Eating Leftover: That’s Rude!
By Shavkat
@Shavkat (141905)
Philippines
March 16, 2016 11:29am CST
Some people would not like to eat leftover food. In my country, it is inevitable that Filipinos would have take home food after attending parties. They usually have these doggy bags with them to bring home leftover. It may sounds strange, but the strangeness is their own culture. I am not sure across the country if they also practice this.
There is a story that I cannot understand why leftovers became an issue. A friend of mine called me this day and felt so distress. She was almost into hysterical because of intense anger. Along the conversation, she managed to elaborate what’s really the problem.
Her story goes like this. My friend works as a stay-in private nurse. At first, she was so grateful to have this job since it is her choice to manage her time. She is catering a senile old man. A particular incidence committed by her patient’s daughter to squash her total being. They are in the dining room and dinner is served for all the people in the house. Everyone had food on their plates and all of a sudden, the daughter of the patient said to my friend to eat the leftover and not to eat the new menu cooked for the dinner.
My friend was caught off guard and shocked of what her client’s daughter said. As a professional nurse, she managed to compose herself and eat the leftover. At the back of her mind, she was insulted and swallowed her pride. The following day, she resigned to her work and leave the place without looking back. That's the time I got what she wants to convey. It is her inner sentiments and vent out to uplift herself up again. I just told her to forget about it and understand the people who don’t have etiquette.
26 people like this
27 responses
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
16 Mar 16
So if I am understanding correctly..the nurse was told to eat leftovers while everyone else ate the new food.
That is a slur on human dignity to treat her as second class.
I am glad she moved on Shavkat.
3 people like this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@TiarasOceanView Exactly. How can a person feels of seeing patient's family to eat the new food serve on the table while the nurse is eating a leftover. It is so rude and inhuman. It is good that my friend left the building because the feeling is so degrading in her part.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
17 Mar 16
@Shavkat I am glad she had the fortitude to get up and stand up for her dignity. It is very rotten of them to do this to her. She did not deserve it.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@TiarasOceanView I agree. Whatever type of person we are, they can't do this. I felt so bad for the client's daughter. She should be grateful because someone is taking good care of her father. That it should be her duty.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
if your friend ate together with the other members of the patient's family, that daughter included, then it would not have been considered a leftover food. Maybe the daughter wanted your friend to eat later than the family? But leftovers are those that are left over the plates, and not on the dishes' service plates, right? If this is so, then it is just right that she resigned from her work.
note please, that this is my own point of view. (I think the other way around 'kasi' and I need to see the other notion too). Please don't take this against me. thank you, my friend.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@ridingbet That's your opinion my friend. I don't do grudges. Well, the leftover that I am referring is the food that was not consumed all by the family and can be eaten for the next meal. The context depends on how it was defined. On regards to eating later than the family, it is not also good. She is not being hired as a servant.
leftovers : food that has not been finished at a meal and that is often served at another meal See the full definition…
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
18 Mar 16
@ridingbet There is no problem if the whole family would eat the leftover. It wasn't the case, the patient's implied to let my friend to eat the leftover alone. It was really being rude.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
18 Mar 16
@Shavkat oh, I see, so that was the left over food that the daughter wanted your friend to eat. Could it be too that there were many dishes still on the table and she wanted to finish all, c/o your friend? But either way, that was so rude of her (daughter) to let your friend eat what is left on the table. It is also good she resigned, because that is stepping down on one's personality and there was discrimination too.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
18 Mar 16
Awwww that is so rude. I eat leftovers but if you won't allow me to have those newly cooked dishes, and I am the only one to eat those leftovers, that's a different story.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
20 Mar 16
@brokenbee You got the point my dear friend. It is not a good thing to do.
1 person likes this
@brokenbee (11937)
• Philippines
20 Mar 16
@Shavkat Yup. That is discrimination at its finest. Hmmmm
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
17 Mar 16
First of all, I do not think eating the leftover food is rude, as in we take away the food that we can't finish at the dinner or any party. What you mentioned in your first paragraph, some of us have that practice here as well, it's because we do not want to waste the food.
