It was an ordinary day. Talking with friends about manners at the dinner table that we consider rude, but are actually polite in other countries. Seems they had read about a few things that we would never do before, during or after having dinner with friends, but are actually polite if you happen to be having that dinner in another country. While traveling, Carol and I have been invited by friends several times in the past to a meal with them, but never noticed anything unusual about the eating habits. We questioned our friends about what habits they may be referring to and they mentioned a few to us. One such manner is burping while eating. Seems that in China and Taiwan, burping is the highest form of flattery while eating. The host considers the noise a compliment. Wow! Perhaps I should try it sometime! Another dinner manner that is considered OK in other countries is arriving to dinner late. In India it is acceptable to show up for dinner 15 to 30 minutes late. Tough to anticipate how long to heat the food if people arrive 30 minutes after you had expected them. Another table manner that is acceptable in some countries is receiving a glass of wine and drinking the entire glass with one long gulp. What do you do...give them another one, and maybe yet another one. They just might miss the dinner if they continue to gulp a few glasses of wine before dinner. When Carol and I go out to eat dinner with friends and the bill arrives with both meals on it, we expect to pay for our share of the bill. In France, splitting the bill is considered "unsophisticated" and should never be done. And...do you ever feed someone food with your hands? In Ethiopia, feeding each other with your hands is a gesture of hospitality. The tradition, called "gursha, is intended to build trust and social bonds between those sharing the food. Carol and I often have our entire family over during the holidays for a big meal around our huge table. After everyone has eaten and they prepare to head home, they all thank us for inviting them to dinner. In India, thanking the host at the end of the meal is considered a form of payment and is frowned upon. Instead, they may invite you to their home for dinner. And...how about picking up something off the floor or ground, blow it off, and stick it in your mouth. For me, I probably wouldn't do it, but in the Middle East, if you drop something on the ground you should pick it up, kiss it, and raise it to your forehead before putting it back on your plate. This shows respect for your food and the work that went into making it. And...how about not finishing everything on your plate. Didn't your mother teach you to clean you plate when you were little. "Don't waste any food," my mom told me time after time. Well, in many Asian countries, wiping your plate lean means that your host didn't feed you enough. You should always leave a small portion of food on your plate. In Germany, cutting your potato with a knife implies that you don't think it's done all the way. To avoid insulting your host, smash your potatoes with a fork instead. Finally, have you ever heard of swearing at your food before you eat it. Yeah, I know some people swear all the time no matter where they might be, but just swearing at the dinner table used to be done all the time in medieval France. They would swear at their chicken before it was carved. Why? I couldn't find the answer to that one anywhere. Well, when it's time to eat, no matter where you might be or what might have been put in fromt of you, do your best to eat your food in the manner that everyone else does. That way no one will think you are crazy. For me.....it's the time after I eat that makes some of my family and friends think I'm crazy. Why? I just could never figure it out! It certainly wasn't the swearing! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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