JG - More modern etiquette

From my archive of press clippings:

Jamaica Gleaner

More modern etiquette

Published: Sunday March 29, 2009

Photo by Rita Elliott

Choose centrepieces that allow for the good flow of conversation.


Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor


With the trend in recent times being the glorification of all things vulgar, banal and/or trite, the line between what is acceptable social behaviour and what is not has been completely blurred.

Read the whole article here.

Snippet(s):

"It is as if the vulgar things have now become the operational mode of the society, with the commonsensical approach to good manners not only frowned upon by some, but the idea of doing the right thing by way of manners and protocol is regarded with a sense of mistrust and downright disdain. In today's culture, the young man who opens the car door and allows his female companion to be seated then closes the door before making his way to the driver's side runs the risk of being ridiculed or being subjected to name-calling. The same is true of the young man who holds the chair for his female companion at a restaurant.

Sadly, the women have been contributing to the erosion of these traditional values and attitudes by giving in to what passes for the popular culture, as against holding out for the more time-honoured signs of respect that this deference accommodates. And even more sadly, this erosion knows no social barrier, as in the popular subculture of the dancehall, the more demeaning the lyrics are to women, the more they embrace and revel in it! "

"Before you get caught up in the circus of being led by the etiquette-impaired, however, always remember the basic rule of etiquette: one's actions must be dictated primarily out of the concern and well-being of others, and not one's own. Such as, when sitting at the table, in reaching for a dish, instead of piling food on to your own plate then passing on what's left to others, first pass the dish to others and wait until it makes its way back to you before you serve yourself. "

"The protocol of wine, however, is fairly simple. When it comes to red or white wine, the protocol is that reds are best suited to dishes such as beef, lamb, mutton, pork (including sausages) and heavy stews.

Conversely, whites are best suited for fish, fowls, crepes and generally light dishes. In recent times, however, the protocol has been relaxed in some quarters, which has seen some rosé being paired with spicy fish, fowls and even some reds used in this mode; the operational rule here being individual taste."

&

"(F)or years the debate has raged here as to how best to serve red, as the 'purists' from their position of ignorance, have always maintained that reds should be served at room temperature. This is a fallacy that continues to be propagated by ignorance. In the old wine countries, room temperature was derived from the fact that wines were stored in dank cellars and room temperature there meant that the wine was taken from the cold cellar and taken above, where it was more than not decanted and allowed to 'cool' down to room temperature before drinking.

In hot climes such as obtains here in the Caribbean, red wine is at its best if it's first stored in a wine-cooler or in the crisper of your regular refrigerator. The wine is best if opened some time before it is actually served to allow it to 'breathe', as this process allows it to fluff itself and thus create a more pleasing experience. If you run into people (and you will) who insist that red wine should only be served at room temperature, pity them, as the acidic levels likely to be present in any such wine make it best suited for cooking as against fine drinking, and no amount of posing can alter that simple fact."