Friday, May 11, 2012

When eating together becomes ‘Chop-I-Chop’


The essence of the family is unity and feeling of unconditional love among every member. A lot of tradition within the family which dates back to history is meant to promote love within the family. One of these traditions is eating together from the same plate. Many middle age folks and older ones may have at one time while growing up ate with members of their family from the same plate.

Some have funny memories attached to this tradition. It may be the memory of ‘Daddy’ always eating the biggest meat of the two meats while every other member of the family shares the smaller meat. Some still lament playfully how an elder brother or sister cheated them of their meat. These memories are sweet memories of happy family (ies). They are memories of funny pranks between siblings. Memories which most of us long for it to happen again but its experience are sadly impossible.

I doubt if families still share this wonderful experience. I wonder if the love of sharing today can be compared to the love at that time. I do not feel ashamed eating in the same plate with my siblings and I still see some older folks do it till date. You need to see them to feel the aura of love that engulfs such people. I will not be surprised if kids of today see me as been dirty or backward. I am sure most of them prefer the westernized method of dining table or dining alone.

We also have some of the older generations who do not want to forget the tradition of eating together. In another sense though, and they have coined another name for it. They prefer the concept of eating together when it comes to looting or sharing the national cake. That is the reason they call theirs ‘Chop-I-Chop’. This way, as long as a man is corrupt, he should and would turn a blind eye to the next man who is also corrupt. A sense of unity replaces love between them. Irrespective of family, ethnicity or political affiliation, they have a strong bond which till date nothing can break

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