Let's Talk Food

June 2012

It’s happened to all of us at some point—being faced with an unfamiliar dish or tricky-looking h’ors d’oeuvre at a social occasion and awkwardly trying to figure out how to take a delicate bite without crossing the rules of etiquette. Before biting your tongue or missing a perfectly good opportunity to open your palate up to delicious new flavors, go through this rundown of quick and easy guidelines so you never have to suffer through another food gaffe at a work event or your next cocktail party again.

Sushi.

While Filipinos are typically familiar with Asian cuisine, including Japanese dishes, sushi can still be a challenge due to its delicate nature and the careful handling required by using wooden chopsticks. To prevent breakage from happening, make sure to dip your sushi fish-side-down in soy sauce, and bring the entire piece straight to your mouth in one bite.

Dimsum.

Most dumplings require a dip in soy sauce as well, and while sushi requires a swift bite, dimsum can be eaten in steps. Take a bite off of dumplings that are too large to eat, and grip your chopsticks firmly in order to ensure that no pieces fall to your plate as you take a bite.

Cocktails.

Many mixed drinks come with pretty accoutrements—swizzle sticks, paper umbrellas, and fruit. It can be disconcerting, trying to figure out whether to have a bite of the pineapple slice on the rim of your glass or whether it’s polite or not to pop that olive in your mouth. Etiquette dictates that the only non-edible item that should be left in your glass after finishing off your cocktail is a straw. Leave any umbrellas and sticks on the table or your plate, and while standing, hold such pieces in your napkin.

Caviar.

Traditionally served in a bowl and on ice, caviar is meant to be spread in small amounts on bite-sized crackers or toasted triangles. When serving yourself, spoon a reasonable amount of caviar onto your plate and work them onto your bread, piece by piece, instead of scooping them directly onto the bread as you walk through the buffet table.

Like this series? We’ll cover more ground within the following months to help you get through your parties throughout the year!

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Talking the Talk

May 2012

Everyone appreciates a good conversationalist. People who can stir up interesting conversations are essential at every dinner party—they can help forge friendships among strangers, keep topics relevant without overstepping, and help transform a potentially dull event full of awkward silences into something more memorable and more fun.

Knowing how to make good conversation, however, doesn’t come without rules and guidelines. Becoming well spoken requires a balance of etiquette, knowhow and sensitivity to others. Anyone can spearhead an interesting dinner topic by keeping these easy tips in mind.

Don’t dominate.

The more you say and the more you take over a conversation, the more likely it is that you will become careless with your words. Say something to avoid being aloof, but never dominate the conversation—allow others to make their own contributions so the topic at hand can evolve naturally.

Stay in tune.

A good grasp on current events and pop culture should always be part of your arsenal when heading into a conversation. Whether you prefer to flip through the newspaper every morning or stay abreast via your Twitter feed, starting with something relevant and current always works when opening up a topic.

Be inclusive.

When speaking to several people, avoid the urge to whisper to just one person or hold a private conversation amidst a group. Reserve private matters for another time so that nobody feels left out.

Limit the jargon.

When speaking with professionals in the same field as you are, it is perfect acceptable to drop a few technical terms here and there. When talking to a more general crowd, however, using too many buzz words and euphemisms can be tiresome and may give others the wrong idea about you.

Ease the atmosphere.

When someone embarrasses himself in a conversation, avoid bringing his mispronunciation or grammar mishap to light. Do everyone a favor by being discreet, especially if someone has food lodged between his teeth, for example. Being thoughtful to others is essential in maintaining an easy conversation.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Playing Fair and Square

April 2012

Summer vacations mean kids being out of school and going into different activities. Whether it’s participating in a soccer clinic or a theater workshop, introducing your three-year old to Kindermusik or driving your tween to dance class with her best friends, it’s important to keep in mind that the kids need to keep up with their good manners, especially because they’re interacting with more people and making new friends.

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Being a good sport is one lesson that your children will bring with them to their older years, and it’s never too early to give them some guidelines that will make them pleasant playmates, fun friends and kids who are easy to get along with..
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Give the guidelines.

Talk to your kids about the rules and make sure they understand them. Letting them know how being tardy, for example, can dampen team morale; or how shaking hands after a game, whether you win or lose, can keep everyone friendly no matter what happens in a game or in class.

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Teach them respect.

While kids are often managed by an

adult—a teacher, referee, or yaya—they sometimes need reminding about how they need to show the elders their due respect. Summer classes will introduce your tots to even more personalities and they need to know that even if they can have fun with their coach or camp counselor, they still need to show the right amount of respect to those around them.

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Show them there is no "I" in team.

Exposing your kids to new personalities will help teach them to be considerate of others—but when your child does show some signs of being insensitive to the concept of “team spirit,” remember that a little talking-to about cooperation is in order.

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Be proud, but not boastful.

If your kid’s team wins his basketball match, don’t hold back and be the proud parent you are! Show your child that you appreciate his win, but watch out for any trash talking that may occur among opposing teams. Demonstrate how winners can be “gracious” instead of gloating—by shaking the hands after a competition, or complementing someone on the opposite side about something good they did during the game.

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Take the bad with the good.

Help keep your child’s chin up when he loses a game, slips up her lines during a play, or misses a couple of notes at a piano recital. Don’t focus on what went wrong but help your kid work on what can be improved. Remind your kids to congratulate their peers who are successful in their activities—that’s what a good sport does, after all!

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Travel Time

March 2012

Summer is well on its way and along with the season of sun comes family vacations and travel, whether in the Philippines or out of the country. Going through the tedious process of checking in and flying can be tiresome and daunting. Dealing with the hassle of airports and planes can make it easy to lose your cool—no matter what kind of stressful situation you run into, keep these tips in mind to give your trip a good start..

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Read the fine print.

To avoid last minute mishaps at the check-in counter, make sure you know the exact weight limits and luggage sizes required by your airline. Be conscious of airport screeners when dressing up too, so you don’t waste too much time emptying your pockets of loose change, removing belts with metal hardware or packing and unpacking your gadgets.

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Watch your carry-on luggage.

Hold your bag in front of you, instead of letting it drape from your shoulder so you avoid hitting people on the airplane aisle while walking to your seat. Remember that the overhead bin policy is first come first stowed.

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Grin and bear it.

The true test of patience when it comes to travel, is staying up in the air for an hour (or twelve), trying not to overreact when minor incivilities occur. When a child is crying at will or a noisy couple is arguing within everyone’s earshot, try to resort to those noise-canceling earphones and concentrate on the movie instead of creating even more of a ruckus. When things get out of hand, however, do not hesitate to report what’s going on to a flight attendant.

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Know the faux pas.

Bad behavior is a no-no, especially in small confined spaces like an airplane. Being unreasonably demanding to your flight attendants, loitering in the aisles, having too much alcohol and toting along strong-smelling food or spraying on too much perfume are to be avoided at all costs.

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The Blue Leaf is a great place to host parties, whether you're looking to entertain corporate clients or throw a get-together for friends and family. We can help you forge new bonds and make new memories, no matter what the occasion. For inquiries, call The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion at 898-BLUE or visit http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/ for more information.

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The Blue Leaf Events Pavilion • 632 8872175 • 632 8875687 • inquiries@theblueleaf.com.ph

100 Park Avenue, McKinley Hill Village,Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.