Differences between Britain and Asia. Applause, chopping chicken, colourful cakes.
APPLAUSE
In England we applaud the VIP who smiles and nods acknowledgement. You can see who is being honoured, because she/he is not clapping. In Asia everybody applauds themselves.
CHOPPING CHICKEN
At break time in the UK you might be served fresh chicken. If the organizers are on a strict budget, you either get chicken drumsticks or wings, bought in bulk. How do you eat it? Hold it at both ends and chew off the middle.
Alternatively, for those preferring less of a challenge, the chicken breast meat is cut into slices.
Alternatively, for those preferring less of a challenge, the chicken breast meat is cut into slices.
In Asia, the body of the chicken, in fact the whole of the chicken, is chopped into large cubes including all the bones in the middle. It is impossible to eat or chop with plastic spoons, plastic knives and forks, or wooden chopsticks.
In addition, add the risk of spearing your mouth with bones and breaking your teeth. Of having to back away from somebody, in order to spit out a bone.
In addition, add the risk of spearing your mouth with bones and breaking your teeth. Of having to back away from somebody, in order to spit out a bone.
If the organizers forget the paper serviettes, you have grease on your fingers. Ok, You can wait until later and take a trip to the toilet to wash your greasy hands. Meanwhile organizers or guests want to swap business cards or shake hands.
After chicken, in Asia, it's on to the endless amazement at the cakes and sweets.
FOOD AND DRINK COLOURS
Finally, colour. In the UK blue and purple are unusual for foods and drinks and are used to indicate that this is not water but a poison. Blue is used to warn people that a liquid is toilet cleaner. Purple is for methylated spirits.
PINK BREAD, USA I first saw pink bread at a hippie place in the park at San Francisco in the Sixties. The British visitors would not touch it. They knew that bread is white and thought that chemical colours could be cancerous.
Colours were for toddlers' sweeties, Smarties, hundreds and thousands, candy floss, high in sugar or solid sugar, not suitable for people on diets or in danger of developing diabetes.
UK Indian restaurants
Then Indian restaurants appeared in London. Mostly Pakistani. Biriani and other rice dishes turned up with rice dyed red.
Roll on a few decades and I am in Asia. Cake colours. Every time I look at a piece of cake, I know I am in Asia.
GREEN ASIAN CAKES In Asia, green pandan cakes are popular, considered a 'healthy' green like plants. You also get green buns, and green wafers.
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To the British, Kueh, or cakes, look solid like solid jelly. (Americans use the brand name Jello.)
COLOURFUL BUILDINGS
In the UK in the early days, uproar resulted when new neighbours painted their houses pink or purple or red and white stripes. A legacy of smog Britain, and blackout in wartime. Now towns all over the UK and adding colour, which is much jollier.
The Caribbean and Asia have houses painted in bright colours. They suit the surroundings of tropical flowers growing in profusion in the heat all year.
NETS AT WINDOWS
Years ago, in London, an Indian friend told me the thing she noticed in London was that the windows had net curtains.
I went on holiday to Bali in Indonesia and was shown a bedroom with nets around the bed.
I squealed with delight, "What a lovely four-poster. I love the nets!"
"Yes," said the receptionist. "Make sure you keep them shut all the time, like this, to keep out mosquitos."
To sum up, differences I have noticed in Asia: applauding yourself, chopping chicken portions containing bones, coloured cakes, nets for mosquitos.
What other differences have you noticed in Asia and the UK?
Please comment.
Author
Angela Lansbury
Please bookmark and share links to this post and other favourites with your family, friends and colleagues.
After chicken, in Asia, it's on to the endless amazement at the cakes and sweets.
FOOD AND DRINK COLOURS
Finally, colour. In the UK blue and purple are unusual for foods and drinks and are used to indicate that this is not water but a poison. Blue is used to warn people that a liquid is toilet cleaner. Purple is for methylated spirits.
PINK BREAD, USA I first saw pink bread at a hippie place in the park at San Francisco in the Sixties. The British visitors would not touch it. They knew that bread is white and thought that chemical colours could be cancerous.
Colours were for toddlers' sweeties, Smarties, hundreds and thousands, candy floss, high in sugar or solid sugar, not suitable for people on diets or in danger of developing diabetes.
UK Indian restaurants
Then Indian restaurants appeared in London. Mostly Pakistani. Biriani and other rice dishes turned up with rice dyed red.
Roll on a few decades and I am in Asia. Cake colours. Every time I look at a piece of cake, I know I am in Asia.
GREEN ASIAN CAKES In Asia, green pandan cakes are popular, considered a 'healthy' green like plants. You also get green buns, and green wafers.
\
To the British, Kueh, or cakes, look solid like solid jelly. (Americans use the brand name Jello.)
COLOURFUL BUILDINGS
In the UK in the early days, uproar resulted when new neighbours painted their houses pink or purple or red and white stripes. A legacy of smog Britain, and blackout in wartime. Now towns all over the UK and adding colour, which is much jollier.
The Caribbean and Asia have houses painted in bright colours. They suit the surroundings of tropical flowers growing in profusion in the heat all year.
A building near Waterloo Street in Singapore. Red exterior walls with white windows. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
This is so Singaporean. The brightly painted walls. The different sizes and shapes and alignment of the windows. The buildings look like two or three different people designed sections of them on different days, the presenter grabbed the drawings and rushed off to the client, the developer, and said, 'We're within budget. The people looking to rent will find the building easily.'
NETS AT WINDOWS
Years ago, in London, an Indian friend told me the thing she noticed in London was that the windows had net curtains.
I went on holiday to Bali in Indonesia and was shown a bedroom with nets around the bed.
I squealed with delight, "What a lovely four-poster. I love the nets!"
"Yes," said the receptionist. "Make sure you keep them shut all the time, like this, to keep out mosquitos."
To sum up, differences I have noticed in Asia: applauding yourself, chopping chicken portions containing bones, coloured cakes, nets for mosquitos.
What other differences have you noticed in Asia and the UK?
Author
Angela Lansbury
Please bookmark and share links to this post and other favourites with your family, friends and colleagues.
