Does My Head In......

[phitsanulokjohn]

Get used to it mate,like it or lump it.One things for sure it won't get any better.They're all the same.

[Baerboxer]

Mrs. BB used to be the same. Now, she's not too bad in restaurants, just orders a little too much and always take back any left, usually for the dogs. She's worse when buying food for dinner at home. Often buys far too much. Some bags never even get opened. Straight in the fridge and after a few days when she considers them "expired" she re-heats it all, again for the dogs. The dogs seem incredibly healthy and fit so maybe I should try it!

If we have guests for dinner, then she will prepare enough food for 3-4 times the amount of people coming. It seems you have to always show you have plenty, then they don't feel guilty for pigging if they want too. One old Thai Uni friend came for dinner while his misses was away and apologized for eating so much! All about face, being a generous host and making sure your guest is comfortable.

Well done Blether for being a gentleman and providing more than enough food, and allowing the lady to choose the amount she wanted to eat, and the pace she wanted to eat at. The age of chivalry is not dead, and entertaining a lady does not always involve a scheme to get in their knickers as you say.

[bra]

When I first started taking my GF to eat out she nearly always ordered too much, then half way through the meal it was "you will have to help me with this". Well I did of course, until I realised she was still keeping her superb 42 kg body as mine kept getting bigger and more out of shape. Now I just order less for me - and still help her. Mind you she still wanted to get more from the street stalls on the way home "in case I get hungry". Similar to nearly all the comments here.

I am not sure that this is more an Asian thing. I remember not so long ago in Singapore that patrons (nearly all Singaporean Chinese) were charged extra at buffets if they did not finish all on their plate. The habit was to rush to the buffet, get the biggest empty plate they could find and heap it impossibly high - then only eat half. Smaller plates were available but no. The motive was to have lower prices because half the food was not wasted. I always waited until the buffet was refreshed after the initial rush then select at leisure - small plate too.

Maybe it comes from a long time ago when you grabbed any food that you could because there was no certainty where the next meal was coming from - unfortunately this is still the case in many parts of the world.

[Alwyn]

Was it Thai food or Farang food? My missus will order a shed load of grub and just like yours, hardly eat any and yet two minutes later when the motor bike with the smelly dried squid comes by she's drooling and off she goes again... and again... and again.. sigh. Having said that nothing goes to waste. It all goes into the doggy bag etc. Most annoying for me is when I open my fridge and it's full of plastic bags full of left over rain forests and bushes and little bags of chilli paste etc!!! Used to wind me up, now i just stop her when she's ordering and remind her there's just the two of us. Farang food? Hardly touches it and says she's "fuun" ,lol!!

[sunshine51]

Mrs Sunshine can always order up anything she feels like ordering.

She's gonna do it regardless of what I think or say. However...what I

wanna know is where can I find....

[Emdog]

A couple of guidelines could help in this area: 1. NEVER get between a Thai woman and food. 2. Never let her order until you are both agreed with what will be ordered. If you must, tell her "If you are still hungry after this, then we can order x,y,z". So not faced with the direct "no", just "wait and see". I hate to say this, but many of them are like children when it comes to even the immediate future, like how many dishes to order. You hear what they want, and then be the adult in the situation and order what is reasonable. You are "paying the cost to be the boss", as BB King sang.

[Samaaw]

The part of ordering too much that she cannot eat is a waste of course - but Thailand does not have starving people so they don't care.

Maybe your lady is worried that she might not have a meal tomorrow - so she tops up wherever and whenever she can.

[Docno]

My girlfriend moved back to the village from the big city (Ubon) almost a year ago. I was always amazed how frequently she would eat (not just small meals either), but she managed to stay slim even if the word 'exercise' was not in her lexicon. But now that she's back in her home village, she's spending most of her tie with an old school friend who is a lovely lady (yeah, I have to say that) but also morbidly obese. I'm not sure there's a connection, but my girlfriend is also 'growing' rapidly.... can't fit into any of her shorts from a year ago. When I 'nudge' her about it, she simply says that she's an old lady now and that's what happens. She turned 31 yesterday. Apparently those 'hollow legs' do fill eventually...

[QualityTouristNumberOne]

Apparently its considered rude to clean your plate in Thailand(less so in a restaurant than in for example your mrs's family home) it implies that they didn't feed you enough...

Mind you this was from a quite famous travel guide that I now look back upon with some hilarity as well as wonderment,and my little 40kg GF has no problem cleaning her plate,but yes,ordering more than you can eat is common here,but don't forget,its usually quite a bit cheaper,and Thai people in general love to snack all day long,

took me 18 months to eat my first insect(damn! that was a loooong time ago)now I eat them every now and then.

[itchybum]

Not cleaning the plate is a Chinese thing I believe.

If it was a Thai thing, then my wife did not get the memo.

[Rorri]

Last night my wife and family returned from a day trip to the big Wat in Chachoengsao. Which the MIL loves to visit.

On their return my wife baled out of the big nosh up at her mother's place and came back to my place where she told me she didn't want to eat anymore Thai food.

