Table Manners

How important it is for us to know what table or eating manners are?

I hardly know any and I feel it’s not really important unless you irritate someone sitting beside to such an extent that he leaves the table.

Like any normal person I like to keep the area where I eat, spotless so that no one feels dirty while having food with me or after I am done. Recently, while having lunch at S2 I seem to have scared a guy sitting beside my table.

I and friend decided to go to S2 after a long argument over which cafeteria to select that day. I hate going to S2 because it’s congested, there are no juices or fruits available and last but not least I need to walk a few extra blocks to go there. However, I agreed to go because I had no intention of eating alone.

I bought fruits from JJ and while my friend was buying his lunch at S2, I decided to find a place for both us to sit. After scanning a few tables, I found one which was clean and in center of two groups. On my left there were 4 ladies and on the right a group of 3, two men and one girl. I made myself comfortable and while waiting for my company to join me, I took a look around. Group on my left was busy with some office gossip. I tried eavesdropping but could not understand so gave up and on turning to right my interest got fixed on one of three persons sitting on that table.

They were thru with their meals and were chit chatting something, I believe, in Tamil. Gradually my gaze drifted to their plates, not to forget I was starving and I saw something that really made me feel disgusted. Out of the three, the guy who grabbed my attention, seemed to have eaten Veg. Biryani.

Now, its Biryani served at Wipro so please consider the generosity our Wipro caterers show. Apart from adding rice, vegetables and ground spices to Biryani they also add considerable amount of whole spices. Mostly commonly found are cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cloves and pepper and at times you literally think if it’s Veg Biryani or spice biryani you having.

This guy seems to have not liked the variety of spices added to his biryani, in fact, any one in his place would dislike it. However, what sickened me was the 2 inches tall mountain he made next to his plate on the table. Now, that really is irritating especially when you’re not done with your meal. I understand it’s waste and uneatable but let it be in your plate and if you are not comfortable having food while it is in then at least put it back in your plate, once you are thru.

I disliked it and decided to make it obvious to him. So I gave him a disgusted look. First, I looked at the waste for some 30 secs and then at him. His attention was on what his friend was talking so I decided to continue looking at him until he gets to know someone is staring him. He did realize that but seemed to have not understood. And before he could misunderstand my stare, I shifted my eyes at my JJ fruit box. After a gap of 30 odd secs, I again got back the same disgusted look on my face, looked at the waste next to his plate and then him. Bingo, he understood my intention but decided not to act. So I looked at the table to my left which was relatively clean and back to the waste and him with my face covering the same look. He still did not react which did increase my temper but before I could do some thing my friend called and asked where I was sitting.

My focus got distracted; I tracked my friend and waved him to come over. In a minute’s time he joined me at the table and I forgot what I was doing because as usual I got engulfed in office gossip.

After sometime I recalled my motto at S2 that day and told my friend about the guy and his spice mountain. The moment I finished telling him the way I displayed irritation, we both looked at the guy and his plate.

I was surprised to see the waste mountain back his plate. I was satisfied and had my lunch with immense pleasure and peace.

Later that day I wondered if I really had scared him or he realized my intention.