Dave and I reversed roles today. He stayed home with the girls while I attended a class at FSI. When I came home, the house was clean, the chores were done and the girls were pleasant. I walked into the house with a head aching from so much new information. So, clearly, Dave wins as the stay-at-home parent.
I must admit - I was not expecting to learn much today. I thought I knew most of the rules of etiquette, and I thought that protocol was essentially the same thing. So much to learn! For example:
- Never call the Ambassador by his or her first name. Never. Like, even if he's at a BBQ in your own backyard. Like, even if she's sitting next to you in the bleachers watching your kids play basketball on the same middle school team. Like, even if you're playing squash together. Never. Should he ask you to call him by his first name, you should reply, "Yes, Mr. Ambassador."
- Always stand up when the Ambassador and/or their spouse enter the room.
- Ambassador must be a very lonely job.
Of course, we discussed much more than just how to treat an ambassador with respect. Table manners took up over half of our day. I learned that I hold my fork as if it were a shovel rather than a dining utensil. Also, I learned how to eat escargot. I learned that changing name cards at a dinner party can result in international catastrophes, offending a country by not properly recognizing the rank of their representatives. I learned that there is an internationally recognized ranking of diplomats, and that the ambassador who has been in the country the longest will always sit to the right of the host at a dinner party - this is Protocol.
The nicest lesson, though, is one that comes reinforced more and more often as I get older. We learn rules of etiquette so that we know how to behave when invited to a formal dinner party. Should we choose to entertain, we essentially set our own rules. It is not necessary to have multiple forks and sherry glasses on the table - an American BBQ with plastic plates is perfectly acceptable. Bring your personality forward, and pull off whatever you choose. Without offending the French Ambassador and causing an international calamity, of course.
I must admit - I was not expecting to learn much today. I thought I knew most of the rules of etiquette, and I thought that protocol was essentially the same thing. So much to learn! For example:
- Never call the Ambassador by his or her first name. Never. Like, even if he's at a BBQ in your own backyard. Like, even if she's sitting next to you in the bleachers watching your kids play basketball on the same middle school team. Like, even if you're playing squash together. Never. Should he ask you to call him by his first name, you should reply, "Yes, Mr. Ambassador."
- Always stand up when the Ambassador and/or their spouse enter the room.
- Ambassador must be a very lonely job.
Of course, we discussed much more than just how to treat an ambassador with respect. Table manners took up over half of our day. I learned that I hold my fork as if it were a shovel rather than a dining utensil. Also, I learned how to eat escargot. I learned that changing name cards at a dinner party can result in international catastrophes, offending a country by not properly recognizing the rank of their representatives. I learned that there is an internationally recognized ranking of diplomats, and that the ambassador who has been in the country the longest will always sit to the right of the host at a dinner party - this is Protocol.
The nicest lesson, though, is one that comes reinforced more and more often as I get older. We learn rules of etiquette so that we know how to behave when invited to a formal dinner party. Should we choose to entertain, we essentially set our own rules. It is not necessary to have multiple forks and sherry glasses on the table - an American BBQ with plastic plates is perfectly acceptable. Bring your personality forward, and pull off whatever you choose. Without offending the French Ambassador and causing an international calamity, of course.
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