Eating the right way...

Hmm..if you thought that i was about to give advice on what to eat or what not to or how to stay healthy this year...you've got it all wrong..

To understand the fine art of business entertaining and dining, I was once a part of an etiquette training program conducted by world renowned etiquette specialist, Syndi Seid. In fact the feeling of being part of this program was even more hightened, when I got to know that she had trained Sushmita Sen for Miss Universe. Who better to learn it from, than the guru of etiquette, who has been training umpteen number of models and diplomats.

To learn to eat Indian food in the British and Continental style was quite entertaining,with participants being tied down to eating Indian food with forks and knives...yes....no spoons..Coz eating with a spoon is considered juvenile. So, the next time you pick up that spoon...think twice...It was quite an ardent task to maneuver through all that food..and a lot of fun too.

Then the fine art of table setting and what needs to go where. You have so many types and sizes of forks, knives and spoons laid out. Always work from the outer most to the inner most cutlery in a formal table setting.Use the largest cutlery for your main course and the smaller ones for dessert and starters.

The key to knowing what to hold with which hand was the next lesson. Understanding that 'b', your bread is dealt with in your left hand and 'd' your drink in the right was a must. A yogic way of remembering this for me would be to make a chinn mudra in both hands. Your left hand forms a 'b' and right one a 'd'. And presto you know how to deal with your bread and drink. hmmm..no mixing your bs and ds..and placing them here and there on the table.

Small talk over a meal can be quite easy or very tough. You need to find suitable topics, establish a connection and build a conversation.Dont just focus on your food.Look around the table and get some small talk rolling....

Well..well am glad i dont have to follow these rules at home...but its always good to know right :)
Dine in style!