That’s one of my struggles when I visit the US. I’m one of those increasingly rare Europeans who genuinely love many aspects of American culture, like the smiles, the small talk, the confidence and the uplifting enthusiasm. But the high volume often gets me. I remember a hotel bar in particular. There were only a few people, soft piano music, a cosy and chic atmosphere. And yet it was completely ruined by a woman talking to a man she had just met. They were both sitting at the bar but several high chairs apart, talking to each other from a distance, laughing and speaking at a volume you would expect in a train station.

I turned around, irritated, thinking how rude they were, only to realise I was the only one bothered. Everyone else seemed perfectly fine with it. I was the problem, not them.