Minding My Manners

As my summer trip to Germany nears, I want to be sure that when I meet my friends there, I won't offend them with inappropriate manners and clumsy etiquette or some sort of cultural faux pas. And so I asked my German language teacher for help, and she kindly and patiently answered all my questions and gave valuable advice.
Some things I already knew about the German character and habits , such as punctuality, reliability, responsibility, observing rules, and keeping promises, but it was nonetheless good for someone like me who comes from a "mai pen rai" (easy-going) culture to be reminded of these very important virtues. Showing up on time, imagine that! Being reliable, wow! Keeping promises? But why? Aren't you supposed to make promises just to "au toi rod", which means getting yourself out of trouble? Wait till I tell my fellow Thais about this!
Other things my teacher said took me by surprise.
- When inside restaurants, always speak softly, and never so loud that the people at the next table can hear you. This reminds me of the time when I was eating at a seafood restaurant near Lumpini Park. I was in a room at the opposite corner from a group of about a dozen people. As their meal progressed, they talked ever louder; sometimes everyone appeared to be talking all at once with no one doing the listening. It got so bad I had to ask the waiter to move me to another room.
- Allow plenty of time for perusing the menu and ordering food. This is definitely one of my sins. Not being a food-oriented person, I am in the habit of walking in, sitting down, and ordering the first item on the menu that looks half-way decent. I love menus with big colorful pictures because they help me decide in less than 45 seconds. No, make that 30 seconds.
- Never use your cell phone in the company of guests or friends when you should be paying attention to them. Once when I accompanied Nancy to attend mass at a Catholic church in Bangkok, I heard an annoying noise while the priest was conducting the ceremony. I looked behind me and saw a woman talking on her cell phone. It was so shocking, but who knows, maybe she had a direct number to the heavens.
- When retiring for the evening, always say good night ("Gute Nacht") to people in the house and don't just disappear into your room. What a lovely touch of politeness. I already do this all the time, always saying good night in three different languages to me, myself, and I.
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I'll report on all the things I did wrong when I get back from Germany.
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Photo location: Lake Trasimeno, Umbria, Italy