3BT: ringtones, tea, books and handsome strangers

1. A mobile phone beeps during beginners' English. "It's not me," says Eliane, having learned the hard way that I do not approve of such intrusions. "I know," I say, "because you have a Nokia, and that was an iPhone." Instantly, I gain kudos and street cred.

2. I buy tea on the Eurostar, and they ask me, "small, medium or large"? I want to hug them. Until now there has only been one size, and it was too small. Then they ask me, "do you want the teabag in or out?". (Previously, I had to apologise for the oddity of my British behaviour and ask that they put the teabag in with the hot water straight away.)

3. I stand in Foyles at King's Cross, breathing in the new book smell next to the New Releases. It's not only the pages; it's in the very air. I've never noticed this anywhere before.

4. The super friendly, super polite, blue-eyed Costa guy with the French accent sees me struggle and carries my bag over to a table with better wifi. Which warranted a fourth beautiful thing.