RIKO: PROTOCOL MASTER

I know officially have a certificate which proves that I know all about:

◦ Proper methods of introductions and greetings
◦ Polite ways of giving people my business card
◦ How to do a receiving line
◦ How to properly handle drinks and hors d'oeurves AT THE SAME TIME
◦ How to ooooooooze into conversation groups
◦ Proper place-settings
◦ The fine art of planning seating arrangements
◦ Correct manners for dining, sitting, and serving a meal
◦ Different kinds of events and the important parts of a formal invitation
◦ Different dress codes and what they mean
◦ What arrival/departure times really mean
◦ Correct manners for dining in restaurants
◦ What to give as gifts and when
◦ Some other random stuff you shouldn't do in other countries

Anyway, the point is that yesterday was kind of silly and fun! The whole thing was taught by a retired Canadian ambassador and his wife. I learned some dumb stuff and a couple of things that are actually good to know geez. I got to do a lunch and practice holding my cutlery in the continental style, and it was generally just kind of interesting in a "I will probably never achieve a social status in life where 90% of this is actually important but okay that's pretty neat to know" kind of way.