Should one say anything to uncouth passengers?

[nana541]

 

What does annoy me is when men wear those wretched baseball caps indoors and sometimes even at meal times...

 

Ohhh don't even get me going on that one!!! Were these guys raised in a barn?? Do they think it's gonna rain..... Who the #%^><# taught these guys their manners....

Ok I'll shut up... Just found my hot button :)

And smoking.... Don't get me started on that......

[Travel2Learn]

I can choose to look the other way and try to stifle a gasp, giggle, "deer in the headlights" look, or my perfected "annoyed teacher" glare.

 

But I can not choose to breathe or not breathe. Smoking and perfume have to be the worst.

[SuzK]

It's one of those "American" things. Not done in Europe - that is, I have never seen it done! It makes us uncomfortable though we know that for people in the US it is normal (even for one of our closest friends who hates it when I say I do not want to "share"!!) But it doesn't make me uncomfortable to the point where I think of it as a sort of sin!!

 

What does annoy me is when men wear those wretched baseball caps indoors and sometimes even at meal times...

 

Caps indoors don't bother me but in the restaurants, they need to come off.

I have to laugh about sharing food on a ship; they'll bring as much or as little as you would like to have or would like to sample.

[poss]

I've been appreciating the responses to my sharing question. It's something we tend to do, and given the talk about other kinds of no-no's, I began to wonder whether we'd been being insufficiently mindful of others. Btw, at restaurants here in the States, we often ask to "share" a dinner. We like the fact that most establishments will charge a "split plate" fee, and bring the entree on two separate plates (often with extra veggies). This enables us to enjoy an appetizer or dessert as well, which would not be the case if we each ordered an entree.

 

SuzK: I'm not sure what's funny about the idea of sharing. If my husband and I each have ordered something that also appeals to the other, it seems wasteful, redundant, whatever for us to leave food on our plates and instead ask our server to bring us yet another portion.

 

In any case, folks who've responded seem to think it's more or less ok to switch plates during the meal, so I'm going to feel comfortable (I hope) doing that. (I will, however, determine not to pick things off my husband's plate, as we often do at home.)

 

The cap thing: I know I mentioned this years ago, but here 'tis again. My husband is bald and sometimes gets cold in a restaurant if there's an a.c. draft. For that reason, he usually brings his boina (like a beret only the Spanish version-- smaller) with him. The restaurants (esp CR) on Regent can sometimes be very cool and drafty. A few years ago, when my husband had a bit of a sore throat anyway, he was cold enough that he donned his little boina. The maitre d' came over and required him to remove it. We ended up having to leave and dine in our cabin that evening, which is not something we prefer to do. But one does what one has to do. (Actually, come to think of it, we perhaps should have tried the more casual Veranda; not sure if a small, conservative-- dare I say dashing-- boina would be a no-no there as well.)

[Travelcat2]

I'm finding this thread interesting and sometimes a bit funny. Must say that I'm surprised that sharing is not done in some other countries. You can miss out on tasting many wonderful things if the person you are dining with doesn't offer you a taste of their food. It isn't like someone is picking it up with their fingers and tossing it across the table. Sometimes when we are in La Veranda, I'll take very small portions of items so that both of us can taste it and see if we'd like more. Like Poss, we also share at dinner when we are not on the ship. The portion sizes are so large and we don't want to waste food. Thinking about it further, we are definitely in the uncouth category as we have shared a sandwich and fries off of the same plate:eek:

 

We don't look at other people to see if they are doing something wrong or how they are dressed. It would take something like feet on the table to make us take notice. Wearing hats inside a home or restaurant is so disrespectful... but, it is done all over the United States. It seems that it has become "normal" for people to do this -- just as using slang and offensive words has resulted in the words being included in the dictionary. When an action or word is acceptable to most people, it becomes part of the culture:(

[nana541]

Poss...your DH can wear a "Beret" any time eating with us in CR....its those idiots who want to eat with their "49er's" cap on! No offense meant to 49er's fans of course....perfect for the game or even (maybe) the golf course, not the CR!

[RachelG]

Here in Oklahoma, men often wear cowboy hats inside restaurants. Now these are the more casual establishments generally, but not always. So my husband has been asked to remove his in CR at lunch because he just doesn't think about it. Problem is that there is really no place to put such a hat once it is off his head. (I am on his case all the time to "take off the hat".)

