Went out with the S.O. for Sushi tonight. I O.D.’ed on it eating 15 plates so now I am very sleepy. However I did think I should relate this little incident that almost started a catfight:
The S.O. and I had waited about 20 minutes we got seated at a table. Across from us was a family, Filipino as it turned out who were eating at one of the counters. Now mind you, in any Sushi go around there are always sign’s posted with the do’s and dont’s-don’t put a plate back once you take it, don’t touch the food while its on the conveyor and don’t reach across the glass partition to the other side of the conveyor. Wait till the food comes around to you. Problem is these signs are in pictures and in Japanese.
It was this last little item that caused all the trouble. Twice, the lady reaches brazenly across the glass and grabs a plate. I watch the S.O.’s face wrinkle, frown, and she catches her self. On the third occasion, however she loses her self restraint.
“You cannot do that! Hey! I said you cannot do that. It is a rule that you have to wait!”
The Filpino lady’s response was something to the effect of mind your own business. We have a family here to feed.
“I am Japanese. You should respect our Japanese customs. This is wrong!”
Oh s**t. Gotta keep this from escalating
Using the nationality card was like throwing gasoline on a fire, because now the Filipino lady was determined not to back down. My response? Head for the water dispenser and on the way stop and talk to one of the staff. In Japanese I told her that the lady had been grabbing across the conveyor and perhaps they should say something. Which they did, albeit hesitantly.
Fortunately, the other lady after some growling, decided that making a scene was probably not the right thing to do either. They went back to eating as did we. Except I had to hear the complaints for the next hour. Now mind you, there are probably Japanese who would do the same thing, but I’ve never seen it. However the key issue here was two women who were determined throw their ethnicity in each other’s faces. Why should could have just not told the management, as I did, and let them handle it…well that’s beyond me.
And apparently its beyond her……………..Sigh!