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More Spoons Please


Torneyboy

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Brink15 said:

Honestly it's never really bothered me.

 

You would definitely freak out at an Ethiopian restaurant. The food is served on a large communal flatbread plate. Everyone rips off pieces of the bread and dips it into the various curries and other dishes. It's not that different than the Isaan tradition of dipping balled up khao nee-ow into dishes. I wonder who has cleaner hands on average after a trip to the hawng nam, Thais or farang?

 

Actually given the Thai fastidiousness over hygiene and their perception of farang as the unwashed masses I'm surprised they let you eat with them. :neener:

 

 

 

Ha ha Brink ::

 

 

Just today...we had a joint Birthday lunch for my wife (24/8 and her younger sister 22/8 at her apartment.

 

17 Thais and little old me...had that on table burner/cooker you see in Coca and MK restaurants...bbq pork and seafood etc.

 

Well...out come a heap of chopsticks and they turned the food with these and once cooked took off to eat..dip in a sauce (yes no spoons again) and back to the hotplate...i grabed some with tongs and had to eat and look away.

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Zaad said:

However they proceed to dip the spoon in the sauce that they use to eat with.....

CLose family OK, guests HELL NO!

 

I'd be annoyed as well TB, I 'm sure they got your point.

Using the eating spoon for every sauce is not uncommon for many families but definitely not acceptable in every home and they should be aware of that.

Lack of manners? respect?

 

Hopefully they know it doesn't go in your house.

 

Yeah...family....but NOT my extended Thai family!! ::

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The first time I was exposed to this, it seemed weird and I wasn't sure what to make of it, thinking silently to myself "boy, what poor manners". I have even had Thai's insist we swap glasses for a swig. But now as far as a table of friends dipping into the communal dish with their own utensils, it's grown on me and I like it. It seems to build more closeness and make everyone more at ease with less of a formal feel. Now I am at the point I feel having serving utensils has a stuffy feeling about it and dislike nice restaurants that supply them. Been in country too long I guess. :dunno: I like it even more when a TG fills my plate which is always with her utensils too.

 

Couple things I've noticed as far as politeness is move the food to your plate first; don't eat directly off the communal dishes. The other thing is if you need to put down a utensil, never lay it on the table. Instead, lean it up on your plate, face down.

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Escape Rabbit said:

The first time I was exposed to this, it seemed weird and I wasn't sure what to make of it, thinking silently to myself "boy, what poor manners". I have even had Thai's insist we swap glasses for a swig. But now as far as a table of friends dipping into the communal dish with their own utensils, it's grown on me and I like it. It seems to build more closeness and make everyone more at ease with less of a formal feel. Now I am at the point I feel having serving utensils has a stuffy feeling about it and dislike nice restaurants that supply them. Been in country too long I guess. :dunno: I like it even more when a TG fills my plate which is always with her utensils too.

 

Couple things I've noticed as far as politeness is move the food to your plate first; don't eat directly off the communal dishes. The other thing is if you need to put down a utensil, never lay it on the table. Instead, lean it up on your plate, face down.

 

 

My wife and i will share a dish or two..no problems...but not 8 or more people i have only met once or twice..and one that just got off the plane fom BKK that day!!!

 

I dont mind a lot of the things they do with food and eating ..i put up with a lot...just not putting double dipped food in my mouth ::

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"He's in his house and may do whatever he feels like. If he moves to a place where it's customary to eat with hands from the same pan you believe he's forced to comply just because he lives in such place? Of course not!"

 

Makes sense but then if you had some Jewish friends and invited them over for a meal - would it be okay to serve pork as the main dish?

 

I consider this culture sensitivity.

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ER, I am glad you said that cuz I was starting to get a complex :D. I just do not think anything about that serving spoon issue. And I think is is oddly formal too outside of a posh restaraunt.

 

TB, no offense, but you seem to be a bit anal lately. Too many thing going on in your life at the monent? It sure seems like it with all the posts you have been making. Just relax and have fun! I know that is trite in that my life is not upset right now like yours, but it is *still* good advice!

 

Cheers,

SD

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suadum said:

ER, I am glad you said that cuz I was starting to get a complex :D. I just do not think anything about that serving spoon issue. And I think is is oddly formal too outside of a posh restaraunt.

 

TB, no offense, but you seem to be a bit anal lately. Too many thing going on in your life at the monent? It sure seems like it with all the posts you have been making. Just relax and have fun! I know that is trite in that my life is not upset right now like yours, but it is *still* good advice!

 

Cheers,

SD

 

 

Hi ...Don't get me wrong...i/we have a heap of fun down here.

 

Just do not like people double dipping is all :D

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Im a knife and fork man - fuck those spoons. You try to cut or pull apart a piece of food with them and you end up with a spoon that is no longer useable because you've bent it.

Regarding the issuse of 'dipping' the spoon or fork into the food and then into a persons mouth and back again.

Well I try and get in first - take my share of the food and place it on my plate. After that they can dip away I'm finished going back to the bucket.

That might not be the way Thais do it but maybe they'll learn from me as I learn from them.

 

If I could only be there now I think I might put up with some of the Thai ways of eating. (Remind me to organise my next trip.)

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