Etiquette

25th November 2007
Sunday
Useless? Or simply used less?

Just now during dinner, my mum mentioned about the way I was using my spoon and fork and said something about it being wrong. Then she dragged my dining etiquette courses from 3 years ago into the picture. "You went for the course, never learn meh?"

Sure, I learnt about all these stuff. But who actually uses it? 'Scoop the soup outwards gently on the surface for western dining, inwards for chinese.' 'Sit straight and bring the food to you, not lean towards the food.' 'Chew with mouth closed.' 'Pass sauces to your right.'

We all know about it. Yet who in the right mind will apply it in real life? In modern day Singapore, if you eat politely in a 'correct' manner at a coffeeshop, my best guess would be people staring at you with weird looks. And I do mean weird looks.

Why are we learning about etiquette then? The way I see it, it is to prepare you for weird events in your life. Like an interview dinner. Or maybe a $50,000 a seat gala dinner. How often will we experience that? Maybe once in two lifetimes. And when it really does happen, how much will we be able to recall from our short 4 hour course from fifteen years back?

Okay. So it might be useful. Who came up with this crap anyway? The joy of eating comes from the taste of the food, and the knowledge that you will be alive for another day. Not from how well you look and how silently you can cut up that piece of medium-rare steak on your dining plate. If you are going to have good food, why crack your head over the procedures in looking good for others?

"That which is used less might not be useless."
-Han Yong