OK, says I, how about a (pan) toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich then?

She devoured it as if she hadn't eaten for a week!

I think I did too good a job teaching my wife to become 'falang'.

Mmmmm, toasted ham, cheese and tomato, got me off to the kitchen...

[mayday49]

I've found that ladies generally prefer to browse, while men prefer to wolf and gorge.

I think it comes from different evolutionary roles. Women stay in the bush, minding small children and foraging for low-calorie roots, nuts and berries, while men go off hunting game; then eat as much as they can so there's less to carry back,... eat again at home, and then off for the next wildebeeste or rabbit or whatever.

SC

How about the vegetarians ?

See Darwin in footnotes ...

[mayday49]

Apparently its considered rude to clean your plate in Thailand(less so in a restaurant than in for example your mrs's family home) it implies that they didn't feed you enough...

Mind you this was from a quite famous travel guide that I now look back upon with some hilarity as well as wonderment,and my little 40kg GF has no problem cleaning her plate,but yes,ordering more than you can eat is common here,but don't forget,its usually quite a bit cheaper,and Thai people in general love to snack all day long,

took me 18 months to eat my first insect(dam_n! that was a loooong time ago)now I eat them every now and then.

I will only eat my bugs if fried in canola oil ...

[Benmart]

Mercedes-girl abroad. 2 hours after recovering from dengue. And Blether is playing the field again! width=20 alt=giggle.gif>

Eh, it wasn't a romantic date

I've known this lady for a while and I hadn't seen her since April. It is possible to talk to a woman without trying to get into her knickers you know.

news to me..

I think there are a fair number of gents who have platonic relationships with women. They just don't advertise and boost about having a "regular friend" unlike those that see women as a potential conquest. The lifestyle we choose is a personal decision and the "news" is left to the reader to interpret.

[HUAHIN62]

If a Thai woman waste food its not a good sign. Thai people are brought up not to waste. She either thought you going to eat more than what you did or she is a wasteful person. If it happens again take her on and insist that the food thats left go back home.

As a side note OP I thought you were attached?

[mayday49]

my 80's travel guide reads " Thai people like to eat several times per day . .. not unlike westerners, who prefer three meals a day. Thais like to enjoy snacks and small amounts of food whenever they have the opportunity to do so "

I would contribute it to the culture if your old lady simply forgets to honour one meal ,when another one appears on the horizon of this light leveled mind.

Wish my old lady would stop keeping the leftovers in the fridge. The contents of our fridge sometimes look like an archeologist's dream . . .

Don't you mean pathologist dream ..?

[Anon999]

How do they do it? ... hollow legs.

Could be the only place they put it all.

We've all watched 10 of them down what and Army of a 100 soldiers would eat.

Never stand between a (Thai) woman and food ... you'll get stomped in the stampede ...

Thai women must have regular food refills otherwise they can get very grumpy.

[Bagwan]

Mercedes-girl abroad. 2 hours after recovering from dengue. And Blether is playing the field again!

Eh, it wasn't a romantic date

I've known this lady for a while and I hadn't seen her since April. It is possible to talk to a woman without trying to get into her knickers you know.

I didn't know that. It must be a very strange experience. Most women are too busy gabbing away to notice that I'm in the knickers.

[Zodaka]

Sounds like she's just ordering the food that she's been brought up on. She probably thought that the first place you went to was a big waste money.

[theblether]

If a Thai woman waste food its not a good sign. Thai people are brought up not to waste. She either thought you going to eat more than what you did or she is a wasteful person. If it happens again take her on and insist that the food thats left go back home.

As a side note OP I thought you were attached?

On my own again. Mercedes Girl is in Houston for a couple of months. Setting that to the side we had a conversation about our future together before she left and what she wants to happen is not agreeable to me. We parted on good terms and she's in the happy memory file.

[NanLaew]

I have always let Thai girlfriends, partners, wives, mia noi's and the gik take the lead in ordering food when out dining. It's probably the only aspect where they don't say 'up to you' and are happy to take command. The upside is getting to try things that you normally would not have tried and the trick is then remembering those items so when you are dining alone or with foreign friends, you can take the lead and show off your Thai language skills and culinary knowledge.

[Bagwan]

The food was excellent and she ordered too much, so we walked away from the best part of two dishes uneaten.

I wonder if the lady would have been so cavalier with her attitude if she was the one paying?

Precisely. My wife and the family kids know that if they order, then they eat it, or else. After 12 years the family know that they should only buy what they need and save up for what they want.

They've never had so much in the bank before. Impulse buying leads to Carey Street.

[Anon999]

Last night my wife and family returned from a day trip to the big Wat in Chachoengsao. Which the MIL loves to visit.

On their return my wife baled out of the big nosh up at her mother's place and came back to my place where she told me she didn't want to eat anymore Thai food.

OK, says I, how about a (pan) toasted ham, cheese and tomato sandwich then?

She devoured it as if she hadn't eaten for a week!

I think I did too good a job teaching my wife to become 'falang'.

Mmmmm, toasted ham, cheese and tomato, got me off to the kitchen...

I have an old Kenwood toasted sandwich maker and my wife devours them with delight. She really likes cheese and jam, cheese and ham and bacon and banana. Not to mention many other farang dishes. Also if we have ordered too much then she will always ask for a doggy bag to take home and it's never wasted.

[Globeman]

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about keeping a woman happy was from my (farang) girlfriend's father when we were leaving for Asia, delivered with great gravity: "Feed her when she's hungry." I've stuck to that advice and it paid off on my relationship with her, and her Thai successors.

[Bagwan]

Is it really such a crime to leave excess food?

When I was a lad in the early 40's I once refused part of my lunch. My father insisted that I clear my plate. I was adamant that I wouldn't. My father then said that heroic men had braved the North Atlantic storms and U-boat packs to bring the food to our country and that he and my mother had gone out to work to pay for it. I was unmoved. When the table was cleared I was made to sit on a chair to contemplate the situation until the next meal when the food that I had left was taken from the larder and placed in front of me once more. I went without and was sent to bed hungry. My mother diplomatically 'accidentally ' lost the food in the dustbin the next day. My father's view was that it was indeed a crime and an insult to those who I should be grateful to.

[VisaProblem]

I have noticed over the years that some narcissistic women over-order and barely touch their food, to validate their self-worth, your keeness on them and / or your generosity (or stupidity) by having someone throwing money away to pay for their whims ....

[djlest]

When i came to Thailand i was in perfect shape, after having a few Thai GF's i am now about 20 kilos over weight - they order and order and order, and i am left eating it all.

Last night for example, i was given 2 plates of food in stead of one. And that was at 12 midnight.

I swear i am being knocked off by kindness, ill die of a heart attack at this rate.

Actually getting back to the OP's Post

I think Thais (all of them) are very excessive in their behaviours... Its not just food is it?

They fly off the handle at the smallest of things, and won't react at all at the more important matters.
They get very excited at food, and have to order everything to feed their over zealous appetites. (like kids in a candy shop)
They spend money (when they have it) like its going out of fashion then complain they have none
And lets not forget, They will WAI and KAA and Krap all day long, but as soon as they are behind a steering wheel is <deleted> to everyone else, pedestrians included.

And my favourite of all... When you check their profile's or Work resumes, they put down "SLEEPING" as one of their hobbies...

i give up bashing them, these days i just laugh at them.

[David48]

I have always let Thai girlfriends, partners, wives, mia noi's and the gik take the lead in ordering food when out dining. It's probably the only aspect where they don't say 'up to you' and are happy to take command. The upside is getting to try things that you normally would not have tried and the trick is then remembering those items so when you are dining alone or with foreign friends, you can take the lead and show off your Thai language skills and culinary knowledge.

+1

I have always let Thai girlfriends, partners, wives, mia noi's and the gik take the lead in ordering food when out dining. It's probably the only aspect where they don't say 'up to you' and are happy to take command. The upside is getting to try things that you normally would not have tried and the trick is then remembering those items so when you are dining alone or with foreign friends, you can take the lead and show off your Thai language skills and culinary knowledge.

Almost 100% agreement... I've had less skin in the game then you.

[transam]

Think that folk order lots cos they ''can'', got the T-shirt for that. Really all about who's paying for it. Plus a bit of ''show'' thrown into the mix. Doesn't matter where you are in LOS folk are wondering what folk on the next table are thinking.

[Mudcrab]

I am sure, if the Thai lady in the OP, had been to the very same restaurant, ordering exactly the same food, with a Thai friend, they would have finished all the food on the table. It might have taken an hour or two. But they would have finished it. Down to sucking the claws of the crab and eating the fisheyes!

So either she didn't enjoy the company or the the OP was in too much of a hurry to move on?

But that's just me.

I see you're as good at speculating as you are at managing.

Question Bleth,

What would your response be if you took a woman back home out for dinner and she ordered more food that she could eat and left it un touched?

Would you be as forgiving?

Well I have a story about that.

Last time I was on a date with a Scottish female she ordered the most expensive meal on the dish........here's what happened.

"theblether I just ordered a butterfly steak".

"How do you get a steak from a butterfly?"

"Oh be quiet, it's a special cut of beef"

"beef on a butterfly? well that's a first"

"It's from a cow ya headcase"

"Right, I've never heard of butterfly steak, do you like it?"

"It's okay"

"So why did you order it"

"It was the most expensive thing on the menu, I wanted to see your reaction"

"Oh, so you were testing me?"

"Yes"

At this point the waitress was standing behind her making throat cutting gestures. This was my regular trapping haunt and the waitresses used to pass comment as to the latest belle, in fact they formed an approval committee that all females had to pass. many failed, so did she.

You can see why huh?

I can relate to this. A girlfriend in the US decided to take me out for a feed. Buffalo wings were the gesutation of choice . Having spent decades in Northern Australia I was interested in how they would catch them and defeather the bastards. Spent half the night looking up in case they shit on me!!!!