"A Table!"  
What poise, what posture, what a pleasant smile!  Now here's a young man we can all be proud of.   Of course there's a world of meaning in the smallest details (notice the hands elegantly placed on the table), but a broad awareness will carry you far.  As we said in the beginning, the French are very tolerant of those who are just now learning their ways of speech and behavior.  The most important thing is good humor and a desire to understand the little things as well as the big.  See another note below.
 

Perhaps the most imporant part of this picture in the position of Alexander's hands.  Notice that they are flat on the table, clearly visible to all at the table.  If he were to put one or both of them beneath the table, it would likely be seen as worse than the elbows on the table we saw earlier.  In fact, an adult of the proper size can at the proper moment of pause between courses or after the meal put his or her elbows on the table.  Watch a French person for the model of this behavior, but do your best to keep your hands off your knees while you're dining.   (Back to top of page)