Travellers to Francophone andHispanophone countries will havenoticed a superiority of everydaysocial interactions to those observable in ourown country. They retain a slightly formulaicceremoniousness that is now entirely lacking fromour own culture， and that comes (at least to me) asa great relief. If there's one thing that ought to beavoided in casual， everyday encounters， it's sayingthe first thing that comes into your head.