Place Settings
Where does your napkin go when setting the table?
If you are dining out with others and you need to make a trip to the bathroom or make a phone call, what should you say?
- ONLY "excuse me" or "I'll be right back"
You are on the mission field in Peru. You go to visit a family to tell them more about Jesus. They offer you a very strange tea drink. Do you drink it? Yes or No?
YES, always try it...our relationship to others and witness of Jesus means more than our comfort!
Men and women have specific God given roles: Men are called to lead, and women are called to help. HOWEVER, neither is more valued than the other, or more incapable than the other. True or False?
TRUE
The end of the year sports banquet is tonight and you are sitting with a large group. The table is pre-set with a formal place settings. The bread basket is passed and you look down at your place setting and notice the person sitting next to you has used your bread plate! What should you do?
- Kindly ask for another plate from a server/ or kindly ask for theirs. Be friendly about it, and don't be rude!
Where do you put your napkin when you leave the table to take a "break"?
In your chair or next to your plate! (don't fold it!)
Different cultures find eating with your hands and slurping appropriate and polite. True or False?
TRUE
When men do things like open a door, pull out a chair, or offer a coat, they are saying that women CAN'T do these things on their own. True or False?
You are out to a nice dinner with your boss and you drop your fork. Do you pick it up? (generally speaking)
NO. Wait for a waiter and ask them to get you a new one.
Where do your fork and knife sit when you are just "resting"? (not finished)
You are going to someone's home for a meal. It is a special occasion. What should you bring with you to show that you care about them?
You are on a trip with friends to India. One of your friends that lives in India offers you food on a large banana leaf to eat. You hate eating with your hands, so you refuse the food. Your friend is sad. What should you have done instead?
Eaten the food with your hands anyways! Or at least tried it. That is a cultural norm for them, and therefore it should be respected.
When pulling out a chair for a girl, the boy should be on what SIDE of the chair? (generally speaking)
LEFT (unless she accidentally goes left, then you as a boy will go right)
You bite into a piece of steak with gristle (the chewy fat part that you shouldn't eat).
What do you do?
- Bring your napkin to your mouth and DISCRETELY spit it into the napkin. You will also need to ask for a new napkin after this.
OR
- Just swallow it quickly and move on.
DO NOT SPIT IT OUT ONTO YOUR PLATE!
Where does the "little" spoon go and the "Little fork" go when you are setting a FORMAL place setting?
Directly above the plate in a horizontal placement, next to the glasses and the bread plate/ soup bowl
When sitting down to eat a meal with a group at someone's home, when should you start eating?
- After the host does OR after at least HALF of the table has been served their food. (if there are 8 people, at least 4/5 people need to be seated with food)
If you are eating in Japan, or an Asian based culture that uses chop sticks, why should you NOT stick them straight up into your rice?
In their culture, that signifies incense burning after a death. It is offensive!
When a girl must leave the table for a "break", what is the boy supposed to do as she stands up? As she comes back?
Stand up, and never sit down before she does!
You are at a friend from Napal's house for dinner. Their mother is a wonderful cook but something is on your plate that you do not recognize. Hmmm....you are not sure how to eat it.
What should you do?
ASK!
Or
FOLLOW THEIR CULTURAL SOCIAL CUES (aka watch how they eat it)
Name 3 KEY DIFFERENCES between the casual place setting and the formal place setting.
- Napkin placement
- Amount of silverware
- Amount of glasses
- Chargers/ amount plates
You are eating a large meal, family style, at your boss's house. The woman across the table asks for the butter. She is out of arms reach from you. Which direction should you pass the butter?
To the RIGHT, around the table until it reaches her!
You are attending a meal at a friends house who is Hindu. They are celebrating a Hindu holiday. They decide they want to do a Hindu ritual before they eat. They ask you to be a part of it. What should you do?
- Politely decline, but let them know you would be more than happy to observe the ritual and be respectful of it!
When a boy is pushing in the chair, the girl should sit/ make contact with the chair at which point?
Right before the chair hits the back of your legs/ within a few inches of making contact. DO NOT sit to early and make him push you all the way in!
Name at least one of the animals they eat in Haiti for meat. (HINT: Mr. and Mrs. Sykora used to live there...and they talked about this when we taught on missions)
GOAT
and
CAT