Neither here nor there
Saturday, 21 May 2022 14:20![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elusivekOne thing I don't see a lot of people talk about when being brought up multiculturally, is culture shock from within.
What the heck am I even trying to explain?
Well, I've mentioned before, there are certain things I will naturally say in one particular language. I generally prefer to write in English, talk in Cantonese, and be exasperated in Portuguese. That's right. When the dog is being annoying and I'm trying to "scold" the dog, I just speak in Portuguese without meaning to. There are also certain particular words that I will use in a particular language simply because, there is no better word in the other language to convey that. I can't think of a particular word right now, but it's been known to happen oncein a while.
There are also certain cultural aspects and mannerisms in play.
With my Chinese friends, I like to joke around that, since I was born in Macau, brought up in Macau, never left Macau for studies, I'm as much Chinese as they are. They tend to agree. My bestie even goes around telling people that "What about her looks? She speaks Chinese!"
But there is one thing that I can't accept in Chinese Culture.
Table manners.
Sorry for the potentially gross-invoking photo (chicken bones on a table).
There are many restaurants, especially noodle restaurants, where they serve a variaty of meats. Usually, chicken is with bones, steamed fish full of bones, spare ribs also lots of bones. So. They never serve you a plate to put the bones aside. I usually bring my own packet of tissues and when the need arises, I'll place all the bones on a piece of tissue. But I just changed to a superlight bag, and forgot to pack in the tissue paper.
Some restaurants have a table cloth or table mat, but more often than not, there's nothing.
And that is what I can't stand. I can claim to be as Chinese-minded as I want, but I can't get past this hurdle. Spitting bones out directly on the table? Just no...... I still can't comfortably accept it.
So here's me. prefers to use chopsticks, loves any most kinds of food, can't accept spitting bones on to the table....
What the heck am I even trying to explain?
Well, I've mentioned before, there are certain things I will naturally say in one particular language. I generally prefer to write in English, talk in Cantonese, and be exasperated in Portuguese. That's right. When the dog is being annoying and I'm trying to "scold" the dog, I just speak in Portuguese without meaning to. There are also certain particular words that I will use in a particular language simply because, there is no better word in the other language to convey that. I can't think of a particular word right now, but it's been known to happen oncein a while.
There are also certain cultural aspects and mannerisms in play.
With my Chinese friends, I like to joke around that, since I was born in Macau, brought up in Macau, never left Macau for studies, I'm as much Chinese as they are. They tend to agree. My bestie even goes around telling people that "What about her looks? She speaks Chinese!"
But there is one thing that I can't accept in Chinese Culture.
Table manners.
Sorry for the potentially gross-invoking photo (chicken bones on a table).
There are many restaurants, especially noodle restaurants, where they serve a variaty of meats. Usually, chicken is with bones, steamed fish full of bones, spare ribs also lots of bones. So. They never serve you a plate to put the bones aside. I usually bring my own packet of tissues and when the need arises, I'll place all the bones on a piece of tissue. But I just changed to a superlight bag, and forgot to pack in the tissue paper.
Some restaurants have a table cloth or table mat, but more often than not, there's nothing.
And that is what I can't stand. I can claim to be as Chinese-minded as I want, but I can't get past this hurdle. Spitting bones out directly on the table? Just no...... I still can't comfortably accept it.
So here's me. prefers to use chopsticks, loves any most kinds of food, can't accept spitting bones on to the table....
