Comments on Florida Girl in Sydney: American or Continental Style Eating?

This is a great blog! Funny enough my partner alw...

2011-10-16T16:33:23.853+11:00

This is a great blog! Funny enough my partner always thought I ate weird! It's nice to be able to show him something that other Americans in Oz do!

Anna- Hi! They eat Aussie style, yay! I do too n...

2010-10-27T18:28:16.911+11:00

Anna- Hi! They eat Aussie style, yay! I do too now-- I've almost mastered it, kind of. Cheers!

teach your kids to eat the aussie way! it's ea...

2010-10-27T17:40:43.590+11:00

teach your kids to eat the aussie way! it's easier to learn the american way afterwards.
i'm a sydney girl with an american dad and i was brought up eating the american way. i get teased all the time and it's hard to switch!

Cassandra- I have really been trying to eat Austra...

2010-07-17T20:56:17.131+10:00

Cassandra- I have really been trying to eat Australian style and I like it-- but I still look and feel awkward doing it.

And yes, you would cut it as you eat it, not all at once.

Blah I always feel clumsy with chopsticks even tho...

2010-07-17T17:45:24.407+10:00

Blah I always feel clumsy with chopsticks even though I'm determined to get better at it.

Now I just eat for as long as I can with chopsticks (very slow) then switch to a fork.

Perhaps you could do the same? Try and practice for half your meal.

I guess the real difference in between the two styles is that the continental version means you cut as you go (you'd cut a piece of steak and pick up a few choice sides on the same forkful) but the American style means you'd cut up most of it first, right?

Maybe your style means you eat more slowly - and that's got to be healthy.

Ian- I bet you can't wait to study my table ma...

2009-08-22T16:16:50.753+10:00

Ian- I bet you can't wait to study my table manners tonight huh?

Annie- Doh? (that was a Homer Simpsonism)

I was always taught that the only 2 rude things yo...

2009-08-22T00:41:55.781+10:00

I was always taught that the only 2 rude things you could do with cutlery was to gesture with the knife (big no no), or to eat with the tines of the fork facing up. It didn't matter which hand the knife was in, or whether you swapped hands to use the fork, but tines up was always considered rude. I assume this is because it looks as though you are shovelling the food in a la Homer Simpson.

So I am going to confuse you totally now- sometime...

2009-08-20T21:27:56.533+10:00

So I am going to confuse you totally now- sometimes it's OK to eat using a fork in your right hand - but only if it's a cake / pastry fork. You have those right? Along with fish knives / forks, soup spoons, butter knives - it's hard work being British.

Rassles- Haha Shenani- Omigod, I am such a dumbas...

2009-08-19T11:23:00.915+10:00

Rassles- Haha

Shenani- Omigod, I am such a dumbass!!! I will fix it now! Thank you!

This conversation is going on far too long conside...

2009-08-19T11:20:21.250+10:00

This conversation is going on far too long considering the importance of its subject... but, the point is this: The second video, which you've billed as a demonstration of the American style of eating, features no eating demonstration whatsoever. It's just about why you shouldn't put your cellphone on the table, which seems to me completely unrelated to your post and makes me think that you've accidentally posted the wrong video. By now, of course, I could just go to Youtube and look up the damn thing myself, but I thought you might like to replace the video you've embedded with one that actually demonstrates the American style of eating, it being the theme of your post and all.

I eat by stabbing my food with the fork and rippin...

2009-08-18T14:03:21.491+10:00

I eat by stabbing my food with the fork and ripping bites off of it.

This is why I'm still single.

Shenanigins- Can I call you Shenani for short? hah...

2009-08-17T23:34:43.211+10:00

Shenanigins- Can I call you Shenani for short? haha

The second video is the "american style". And in one of the videos she says NOT to put your cell phone on the table, right? I'm so confused.

Hey Flordia Girl... Technically, there's noth...

2009-08-17T22:50:52.810+10:00

Hey Flordia Girl...

Technically, there's nothing wrong with the 2nd video. It's about not putting your cell phone on the table when you eat (I'd have written "cell phone" on my first post but my new Mac and I are having some keypad issues.) That's fine... BUT, you bill it is a video that demonstrates the American style of eating, which I would like to see. Oh, BTW, I love her accent. It reminds me of Margarita Pracatan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hpkP2mb4SA

Lesbianbride- Thanks for the encouragement! Shen...

2009-08-15T14:01:49.859+10:00

Lesbianbride- Thanks for the encouragement!

Shenanigans- What's wrong in the 2nd video?

I didn't realise Americans even ate in a diffe...

