Living in a Land of Peasants

It is funny that I am working again in a country with many uneducated people, I am not pretending to be superior but I am amused by some of the antics that they get up to and some of the ways of these people. As we all know Latin America is a macho culture and some of the guys like to swagger about and there are one or two that actually work out in the gym which again is not a normal thing to do for a peasant. I was watching one the other day and he did nothing but swing his arms about while looking at himself in the mirror and I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking about. What would motivate a man to swing his arms into a mirror, then do some very light weight work and think he looks good with a huge pot belly and a terrible scruffy beard. The other thing I find amusing in one sense is the unbelievable table manners of people who probably haven’t had a knife and fork to eat with ever before and with the food being effectively free, trying to get as much onto a plate as possible. Watching peasants eating isn’t normally very attractive, this is how the activity usually goes.

1) Firmly plant elbows on table not to be moved under any circumstances, even if you look silly trying to cut some meat and then put it into your mouth by bending your neck until your chin is touching the plate. How some of these guys can eat without moving their elbows is beyond me and even though I have tried the afor said activity I cannot cut meat without lifting my elbows.

2) Switching alternatively between knife and fork not really knowing which to use for what function. Guys tearing meat with a fork while spearing it to the plate with a knife.

3) Trying to shovel food in as quickly as possible so as not to have it stolen by the food demon. I have not got over this one as guys will hover over their food with their nose almost touching the food and ‘shovelling’ is the only term possible for their eating activity. Quite why they do this is probably a childhood thing where kids have their food eaten by older siblings, snatching food off their plates. So guarding it by having your upper body cover most of it while eating very quickly is a self preservation thing.

4) Long live peasants for they provide the rest with amusement

Don’t think it is only the third world that has hideous table manners. I spent many happy hours watching this activity in Norway, in fact they have a way of holding a knife and fork that is more like spear fishing than eating, and once again it was impossible for me to imitate the method. It is unnecessary for me to mention that Americans are known worldwide for the ‘cut up with knife and fork and then hide knife and use fork only’ method while planting one elbow on the table. Please will you all look around you next time your eating in public and see how they are using their silverware, it is an education.