Where are they?
What’s happening?
Talk about similarities and differences in a dinner scene in your home
town.
The Scene: A typical family dinner with a guest.
Children eat with the adults, but are expected to be quite and
well-behaved. Guests bring a small gift for the hosts, such as flowers or a
bottle of wine. Although Americans commonly arrive 15-30 minute late
for the type of parties, they make an effort to be on time for a dinner
party to avoid causing problems with the cooking.
When dinner is served, people wait to begin eating until everyone is
served—unless the hosts says something, like, “Please go ahead. Don’t
wait for me.” The host will offer more food to the guests, but will not
insist if they say they have had enough. There is a lot of conversation
during the meal, and after the dishes have been cleared way, people may
sit at the table for a long time with coffee and or another drink.