If Im sitting with guests, and if everyone displays ‘bad manners’, are they still bad manners?
Example…when sitting with elders, we are all very casual and simple…paindoo as ud call us. So elders tend to slurp on their hot tea a lot. At times they pour out the tea in their saucers to cool it up. And well, noone minds it of course. And at times, I tend to join in.
So is this still counted as bad manners?
Nop! Not @ all!
Though, some will argue that it’s a typical pindo characteristic!
Ahmad'Pindo'jee
When in Rome....
etiquette requires that when you are in a different culture, you observe the cultural norms..
in Southern Asia, it's considered normal to belch after a good meal.. it may be construed as bad manners in the West..
offering someone a cup of tea with both hands is considered a respectful gesture in East Asia, having one hand behind you while serving is the western way.
Lihaaza 'surkee' on a saucer of tea is very much a part of etiquette when in the company of paindoo elders.. religiously follow or risk being branded ill mannered.
There is No Spoon
[quote]
Originally posted by Akif:
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So elders tend to slurp on their hot tea a lot. At times they pour out the tea in their saucers to cool it...
So is this still counted as bad manners?**
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Akif,
As Muzna stated, when in Rome...
I dont believe that by not participating in such it would be bad manners on your part. However, telling a group of elders that they are not displaying good manners is probably considered bad manners in itself.
Never seen anyone pour chai into saucers. I'd probably smile upon seeing that. Thats a new one for me! smile
Learn to love yourself, then learn to love one-another
I think that's just enjoying the richness of the culture. It's the same parable as dinning in a fine environment where you would dress up for the evening and act sort of formal..or ..having a lunch at a truck hotel on Multan-Mialnwali road, where one would be sitting on a charpai and eating with hands. Any sort of formaility will certainly not be appreciated in the latter example. You can call that mannerism class of its own.
Munni, I do this all the time; old habits never die,… so smile.
http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif
I think Abdullah pretty much sums the whole thing up quite nicely.
Enjoy the variety.