[mythologist]

My husband sometimes enjoys feeding me a bite off his plate. (We're sitting next to each other and it's leftover from our dating years. The habit - not the food) And I have two friends that do "share" their plates. I've gotten used to it now. Our British friends are put off when we have hot and cold food together. Funny, but I now separate them. LOL!

[Travelcat2]

Hot and cold food together? That is a new one. Guess that leaves out tacos!

[poss]

Mythologist: So do the Brits do sort of like the French, i.e. have salad as a whole separate course? What you said interests me-- as for TC, this was something new for me.

 

(Don't the Brits eat mint jelly with lamb, e.g.? I don't, but I thought that the Brits did. And never sour cream with baked potato? And no potato salad with hot dogs? Etc.?)

 

Curiouser and curiouser....

[HanaleiSailor]

Aloha to All,

 

Such an interesting cultural construct here.

 

I suppose, that at an earlier time in my life, I may have looked upon sharing a plate in a restaurant as odd. However, after having lived in Japan for many years, it became quite normal for me to participate in dinners at which each member of a group would order one or more dishes, the food would then be placed around the table, and everyone in the group would share--now that I reflect on this, I think that it was a great way for me to get to try lots of new things, and it made having dinner together a more intimate, shared experience!

 

Just an aside, when we lived in Palau, our hosts would often spread banana leaves on the ground, place a large baked fish in the center of the leaves, along with a big bowl of rice, and we would sit on the ground around the serving area and pick at the fish with our chopsticks and sort of shovel the rice out of the bowl. Some really great meals would have been missed had I not been willing to 'share' a meal or two in Micronesia! . . .

 

Not suggesting that anyone tries these eating methods aboard ship, I guess that this thread just made me think about how much one's home culture affects one's attitudes and habits around food.

 

Mark

[Travelcat2]

Mythologist: So do the Brits do sort of like the French, i.e. have salad as a whole separate course? What you said interests me-- as for TC, this was something new for me.

 

(Don't the Brits eat mint jelly with lamb, e.g.? I don't, but I thought that the Brits did. And never sour cream with baked potato? And no potato salad with hot dogs? Etc.?)

 

Curiouser and curiouser....

 

My DH is a Brit and he has mint sauce (not jelly) with his lamb (note: Regent has both mint jelly and mint sauce on board). In New Zealand it was also served that way. Not sure about potato salad or sour cream, but, he likes hot dogs with ketchup. In California, we had mustard with our hot dogs.

[Hambagahle]

This is getting more and more interesting... some sociologist will come along and start analysing it all!!

 

here in Europe we DO share food at, say, a Chinese restaurant where bowls are put on the table and people help themselves. But we never pick food off other peoples' plates...even family members. I would be quite startled, for example, if my 4 year old granddaughter took something off my plate. Which might seem odd to Americans.

 

And we tend not to mix hot and cold. At a buffet I will go and get the cold dishes - salads, cold starters etc. Then go back with a new plate for the hot starters and the main course. Putting a cold sauce onto hot meat (as in the example of mint sauce with lamb) is quite OK though. IF you like mint sauce! Me I prefer mint and coriander chopped into yoghurt with lamb! But then I love Indian food.... But all of these things are personal preferences and I am sure there are many Swiss who don't mind cold and hot food together. What they will not do is take something from someone else's plate - that is viewed as VERY unsanitary.

 

As for hats - Ken is really quite bald too and he wears a hat when he sits on a terrace in the sunshine to keep his head from getting burnt. would never wear it indoors though. One memorable day in Venice when we were on the Mariner we ate at Torcello. The grape vines had not yet grown (it was April) and he was offered a "gondonliere" hat complete with streamer as we sat to eat on the terrace. He accepted it and I took a photo. It was hilarious!! we have been laughing about it ever since. But inside - no. Never. And, PS - he is a New Yorker!!

[OrpingtonT]

I agree with Gerry.

 

What most Brits, I think, don't go for is the American way of adding sweet syrup and pancakes to a plate containg bacon. eggs, hash browns and so on. Even though they all finish up in the same place.

