Eating Etiquette
Fun Fact: In the mall food courts here, you do NOT have to clean up after yourself. You can leave your trays on the table, and there are people who will come and bus your table. It’s pretty awesome and quite laziness-inducing.
There is also no sense of personal boundaries when it comes to eating. Almost all the tables here are big and family-styled. You kind of just create your own area and your companions depending on the direction your body is facing. Where there’s a seat in any restaurant or food court, feel free to sit. Even if it’s at a table for four, and there are already three people sitting there and chatting away. Just plop your tray down, put your head down, and dig in. They won’t mind at all. Really. Just don’t participate in their conversation. Now that would be considered rude.
Wow, I love your fun facts, haha. It’s similar to what I’ve seen in Malaysia and Singapore. They usually employ elder people to clean up after you. But luckily, there was always enough space to have a free seat avaliable for yourself. I’d feel a bit awkward to just sit near 3 random people and eat. How did you feel at first?
At first, I was hesitant and felt awkward too. But now, I just sit down and pull out a book so it makes it very obvious that I’m just doing my own thing and not with them.