Monday, December 14, 2020

What Travel Teaches You - that everybody is different, from chopsticks to banana leaf plates



 

My Facebook friend learned about aesthetics in hotel management. What were the aesthetics? Let me guess. Flower arrangements. Cleanliness. Calm. Theme. Declutter. Privacy. 

What style? Warm colours. Seasonal. Variety. Harmony. 

Chinese

The Chinese like the colour red and water features and Feng shui ...? 

Japanese

The Japanese are minimalist and four seasons. 

British

The British go for understatement and tradition. 

Arabs

Arabs from rich countries such as Dubai want everything ultra modern. Brand new.  No interest in art deco. As for the fifties. Horror! They like lots of empty space, like a desert. 

The military want everything matching. My army tenants wanted dinner sets of 12 pieces in plain colours, brand new. 

I am happier with bohemian style, a restaurant where every chair is different, the modern coffee bar style, every cup different, Odd Sock company. Two different ear-rings, same materials and same colour but different styles.

 In the old days everything had to be symmetrical. 

Moslems think everything should have a flaw because only God can create perfection. 

Some people want a school uniform. Others like everybody to wear something different.

Decor Colours

The Victorians opted for dark colours, black and plum. That way smoke from candles and the coal fires in the fireplaces would not create dirt which showed. 

Wedding Dress Colour

Wedding dresses were dark when you only bathed and changed your clothes once a week. In the 1800s, Charlotte Bronte had three dresses, one for weekdays, one for Sundays, and one for weddings and funerals.

Knives And Forks

What  travel teaches you is that everybody is different. In England we eat with a knife and fork, a spoon for dessert. 

The Americans put down the knife when eating.  They transfer the fork into their right hand.

The Americans have their leftovers wrapped up to go. Traditionally, the British would frown at such an idea.  But now the trend is swinging the other way. Anti-waste.

The Chinese do not use a knife at table at all. To them it seems dangerous and aggressive, a bad omen. They use chopsticks.


About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, fashionista. Please share links to your favourite posts or one or more of the blogs

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

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