 

Hot dogs, whether with potato salad, ketchup or mustard are not as popular in the UK as in the US. Most seem to prefer sausages or what Americans call "links".

 

And we don't understand why after cutting food, the fork is then transferred to the right hand brfore putting the food in the mouth.

 

Not that any of this is uncouth, you understand, just a difference in culture.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

The passing of the fork to the right hand, I've never understood where it came from. Canadians generally don't do this, although we do have a big American influence here, so some do. I grew up believing it was terribly uncouth to do this. This also means keeping your knife firmly in your right hand, and using it to eat as well.

 

As for food that's meant to be shared, like Chinese, Thai or Indian. Funny story. We were in Inverness in the late 80's. Found a wonderful Indian restaurant, some of the best food I've had. But everyone in the restaurant was eating their own plates of food, and the menu was constructed that way. A bit like a thali, although generally just a big plate all mixed together with rice, like a biryani. We managed to get them to serve us different plates, so we could share, and they seemed pleased to do so. I've always wondered if it was a Scottish peculiarity--I've certainly had Indian meals in London that weren't served that way.

[poss]

And then, of course, there was the restaurant in Marrakesh when we were encouraged by our hosts to eat our meal with our hand. I know that people enjoy ordering special dinners in CR at times--Philippine, say. How about a let it all hang out north Africa evening, belly dancers and all? (Just kidding.)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

And then, of course, there was the restaurant in Marrakesh when we were encouraged by our hosts to eat our meal with our hand. I know that people enjoy ordering special dinners in CR at times--Philippine, say. How about a let it all hang out north Africa evening, belly dancers and all? (Just kidding.)

 

I've had big problems doing that in places like India and Morocco. Because I'm left handed, and that's a no-no. Why not belly dancers? :p

[poss]

I gotta say that after a week or so of dining on Regent, my belly (roll) is "dancing" a-plenty!

[TedC]

I read that in Norway they always leave some food on their plate.

 

I tried to conform but heard my mother's words: "Clean your plate, children in Armenia are starving."

 

 

I still clean my plate, and have the waist to prove it!

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Funny, there are real cultural differences around the world about that. In some places if you clean your plate it means you get another helping. In others it's an insult to leave something on your plate. I didn't know that about Norway. Probably that's why they are all so thin and fit.

[OrpingtonT]

I read that in Norway they always leave some food on their plate.

 

 

I had forgotten about that, but you are quite right. I remember that many, many years ago, I was invited to a banquet in Oslo. The food, pork, I think, was delicious and we helped ourselves from a big plate in the centre. We finished it all and down came another full dish. We kept eating and the food kept coming until we could eat no more. Later we were told that until we had left something the plate would be replenished. It was no hardship!

[Hambagahle]

I agree with Gerry.

 

What most Brits, I think, don't go for is the American way of adding sweet syrup and pancakes to a plate containg bacon. eggs, hash browns and so on. Even though they all finish up in the same place.

...

 

Not that any of this is uncouth, you understand, just a difference in culture.

 

Couldn't agree more. Someone once served me a - ugh! - "jelly omelette" for breakfast. I couldn't even start to eat it. Pancakes are for Pancake Day when you DO put syrup on them. Not to eat with eggs and sausages. But "chacun à son goût". Only thing is - don't sit with me if you do it!

 

Funny how these food habits arise. As for Indian food - I have never, ever, shared an Indian meal. I cook what I (modestly!) call "high end Indian. That is, I take cooking lessons from the chef at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva. I cannot imagine ever sharing anything that he or I put on the table. Unless of course it was in little bowls like Chinese food.

 

Spices are spices and some do not go together. Which is why I prefer not to share. I order what I want to eat and others can order whatever they want... I don't like "clashes" of food. I suppose I am picky...:):)

[Wendy The Wanderer]

... Unless of course it was in little bowls like Chinese food.

 

Of course it would be in little bowls, that's how Indian food is served in many parts of the world, including at least some parts of India.

[mythologist]

Hambagahle explained the Brit thing better than I did. They couldn't understand why we would put our fresh fruit on the same plate as our bacon and eggs, for instance. Or put a cold salad with meat and potatoes.

[MICone]

Aaaaa