The Rules

My grandmother has strived to teach me some rules in life. Now I have to say that she is not your typical granny, in flannels and spectacles. She was one of the reigning beauties in Paris in the 60s and 70s and was elected in the Best Dressed Hall of Fame. Having failed to interest my mother in anything related to her world, she tried to mold me into a young lady of distinction. Let's see how she did, shall we?

The Challenge: "Keep your back straight."
Everytime I slouch, I hear those dreaded words and the harsh gesture that accompanied it.
Success rate: 99%.
I'm no sloucher. I now have good posture and at almost 5 ft 10, I'm quite tall for a Frenchwoman, but I've never been anything else but thrilled that I towered over some of my countrymen (two of my aunts are 6ft3 so I'm still considered a short thing in the family).

The Challenge:"If you don't have perfect manners, you're never be a lady"
This includes table manners, etiquette and small talk techniques as well as the usual Ps and Qs.
Success rate: 90%
I'm polite. I know which cutlery to use to eat shrimp or how much to tip people. This is at such odds with my poor student lifestyle that I often astonish my friends with displays of wordly (and frankly not useful to someone in my income range) wisdom. Small talk is another matter, but since I'm genuinely interested in a variety of topics, I like talking to almost everyone, and usually learn from all these conversations.

The Challenge: "Always dress the part."
Success rate: Low.
I know that I don't dress well, but I'm too lazy to do anything about it. I'll always dress up for concerts, definitely. But according to my Grandmother, a woman should always wear good shoes and a good bag, meaning not something fashionable but timeless. My sneakers are timeless, if you mean so old they defy time. Sometimes I feel bursts of dressiness and wear skirts, heels and nice cardigans, but who am I to argue with a nice pair of jeans?

The Challenge: "Behave with men like a Geisha"
Success rate: Ha!
"Men don't like to feel unintelligent with a woman, men need to be catered to, men need to be treasured and made to feel like gods, learn what men like, look at them worshipfully etc."
I've heard these rules all my life and to be honest, I think they are more insulting to men than to me. My grandmother did make me practice pouring out drinks with a worshipful look, but I suspect my subsequent successes with the opposite sex were due to the drinks more to the gaze.