What do locals think is appalling behaviour from expats?

[earthfriendly]

My experience is nowhere as abominable as SMS's. It gets a bit distracting though, for my eyes and ears. Since I consider eating a palatey (as in palete related) activity.

[earthfriendly]

Wow, I think SMS is essentially anti Chinese Singaporean. One only need to mention it in passing and he'll be all over them.

[Wind In My Hair]

what i find appalling as a visitor from "expats" is how "when in rome do as romans" applies there in the empires but "when in the colonies do as romans" applies... well... everywhere else...

Ha ha, well said!

I like you

I know you do, darling.

[earthfriendly]

To WIMH, Banana, Hibri and everybody else who may find the thread taking an offensive turn, I apologise. My initial comment was really in passing and in response to RNT about food issue. How the hell am I gonna know it will end up with people calling names like "pig" and "garbage disposal". I personally find it distasteful and hateful. And to think SMS is the moderator.

Have fun moderating, SMS !

[hibri2]

My experience is nowhere as abominable as SMS's. It gets a bit distracting though, for my eyes and ears. Since I consider eating a palatey (as in palete related) activity.

the leaving of chewed and sucked up stuff (bones, crab bits, prawn skins and so) irks me a little bit to be honest, but i just let it slide and enjoy my food (good thing about singapore's food is that sends you to your happy place, wherever that is)

but what it takes my appetite away is no self-perception 60's something fat, pink, bald and loud men craving for 20 something kids at attica, insomnia and the like.

people who come to one of the mecca's of food and choices and complain about white bread and cheesecake prices (with durian ice kachang and chendol and sea coconut with nata de coco... who needs a cheesecake dammit! )

anyone who have been in paris during summer actually complaining about smells. honestly... that river really stinks during summer!

anyone who only speaks one language (english) and complains about accents or mannerisms of anyone who speaks two or more.

on the topic above... anyone who can not appreciate the cuteness of: can!, no need!, dont have!, dont do! and my all time favorite... die, die, must do!

thats all for now...

(trying to stay on topic here, eh? im very much westerner myself)

[hibri2]

To WIMH, Banana, Hibri and everybody else who may find the thread taking an offensive turn, I apologise.

its OK EF, as far as i remember your posts, i generally agree with you in several items and so far, i perceive you mean well.

for me, there is no need to apologize at all.

[earthfriendly]

SMS, I enjoy eating chicken feet. Really. So much so that I'll hoard the entire dish to myself and if my daughter wants to have some, she'll have to order her own. Given your authoritative comment about dining etiquette, I would assume you have impeccable table manners. Next time when I am back in SG, please come join me for a meal and demonstrate to me how to elegantly extract the minicuous meat off the bone of the chicken feet with a pair of chopstick (or to please your western sensibilities, we can request for a pair of Reed and Barton silverware). And not leave a single trace of bone anywhere in sight. BTW, is the human digestive system equiped to digest animal bones? Seriously, a genuine question.

On a side note, disdain for type of food e.g. organ meat is something that is taught to us and not an inherent human trait. My 5 yo daughter does not find chicken feet and such to be repulsive and would be very happy when she gets a plump meaty piece.

[sundaymorningstaple]

To WIMH, Banana, Hibri and everybody else who may find the thread taking an offensive turn, I apologise. My initial comment was really in passing and in response to RNT about food issue. How the hell am I gonna know it will end up with people calling names like "pig" and "garbage disposal". I personally find it distasteful and hateful. And to think SMS is the moderator.

Have fun moderating, SMS !

Yes, I will agree that I am partially to blame for the direction that the thread turned and I do apologize for that, However, we just tend to follow the lead of the previous poster instead of ignoring them. However, as this thread wasn't in the "strictly speaking" forum it goes about like most threads do.

Your comments, however, are slightly out of turn as well I would think.

I would have you go back and read both of my posts again. I don't think I mentioned Chinese people at all at any time. The only time I mentioned a race was talking about a certain type of restaurant. It is unfortunate that with all the tableware in a Chinese restaurant, they can't provide a bowl for bones and other little bits? Or it could be asked for could it not? I just cannot understand the concept of spitting on the tablecloth when the waitress is constantly bringing new plates & bowls around. What am I missing here? What are you missing? And, with regard to eating of chicken feet, my wife (also Singaporean) and all our families eat chicken feet in curries all the time. And none of them spit out the bones on the tablecloth and that's what I was taking issue with. It doesn't matter what you race is you shouldn't spit food onto the tabletop and on a tablecloth somemore! That's why they make bowls, saucers, etc.

As far as my description of eating with one's mouth open, it was in response to a statement by another who also did not mention any race and as a matter of fact, was talking about table manners in general about eating with your mouth open.

As you pointed out, this thread turned on itself by your own hand (whether or not it was "in passing"). And my hawking of phlegm still stands. If sick, stay home. And that is for any race - east or west. So can we give it a rest?

[sundaymorningstaple]

but what it takes my appetite away is no self-perception 60's something fat, pink, bald and loud men craving for 20 something kids at attica, insomnia and the like.

With that I'll have to agree. And I've known all to many of those guys over the years.

[Plavt]

Now we have appalling behaviour by the locals!

[earthfriendly]

I find the Chineseabit lacking in table manners and sometimes, it affects my dining experience.

SMS, I specifically mention the term "Chinese" in my initial post. And since you were continuing the discussion, my train of thought would continue in this direction. Bad choice of me for singling out a race.

Plavt, I think I am the only one who reacted harshly thus far. Locals like Banana and WIMH and GC have been more gracious in their resopnse.

[EADG]

that was the one I would have mentioned, so I'll second it, find myself trying to look in different directions

actually it's not only when eating though...

I guess the other one is that bizarre two-handed drop-down simultaneous fork and spoon grip paddle the food in the mouth act, never saw it anywhere else

... I don't care who it is: how rich, well-bred, influential, what color, whatever -- if you have bad table manners (eating with your mouth open!) I may sit through it once, but never, ever again.

[QRM]

Another appaling habit by expats is using public cutlery, its quite sicking to see expats using a fork that has aready been in hundreds of other mouths, it is probably only "washed" with a dip in cold water then stored in a roach infested tray.

A much more civilized way to eat, is with your own fingers at least you know where they have been.

[earthfriendly]

As far as my description of eating with one's mouth open, it was in response to a statement by another who also did not mention any race and as a matter of fact, was talking about table manners in general about eating with your mouth open.

SMS, in all fairness , I have to agree. Reason I have not pointed out RNT is because she is just doing her usual, pointing out faults of people and the world around. I perceive her as a fair-minded individual with strong values. These two traits are important in my search of a life partner and friends. And I agree with her the basic lifeskills that all of us should have. It is just like US foreign policy. I believe that democracy is the best chance for peaceful coexistence and it is prudent to introduce the concept to the rest of world. It is human nature to want to “sell”

[earthfriendly]

QRM, I do not believe in eating with one's hands, instead of cutlery. It is inherently unhygenic and I have to constantly remind my kids not to do it when they think it is fun to finger with their food. I used to go eat out with a doctor I almost dated. He would always head towards the restroom to wash his hands before every meal. The germs and bacteria that is inherent in the bathroom is another story though.