were in a time warp.
Their dress alone would draw your attention but sitting behind them and listening in on their conversations was the funny part.
Youngest son: "Mum may I please be so honored to be allowed to have another soda?"
Mother: "Why that is simply silly. You have already had 3 sodas and your tummy is full of it. It would be best that you wait for your dinner."
Youngest son: "Thank you mum. I had simply forgotten how much I had to drink and of course you are correct."
Youngest son: "Father and Mum, did you notice the beastly mings on our stroll here?"
Mother: "I realize they were astonishingly ming but we mustn't be so blinkered."
Middle son: "This food is cracking."
Oldest son at the end of dinner: "I am feeling right knackered."
Middle son: "Excuse me. Could you tell me where the ladies/gents is, please?"
I actually wrote all those phrases down so I wouldn't forget them. I had to google the meanings so I could understand them. Here are some of the meanings:
beastly = You would call something or somebody beastly if they were really nasty or unpleasant.
mings = means something or someone who is stinky and/or unattractive.
blinkered = Someone who is blinkered is narrow minded or narrow sighted - they only see one view on a subject. It comes from when horses that pulled carriages wore blinkers to stop them seeing to the side or behind them which stopped them from being startled and only let them see where they were going.
cracking - If something is cracking, it means it is the best. Usually said without pronouncing the last "G".
Right knackered - I'm feeling right knackered. That would mean you were feeling very tired.
ladies/gents = bathroom
Other things I noticed and researched and found out that they are common practices in England:
1. Each member of the family would cut off a piece of food with their knife in their right hand then put said piece of food in their mouth using their left hand while still holding onto their knife.The fork remains in the left hand and the knife in the right hand throughout the entire dinner.
2. Absolutely no one spoke with their mouth full of food.
3. The knife and fork only left their hands when they were done and then they were put down together on their plate and the fork was deliberately placed facing down.
4. For the most part, the children said nothing. They were not included in the conversation with the parents.
5. The father was the definite head of the table. It was only after he was served did the others eat.
6. When the mother got up to go to the loo, the kids and their father stood until she left the table. When we returned, they stood until she sat back down again.
I was having a really hard time trying not to laugh especially with some of the sayings. I actually believe I was in a time warp because I have never in my life heard such polite proper children.
It was a downright astonishingly simply smashing evening!
More on the beastly mings in another post!
