How do you spell 'Chinese'?

Vaucluse · Post by **Vaucluse** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 4:18 pm

Mrs 'Cluse, the blue-eyed monster and I were at the Jade Crystal restaurant in Holland V this afternoon enjoying some scrumptious dim sum when this group of four adults and their four sprog entered and aksed for two tables of 4 . . . By the sound of it (and the size of them) I'd say Californians. After sitting down the clearly alpha female said to the waiter:

'We don't do chopsticks' . . .

I guess a conveyor belt would move the food into their gobs at a considerably faster rate.

Plavt · Post by **Plavt** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 6:02 pm

I guess a conveyor belt would move the food into their gobs at a considerably faster rate.

Perhaps that's why they call it 'Fast Food'.

Plavt.

Mary Hatch Bailey · Post by **Mary Hatch Bailey** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 7:51 pm

Don't you wish the waiter had said:

Well, perhaps you should do Burger King...

or

No, it's easy, bend over and I'll show you how to hold them...

or

Wow! I have always heard that Americans have trouble with geography, you do realize that you are in Asia, don't you?

Matney · Post by **Matney** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 9:53 pm

Or... Would a shovel do?

riversandlakes · Post by **riversandlakes** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 10:43 pm

Oh, it's okay not to do chopsticks, my cousin couldn't do it

But they have missed part of the "fun"

Mary Hatch Bailey · Post by **Mary Hatch Bailey** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 10:47 pm

riversandlakes wrote:Oh, it's okay not to do chopsticks, my cousin couldn't do it But they have missed part of the "fun"

It's not whether they can or chose to use chopsticks R&L, it's how they chose to treat the wait staff...

riversandlakes · Post by **riversandlakes** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:01 pm

But `alpha female` was merely informing the wait staff of their handicap?

Wind In My Hair · Post by **Wind In My Hair** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:09 pm

Mary Hatch Bailey wrote:Wow! I have always heard that Americans have trouble with geography, you do realize that you are in Asia, don't you?

oh i love that one! would love to watch you in action mary, you're a scream.

RAL, "could we all have forks and spoons please?" would have been the polite way to ask, imho.

Mary Hatch Bailey · Post by **Mary Hatch Bailey** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:19 pm

riversandlakes wrote:But `alpha female` was merely informing the wait staff of their handicap?

Again, its all in how you do it...

Saint · Post by **Saint** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:39 pm

The kind of opposite happened to me once. I was out for a family meal and the waiter gave me only a spoon and fork

In a completely straight face, I politely asked the waiter if he could show me how to use a fork and spoon

Mrs S and the family nearly wet themselves laughing

tiki · Post by **tiki** » Thu, 05 Jan 2006 11:48 pm

Perhaps the 'alpha' male didn't mean to be rude (?).

I mean when I was living in FL, I have heard a few 'we don't do's..'. Guess it just sounds kinda rude if one uses the lingo in Asia but like I said perhaps he didn't meant it in that way.

Yea he could've have asked in a more polite manner or rather more ' locale friendly' manner ( depending on your geography ). Even if he couldn't do a 'could we have forks and spoons please' then maybe he should've gone with a ' ya got forks and spoons?'.

If the waiter does take it a little too personally. he should'nt be in the business cos you gotta learn how other folks work as long as they are not blatantly putting you down.

All in all, no harm....

earthfriendly · Post by **earthfriendly** » Fri, 06 Jan 2006 2:12 am

The world has changed so much. We no longer know who is really who and age-old truths/stereotypes no longer hold true.

At Chinese restuarant, hubby always use the chopsticks (the default table setting) provided while I would request for fork (years of working as an accountant and constant surfing on the expat forum have resulted in tendontinis which makes chopstick maneaurvering difficult).

Bubbles · Post by **Bubbles** » Fri, 06 Jan 2006 3:19 am

It sounds a bit rude to me, but perhaps the woman was only being 'Californian' and didn't realise she was, perhaps, offending.

I am a whizz with chopsticks, as I should be, living in Sing for 8 years, also KL....but it's more than usual for me to be given a knife, fork or spoon in Singapore when everyone else gets chopsticks....I mean, every Asian friend.....perhaps it's just good manners on the part of the staff, not wanting to put someone in a position where they'll mess up, but it's all about points of view.

By the way Mary, loved the one about ...'bend over and let me show you where they go...'....lolol....

Still, you would think that they could have asked quietly, wouldn't you?

dot dot dot · Post by **dot dot dot** » Fri, 06 Jan 2006 8:59 am

I support a 'no-californians' policy in Singapore.

Eric

sapphire · Post by **sapphire** » Fri, 06 Jan 2006 10:10 am

Q: How do you spell 'Chinese'?
A: Without apostrophe.

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