TABLE MANNER

Dear Annie: Could you please settle a dispute over manners between my son and me?

He recently told me of a dining experience he had with his new girlfriend and her family. They had gone to a nice restaurant and my son ordered a t-bone steak. He went on to tell me how he picked the bone up and chewed the remainder of the meat off of it. He sees nothing wrong with this. I, on the other hand, think he had a lapse in good judgment and manners. Please settle this for us.

-- Tried To Raise Him Right


Reply :

Dear Tried: In an informal setting, perhaps at his girlfriend's home, it would be OK to pick up the mostly clean bone of a lamb chop, pork chop or small steak and chew to your heart's content. But in a restaurant, your son should have cut as much meat as possible from the bone and eaten it with his fork. You win this one, Mom.

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This letter appears in Annie's Mailbox today. It reminded me of the various different table behaviour when I first came to USA. Ah Don has to teach me how to use the fork & spoon displayed on the dinning table in the restaurant !!!!

As Chinese, we used to put all dishes on the dinning table . Each dishes is provided with a serving spoon for use. Everyone can take any amount of dishes onto his/her own serving plate and repeat whenever he /she likes. Unlike Americans, they have to pass around the dishes from one to another round the table. ( OMG, some of the dishes are so heavy or big to hold! )

I had a hard time to get used to this manner at first. I found it very awful to either taking too much ( that I don't like!!) or too little food ( that I like!!!).

Ah Don is very particular with table manner; I know, he has something to say about my eating behaviour....... but , who care...... ! Ha ha ha ha ha...