29. Have the balls to return food in a restaurant

So as much as I hate to admit it, I'm very British when I'm out for a meal and when the waiter/waitress comes over after food has been served and says 'Is everything ok', my default answer is 'Yes, fine thank you' partly because I do not like being interrupted when I'm eating and in the middle of a conversation, I always feel that if I didn't like something I know I can call them over and tell them. Yet, time and time again, the food isn't quite right and I'm not 100% happy but I never say so.

Over the past year I have made good friends with a few Americans, who are very un-British and will be the first to send food back and tell the waiter/waitress that there is something wrong.

On 20th December, I was out for a meal with my American friend Jen and Australian friend Duschanca at a gastropub in Covent Garden (and as it was a gastropub it was posh nosh with uniformed waiters and expensive wine!). I'd ordered the burger and chips on Jen's recommendation and when it arrived I was a bit disappointed with the chips - they were limp, soggy and not properly cooked in my view. But did I say anything?!...No.... boo to me. Jen gave me a telling off for not sending it back and said that it's perfectly ok, particularly when you're paying a higher price. We ordered dessert and I ordered the blue cheese and truffle honey on raisin toast. What was presented to me was blue cheese and oatcakes - by the way for those who don't know oatcakes are not the same as raisin toast!!! I was fairly cheesed off (pardon the pun) and with encouragement from Jen and Duschanca, with my heart pounding because surely it isn't the done thing to complain, I called the waiter over and explained my discontent. It was fixed within a couple of minutes and I was much happier.

All in all that was easy and as much as it felt a little uncomfortable it was absolutely the right thing to do and I think I'd now have the balls to do that all again if I'm not happy with the food!

Two down, 28 to go!