fine-dining etiquette (:

suddenly, i had some sudden flashbacks to the past, okay, i'll cut the drama. yup, had a flashback to when i was in primary six, where i attended this fine-dining etiquette course at the singapore hotel association training and education center (SHATEC), yup, so random eh? haha, i had flashbacks not because i was dying, but rather...i was clearing up some of my stuff and i found a certificate from SHATEC certifying that i had passed its fine-dining etiquette course! whee, i didnt remember that, until i saw that cert. bet my friends are doubting it's reliability (;

here's what i still remember from the course:

1) always put the napkin provided on ur lap; never tuck it into your shirt like a bip! haha, but the instructor says its really just some formality issues, it doesnt really perform its function if placed on ur lap, doesnt the food always hit ur shirt first? hehe. oh, then you must leave it totally unfolded if it's like small or unfolded halfway. use it dab your mouth of the stains...then put it back onto ur lap. (!?! i found this so stupid) then after the meal, put it to the right of ur plate, i think x)

2) then you cant open your mouth and order unless the person paying for the meal open his golden mouth. haha, yeah. unless of course the waiter signals to you first. if im not wrong, usually, orders of a lady would be taken before a gentleman, but wahlao, in singapore, this kind of preceeded service has long dissipated. who cares if ur a male or a female, as long u look like u can pay, can already...

3) thirdly, you must always use the utensils starting from the outer most sides. then the food will be served in this order: bread, soup, salad, main course, coffee/tea, desert. or something like that la, can't remember already. all i knw is it's damn complicated, must use the salad fork for the salad, soup spoon for the soup. gawd.

4)when eating, cannot make noise. cannot talk with food in your mouth. HAHA, duh, like we didnt knw at that time. always sift ur soup spoon outwards when drinking ur soup, then nvr ever lift the soup bowl up just to scrap more soup out of it. HAHA.

5)oh! then ur drinks, soups everything must be placed on ur right side. solid food like bread must be placed on ur left. haha, the utensils are also arranged in that accordance. wahaha!

6)OHYEAH. there are like 2 ways to cut ur food. so cool right, i think i'll always remember this part. one is called the american style while the other is called the continental style. yupps. american style requires u to cut the food, then the fork must be securing the food, it must be turned outwards...that means sharp part facing outside la. then u cut. then when u want to eat, you have to put ur knife down at the top part of ur plate, blade facing towards you, switch the fork to ur right hand and eat. continental is the same as the american style la, except no need to put down ur knife, u can eat directly with ur fork still in ur left hand (x

7)when ur done with ur food, cannot push the plate or utensils away. then ur utensils must be placed diagonally on ur plate! haha. then erm... also soup spoon must put on soup plate, teaspoon must put on the teaplate. blahblahblah, then must say thank you for a nice meal.

LOL. funny how much i can remember from an unimportant course SO SO SO long ago eh? if only chemistry formulas and equations get stuck in my head so easily as well. im so bored at home, im actually learning a new language, shant say what. yet.