studying cultures

problem to solve: I am trying really hard to get the english formal way to serve and I don't really know much about it. I guess is quite similar to the french way, for some reason, although is getting complicated because

1) I never had the soup problem. I never started a dinner with soup. how comes the spoon (first to be used cos of the soup) is actually at the end of the cutlery?

2) no salad-knife? ok, you don't really need it but what if the entrance is something different?

3) never had to butter the bread! I had this experience before. when am I supposed to butter my bread? at the beginning or when I receive something to eat? Is it rude to start eating bread without having anything in the plate? don't know but I have the feeling that actually is rude.

the fact that I don't know the rules like everybody I know is a sign that time are changing? I am trying to be as swiss as possible...applying strict rules. There are books on books about table setting. I am trying to visualise it being as more concise as I can.

ps. can't wait to become rebellious

table setting

new project. very happy because the concept is easy and fun and full of possibilities.

it's not political, less conceptual than what I did before...still it could be studied in depth

and bring up issues.

TABLE SETTING...

somebody called me on christmas day, kind of desperate to know how to do a proper

table setting. I know how to just because my family it's kind of obsessed with good manners

and I have been told to behave properly till I finally left my house.

Why I want to do something that I hated to do when I was a kid? cos now I set the table

just like my mum told me to and it's kind of annoying when I find the table setted in other ways...on the other hand when I go back to my mum's house I just want to

eat with my hands and behave like there were no rules. I find this a good starting point and I'll try to have fun with it.

btw I still "forget" something every time I set the table. it's like my trade mark. it could be a napkin or glasses...there is always something missing and I kind of like this rebellion when people discover it and point their finger on me...:)

books I am using: