Wasting food it makes me so angry!

[Benmart]

It's taken years for me to come to the realization that:

I am not in charge of others.

I cannot dictate to others as to their behaviors.

I can donate time and resources to those in need.

I can redirect my anger into something more positive.

What I consider waste, is not necessarily shared by others.

I can choose those that I associate with and where I go with them.

I can try to live my life in a manner that is considerate, prudent and conservative.

I can try to be aware that peace, love and tolerance makes me a happier and healthier person.

Good luck my Friend.

Easy Does It.

One Day at a Time.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Benmart

[Shiver]

Most Thai gals cook well and are curious tastes....They are great samplers - I've watched at social/family get togethers....

As one cannibal says to another other "Mummy, I don't like Grandma". "Shut up and eat your chips".

I'll refrain from less tasteful interpretations.

[elgenon]

When I go out to eat with a Thai friend and her family who are middle class, she over orders and the husband finishes everytHing. I call him "Mister Clean".

[louse1953]

People who have had nothing grab everything. I have spoken to a lot of people about this and seems to be a common thing in Thailand. Can't get enough. I can never understand the poor people live around us either. Go and slave on a farm all day for 200 baht and then come home and drink 300 baht of grog. They're the same with money. Maybe someone will win 60k on the lottery. First thing they want to do is have a party and show off they have money. Next day theyre skint again.

That's why I luv em.

[louse1953]

Don't understand falang´s who buys this in letting the rest of the family take charge.

Pore stupidity is what it is, stop complaining and get e new gf and tell her from beginning I pay I say.

Spot on mate,the one paying talks to the waitress.You can bet your the one she will give the bin to.

[aledale]

I would add historical reason as well. They never had a famine or war like in Europe so they always had enough to eat. Also climatic differences, they can grow food all year round not just 1 season.

Another thing could be the social aspect, look, I have enough money to order the whole menu in a restaurant... Another story I would like to share, some Hi So students at my university, they never go to the canteen like most people. I asked them where they go and why. The answer was they prefer to eat outside in a real restaurant coz the food at the canteen is too cheap and therefore can not taste good...

I agree with you.... I always think that thai is a rich country for many reason. One because they never had famine problem and now you confirm my idea.... from this, it can explain the social aspect not to mind to throw food....

[billd766]

I've never really followed the 'starving people' logic. Do restaurants in Thailand automatically send unordered ingredients to famine-ridden parts of the world?

I think this says more about the long-lasting effects of WW2-era propaganda on aging farangs than anything else, really.

Are you old enough to remember the war and ration cards?

Look here for the typical food ration per adult per week.

http://www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/rationing2.html

https://1940sexperiment.wordpress.com/rationing-diet-sheets/

Some of us actually have been there, and for your information, NO it wasn't propaganda.

People actually did used to live on that level of food as well as working 10 or 12 hours a day for 6 days a week.

If you don't know what you are talking about then at least do some research before you post drivel.

[mikiea]

order what you want ... I don't like their leftovers. It's not your fault or problem that they are wasters .. but unfortunately thats the norm.

Just get your hot dog or sandwich or fries and don't look at their food ... let them eat theirs and you eat yours !!

that is a Chinese thing , order or make more then you use.... it is a status thing , they take pleasure in knowing that they can do this..... because they can , it is hard for western people to understand . it goes way back to Mao's time when slow starvation was the norm .

[MiKT]

Don't understand falang´s who buys this in letting the rest of the family take charge.

Pore stupidity is what it is, stop complaining and get e new gf and tell her from beginning I pay I say.

Spot on mate,the one paying talks to the waitress.You can bet your the one she will give the bin to.

You are in the wrong country and fast heading for big trouble with the government, this will not lead to happiness!

[Shiver]

I remember many times when my grandmother who, decades after the war still had the ration mind set. As a small kid I couldn't understand why eating penicillin blue fluff like stuff on old bread was too good to waste, and thought whether it's eaten or not it will just either end up in the toilet or on the compost heap. She tried in vain to explain to me what it was like in the war, but I'd never had exposure to that, and food just arrived at meal times from 'somewhere' every day.

In Thailand I thought there was the idea that you should not leave even one grain of rice on the plate, since someone had to do back breaking work to grow it, though I don't see that in practise.

Also the dogs in the Wat are very well fed since in most Wats the monks get way more food than they can possibly accommodate, but they have to accept what they're offered and cannot ask for anything.

As a westerner I don't make much comment about how skewed that behaviour is from our side of the fence, and I've never said anything when I'm footing the bill either, though I have to admit I do have thoughts much like the OP on the rare occasions that it happens. I purposely just have small portions in the hope that they see themselves pigging out (hopeless wish I know). Maybe not that hopeless actually now that I think of it, as there's a slight trend towards ordering a couple of dishes, then if anyone is still hungry order some more no issue. If they want more still then that's fine, as long as they actually want it and aren't just trying to have more plates than the table next to them.

[northernphil]

My brother and I were born after the war me in '47 my bro in '45. Food at home was always good and always enough. But school dinners were revolting. meat pie and 80% was fat and gristle. We joked about " We give thanks for what we are about to receive and Lord give me strength to eat it " or " Be it green or be it brown, open yer gob and shove it down " You got 2 whacks with the cane if you left any.

[ableguy]

My gf does this too when we eat out, she will order three or four dishes for herself and the eat ten per cent of each one, she then makes the excuse there is something just not right with each dish. I suspect she thinks she is impressing the staff at the restraunt. I clamped down on it, told her no more or you pay for the meal, it worked.

[ableguy]

My brother and I were born after the war me in '47 my bro in '45. Food at home was always good and always enough. But school dinners were revolting. meat pie and 80% was fat and gristle. We joked about " We give thanks for what we are about to receive and Lord give me strength to eat it " or " Be it green or be it brown, open yer gob and shove it down " You got 2 whacks with the cane if you left any.

We used to chant thank you lord for what I've had, if there had been a bit more I would have been glad.

Around 1948 to 1949'