We were invited to our first Indian Dinner with a friend this weekend. They had a dinner party to introduce us to some other people in the apartment complex and have a fun evening together. We asked what time to arrive and were told that they eat early, around 7:30 pm, so we could arrive any time around then. Our kids usually go to bed at 7pm, so we were pretty sure that it would be an interesting evening. We were not disappointed to discover that they were horribly behaved and embarrassed us quite a bit throughout the evening. However, our friends all laughed and said "kids will be kids," thank goodness. I think universally kids can't help but ask for desert after any meal, but it is still embarrassing when you are out in public and they loudly ask for whatever it is that they desire. (Especially in India where you have to be very careful what you say, any thought that you might need or want something will send someone running off to get it for you-their duty as a good host) The good news is that we learned some really important lessons to teach our kids:
1. Don't ask for desert
2. Don't ask if there is going to be desert
3. Don't ask what is for desert
4. Do say thank you for the delicious food, even if you don't like it
5. Do not say I don't like this food
6. Don't say "WHAT IS THAT!?!"
7. Do not say I'm bored
8. Play with the other children
9. Mommy and Daddy don't count as "other children"
10. If mommy and Daddy say no desert, it means NO DESERT. -Don't ask the Indians. They will give it to you. And we don't want that. Dang it, this is a hard lesson to teach.
It's funny how these used to be common knowledge in our home.
The food was excellent, and we met some really nice people. We took our kids home around 11pm and saw a 2 year old playing on the playground with her parents on the way home.
I'm not sure how the kids here function, it seems as if Indian kids are either walking zombies or running on delirium. Maybe they just don't need as much sleep, but going to bed at 11pm or midnight is normal (most families don't eat until 9 or 10) and then they wake up at 6am or earlier for school. Yikes! Maybe I need less sleep than I think, or maybe the whole country needs more. I am beginning to wonder if genetics has anything to do with it. Maybe in India the people who needed the least amount of sleep were the most desirable mates and it was bred into them as a people. All I know is that it is 10:50pm, which is WAY past my bedtime. I need to go to sleep, I think I am becoming delirious...
1. Don't ask for desert
2. Don't ask if there is going to be desert
3. Don't ask what is for desert
4. Do say thank you for the delicious food, even if you don't like it
5. Do not say I don't like this food
6. Don't say "WHAT IS THAT!?!"
7. Do not say I'm bored
8. Play with the other children
9. Mommy and Daddy don't count as "other children"
10. If mommy and Daddy say no desert, it means NO DESERT. -Don't ask the Indians. They will give it to you. And we don't want that. Dang it, this is a hard lesson to teach.
It's funny how these used to be common knowledge in our home.
The food was excellent, and we met some really nice people. We took our kids home around 11pm and saw a 2 year old playing on the playground with her parents on the way home.
I'm not sure how the kids here function, it seems as if Indian kids are either walking zombies or running on delirium. Maybe they just don't need as much sleep, but going to bed at 11pm or midnight is normal (most families don't eat until 9 or 10) and then they wake up at 6am or earlier for school. Yikes! Maybe I need less sleep than I think, or maybe the whole country needs more. I am beginning to wonder if genetics has anything to do with it. Maybe in India the people who needed the least amount of sleep were the most desirable mates and it was bred into them as a people. All I know is that it is 10:50pm, which is WAY past my bedtime. I need to go to sleep, I think I am becoming delirious...
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