In Europe, a fork and knife are used differently than in the US. If you are right-handed, eat with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Europeans cut each bite individually with the knife in the right hand and the fork in the left hand, and rest their arms midway between wrist and elbow. The elbow should stay off the table. Also, don’t rest your arm in between yourself and your plate. This is considered as rude in some countries. In some Asian nations chopsticks. It might be more appropriate than a knife and fork.
If you must use a dictionary to translate a sign or menu, be discreet. For example, copy down the words of the sign and move aside to a less public place to work out the translation. Or copy some basic words in a notebook which you can easily pull out at dinner. If you must consult a guidebook, keep it wrapped in a newspaper or novel. You may want to wrap the cover in brown paper before leaving home. You may wish to remove the pages detailing the day’s destinations from your guidebook ahead of time, staple or paperclip them, and simply carry them as a sheaf of pages. Don’t carry US newspapers, magazines or books in plain view. Pick up a local/regional magazine or the local newspaper. Just like in the US, most tourist friendly museums have literature in multiple languages. Look for the UK flag on them instead of an American flag.
