When you're at someone else's house, I mean? And they ask you, 'how would you like your eggs?' The answer is 'scrambled' - it's less pressure on the host to achieve the perfection of the fry - to whatever varying degree of fry-ness you might happen to desire and less chance that you'll be in an uncomfortable position when attempting to swallow something unpalatable.
Example:
"Wow. Thanks for this wonderful fried egg, Marge. I generally don't like the yolk to run off the side of the plate, but then again, when in Rome!"
or
"Umm... rubbery! Makes the whole process of getting it to stay on the fork a fantastic adventure!"
And then, well, especially cross-culturally, feelings are injured, cooks are insulted, and, inevitably, embassies have to be called in.
At a French restaurant in London on my first trip to Europe, I was asked what I'd like to drink. Being a health-conscious American, I asked for water.
(Insert ridiculously snotty delivery and enough attitude to sink a freighter)
"Would zat be meeneral watair? Sparkuhling watair? watair from ze kitchen seenk?"
At which point, I stuttered... I blanched.. I looked around the table for support and watched the eyes of all of my dinner companions avert, instantly - I was suddenly very alone, and so muttered, 'um.. sparkling?' And when he walked away, I was insulted and angry for about 5 seconds, and then the whole table burst into hysterical laughter.
I've just insulted the entire Republic of France no doubt, with my stereotype of snotty french waiter, but this guy WAS exactly that stereotype. And there are a zillion lovely French people out there.. But I love walking stereotypes, like I've said. Really makes me question the whole 'art imitates life imitates art' quandry..
Anyway - point is, it's easy to insult somebody with expectations. Especially when it comes to water and eggs.
Scrambled. It's fool proof. Even in French.
Posts
"Would zat be meeneral watair? Sparkuhling watair? watair from ze kitchen seenk?"
ReplyDeleteOh, you have made my day...can't get the wheat eating grin off my face! :-D
In Paris, a waitress gave me grief for mispronouncing crepes. They are serious dining snobs, and an argumentative bunch. My take on it is, if they are teasing or aguing with you, it's because they like you. If they didn't like you, they would ignore you completely.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it really is different there when asking for water. Here in America, you get a glass of tap water over ice, no questions asked. There, they have three types of water - mineral, sparkling (like soda water) or tap - and you better know what you want or they will treat you like an American. ;-)