2009-08-12T17:00:56.218+10:00

I didn't realise Americans even ate in a different way. I'd never heard of such a thing as "Continental style". I just thought it was eating. Feel duty-bound to point out, however, that the second video is wrong. It's all about not putting your cell hone on the table, which we all know, surely? Even Americans...

Ohh, am glad you managed to do it!

2009-08-10T14:55:42.222+10:00

Ohh, am glad you managed to do it!

Natasha- That's so funny, and I was just about...

2009-08-08T23:55:30.122+10:00

Natasha- That's so funny, and I was just about to leave a comment here saying I can't believe no one was up for a video of their attempt/s or even a photo! Thanks!

Haha, I love this! I have tried - unsuccessfully -...

2009-08-08T20:19:16.457+10:00

Haha, I love this! I have tried - unsuccessfully - to switch and it's impossible! I don't have a video, but I do have a picture of a very adorable Belgian boy trying to teach me how to eat "properly"... http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3501354&id=734340494 (not sure if that will show up...)

Kelley- Yeah, it cracks me up too! FreeMan- New h...

2009-08-08T16:10:26.955+10:00

Kelley- Yeah, it cracks me up too!

FreeMan- New header?? read a few posts back...

I've always eaten 'Continental' style ...

2009-08-07T21:38:11.346+10:00

I've always eaten 'Continental' style because my Mom was manners obsessed. So am I for that matter. We're kind of snobs.

Do you have a new header?

"The great assimilator" - LOL!

2009-08-07T18:26:00.082+10:00

"The great assimilator" - LOL!

Dina- I never noticed you didn't know how to u...

2009-08-07T10:52:31.416+10:00

Dina- I never noticed you didn't know how to use a fork and knife properly-- you must be a good faker!

MamaBird- I have no idea?? I probably should pay attention more?

Kismet- Don't practice on my account, I'd like to have someone to be embarrassed WITH. Awkwardness loves company.

Marvin- Good thinking on the soup only diet.

COPHstudent- I love that-- "food porn"! Haha, you're hilarious! Yeah, the only real problem is feeling like everyone at the table is wondering why you eat so strangely, especially when you're just trying to kind of tone down all your Americanism and blend.

Kerry- You are so welcome, haha.

Lesbian Bride- Now I'm so confused! Isn't continental style supposed be your fork in right hand and knife in left??? Today, yes TODAY, I realized why I was doing such a bad job of it all this time-- I had my fork in my left hand-- I moved it to my right and OMIGOD!! Guess what-- I did it!!!! I feel like a big winner! Yippie for me. (how pathetic).

Wow - Aussie here, and I had no idea there was a d...

2009-08-07T09:01:37.118+10:00

Wow - Aussie here, and I had no idea there was a difference. However I'm ALWAYS getting in trouble by my mother (and the occassional ex-partner) for "eating the wrong way".

I put my fork in my right hand, my knife in my left - big no no. I don't eat with the prongs down. So... I guess if anything, I eat "American" style, but I don't even switch hands for the knife and fork. I was ambidexterous as a kid, though, and I blame that for my bad eating. I simply cannot have a knife in my right hand... unless I'm chopping something up in food prep - like vegies or whatever. Then I can use either hand.

I'm now totally going to spend evenings out watching how people eat! I've never paid attention before. My mum obviously does, and she certainly has prongs down. I never realised that was a style - I thought it looked bizaare! I'm going to observe my GF tonight (she's English).

haha.

I must eat weird even for an American. I hold the ...

2009-08-07T08:28:15.256+10:00

I must eat weird even for an American. I hold the knife in my left, fork in right, when cutting... and then I don't put down the knife and switch, I keep the fork in my right when I take a bite. No wonder I eat so fast! But thanks for opening my eyes to yet ANOTHER difference I had no clue about. I'm gonna attempt to eat this way today...

Hey Hey fellow Miamian! You know my parents spent...

2009-08-07T04:48:41.351+10:00

Hey Hey fellow Miamian!

You know my parents spent my entire life trying to get me to eat the continental way and I never had a clue why? good manners..right..

heres my opinion since I obviously eat the American way without any shame.

The Austrailian way seems very efficient for getting the food into your mouth which is what the purpose of eating is right? cut eat, cut eat, cut eat etc

But I like to savor the whole eating process, smelling the food, the contact, the cutting, the positioning, then putting my knife down and enjoying at whatever pace I feel okay with.

that sounded like food porn...

=] i feel as long as I'm using utensils and not shoving food in my mouth like a beast of burden I'll be okay in the manners department.

ps.
when you've done things like eating the american way your whole life switching utensils isn't as a hard as holding onto them the whole time >=D of course it might be different when a whole group of people are staring at you do it jajajaja