The art of casual conversation

How to be British, part 2

A few weeks ago, I saw in full splendor another feature of the British that I had already noticed but I was having difficulty to pinpoint with precision: The art of the casual and totally irrelevant conversation, which, of course, is intrinsically linked to the great word “lovely“.

I was at my Interior Design class (in which I’m the only foreigner) and we had to make a mood board for a specific project. The girl in front of me finished her work and another young woman seated right next to her started a conversation that, when it finished, I could only think “What the hell just happened?”
This is the short version of the aforementioned conversation, an endless exchange of “lovely’s” which made me feel nostalgic for the couple of minutes of my life that I lost listening to them and that I will never be able to get back:
Woman 1: Oh, how lovely!!
Woman 2: Aww thanks!
W1: I love this pink fabric
W2: Isn’t it lovely?
W1: Yes, that pink is lovely!
W2: The stripes …
W1: I know, my favorite, adorable
W2: They were just over there, I was lucky
W1: Just lovely isn’t it?
W2: Definitely …

The art of casual conversation

Although such trivial conversations can be about anything (except money, sex, or any other personal subject, which they find horribly embarrassing and vulgar), my advice is to focus on the British’s favorite subject:
THE WEATHER.
If you, (like me when I came to live here) are not used to look at the weather forecast, then you must start with it immediately: Get used to looking at it every morning and every night before going to bed. It is also a good idea to do some research about the temperature records in the UK for the last 200 years, this exercise will give you hours of nice casual conversation with literally any Brit’ and would go more or less like this depending if it is sunny or overcast:
If it’s sunny:
– Such a lovely day, isn’t it?
– Lovely indeed!
– The sun…
– I know, I simply adore it
– I don’t miss the rain at all! (followed by a weak laugh)
– You say that but this has been the hottest summer since 1976
– Is it really?
– It is indeed

If overcast:
– Dreadful weather
– Horrible
– At least is not raining
– But it will at 3:37 PM
– I wish it was summer
– Yes, but not that hot!
– I don’t mind
– Did you know it was the hottest summer since 1976?
– Was it really?
– It was indeed

Since you can’t spend your whole life with trivial conversations, you must learn other rules to socialize with the British, but that will be part of the next article.

I also want take this opportunity to thank everyone for their warm response to my articles and to consider them entertaining enough to share. Have a LOVELY day.

Continue reading  Ligia Wright