But, in your friend's case, I think she was insulted. I am not sure if there's any misunderstanding, but I know there are some people who treat the maid (though your friend is not a maid, I am not sure if the clients treat her that way too) poorly. There was once my friend told me, she just hired a maid, and she asked the maid to hand wash all the clothes though she has the washing machine. She thinks the maid shouldn't be too free. I was shock when she told me this. Maids are supposed to help us to lighten our work, they are our helpers, we shouldn't treat them poorly at all.
Glad that your friend resigned and moved on. It's sad, but there are just some people who do not respect others.
1 person likes this
@kaka135 (14994)
• Malaysia
24 Mar 16
@Shavkat I don't understand. This is what I understand from leftover food as well. We usually keep the leftover food in the fridge for our next meal, or take away those leftover food from the dinner. I have no idea what other definition it might be.
I think it's fine if we are willing to eat the leftover food, but if someone was asked only to eat the leftover food, that's really rude. My grandmother-in-law has a maid to take care of her, we always eat together with the maid.
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@kaka135 I think the word is misleading for some of us. But it depends on how the word defined. It is really rude. Even if we hired maids, we cannot treat them as a servant.
leftovers : food that has not been finished at a meal and that is often served at another meal See the full definition…
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
17 Mar 16
It was rude for so many reasons. It is not just that she was told to eat the leftovers while everybody else got to eat the freshly cooked food. It was also that everyone was sitting down to eat when this was done, and it was done in front of everybody. The daughter was just trying to embarrass and belittle your friend, and it obviously worked. I certainly would not want to work in that environment.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22085)
• United States
21 Mar 16
@Shavkat Yes, that is a good thing. Nobody should have to accept that kind of treatment from anyone else. I hope that your friend soon finds work in a better place.
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
18 Mar 16
@purplealabaster It was a bad situation. Thus, my friend cannot endure such treatment. It was a good thing that my friend moved out from that employer. Since she still have respect to herself.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
17 Mar 16
That is very rude of that patient's daughter. I would for sure resign at the spot if I was insulted. If everyone was having left overs that is completely fine ~ but for everyone to eat off the new menu and for her to eat from the old one is rude.
In my tradition ~ after parties we bring home left overs also.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
17 Mar 16
@Shavkat Yes - no food should go to a waste.
I understand if the entire family is eating left overs and ask her to eat the same. But for them to eat the "new" menu and for her to eat the left overs by force - no thank you. If she wanted to eat left overs because she likes that better, than understanding. That is rude and the daughter thinks she is higher level, etc.
I am glad your friend quit. She doesn't deserve that!
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@infatuatedbby We also do the same practices. There is no problem to take home some food from a party. It is better to have leftover than throw to the bin. Some people cannot afford to eat in a daily basis, Thus we can consume the food while it is not spoiled.
I will also do the same thing. It is not acceptable to be degraded with such bad behavior.
1 person likes this
@Lazyblogs (494)
• Chandigarh, India
17 Mar 16
It is really insulting . I would have done the same thing .
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
18 Mar 16
@Lazyblogs It was really insulting on her part. I don't know why some people wanted to nibble others.
@crossbones27 (52905)
• Mojave, California
17 Mar 16
I get what you are saying about etiquette, but I would have been offended also.It is like saying you are not worthy of the new food. You are lower than us and we are better. If I was the client I would have stood up for your friend if I saw that happen.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@crossbones27 I do agree on that. The client didn't even say anything. I guess the client zipped his mouth since he doesn't pay my friend's professional service.
@Letranknight2015 (52665)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
I remember one story in FB about an OFW who was offered to eat left overs, she kept saying no. and when her birthday finally came, she was asked to buy what ever she wants, turns out to be groceries so that she can cook her food. they realized what they did and recently they had dinner with her and she's never eating leftover ever again.
That woman has no class, and she made the right decision. I hope one days she experience eating a left over, for the rest of her life.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@Letranknight2015 I hope her rudeness will over turned. She might also experience the same way in the future.
@Ladypeace (2028)
• Singapore
17 Mar 16
That's RUDE as hell! She's treating your friend like a second class being. She's a huge FOOL and I hope she learns the hard way.
1 person likes this
@Shavkat (141905)
• Philippines
17 Mar 16
@Ladypeace That was being rude. My friend cannot bear the treatment. Don't worry. Bad karma has been reserved for her in the future.
1 person likes this
