Grandma just got back from her holiday. I kind of enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while, though I was working such long hours that I didn't have too much time to experience the quiet. I know it sounds like a horrible thing to say, but she gets really loud, practically shouting, when she's agitated or restless. I don't think she even realises that she is loud, agitated, or restless, but that doesn't change the fact that she can get quite loud.
But I digress. My aunt who lives in Singapore is here with grandma. When I got home at almost midnight tonight, they were sitting at the dining table, having supper. Then grandma started talking to me, with her mouth full of food. So I said, I don't understand what you're saying. Then my aunt jumps in and tells grandma not to talk when she has food in her mouth. She goes on to explain to her that Western culture teaches people that it's rude to talk with their mouth full. This may be true, but I don't like that it makes me sound like a snob to my own grandma.
The fact of the matter is, that the person who taught me this is my late maternal grandfather. When I was about 7 and sitting next to him at the dinner table, he chided me. He wasn't the most gentle or subtle of people, so that memory is forever etched in my mind.
So by just saying that I could not understand what she was saying, I was made out to sound like rude Western-educated grandchild who just said whatever she pleased to her grandmother. Really can't please everyone!
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