I can't believe it's already Wednesday. This week is flying by. We ended up taking a little road trip for Labor Day weekend to see my husband's Pinni and uncle (Hear more about them by
signing up for my email list). My kids think of their house as their second home so it was well worth the drive to get there. We ended up getting back late Monday night. Then we had my
favorite post vacation ritual, the next day... The let's wash everything we brought with us, clean the house, and try to get the kids back into their routine ritual. I'm sure it's your favorite post vacation ritual as well!Now, it's already Wednesday and we're half way through the week. That means today is
#CultureClashWednesday! This series is so fun because culture clashes are different for all of us. What may be a shock for one person is completely normal for another. Today's culture shock moment is a little different. I've talked many times about our
kids eating with their hands. When I
met my husband's family, I was quickly taught how to eat Indian food with my hands. I was excited to learn the technique so I could take part in this while we ate together. Almost everyone on my husband's side of the family eats with their hands while we eat Indian food and I knew I wanted to take part. I also wanted it to be normal for my children which meant we needed to do it regularly at home. While this was a new custom for me, it was never a big shocker. It became a norm for me early on in
my relationship. The interesting part came when we had kids and began to teach them how to eat with their hands. My oldest, Liam was eager to
teach others how to eat with their hands. He took such pride in it that he wanted everyone to do it too. That's when I started to realize what a culture shock it was for others. I've heard people make some pretty terrible comments in regards to eating with your hands in different countries.
We don't do that. We have manners and use utensils. That's disgusting, don't they have forks. Use your fork, we're not like that. I understand that this can be foreign to others, but I'm always surprised by some people's reactions. Sure, it may be different than you're used to, but it's a custom. Using forks or spoons is normal for us, chopsticks are normal for others, and eating with your hands is normal for many as well. Culture shock is normal. We have all grown up differently and have our own way of doing things whether it be based on cultural norms or family tradition. [tweetthis]Remember just because something is new doesn't mean it's less important. #CultureClashWednesday[/tweetthis]
Have you ever tried to eat with your hands? Would you consider this a culture shock or is it normal for you? Have you tried it in front of someone that wasn't used to it?
