“Shhhluuurp, pcham, ptcham, shhhhluuurp” each noodle made a sonorous sound while sucked, followed by a noisy champing chewing. Then the tea: “fffffhhhhssst, shssst” Then back to the chewing on a loop of chewing and slurping varied sounds.
It was dinner time. I was at the hotel restaurant in Cambodia working on my laptop on some photos from that day. I finished eating and stayed with my computer for a little while. On the table next to me, there was another guest: a man enjoying some noodles and tea for dinner. When hearing all those sounds I couldn´t help feeling a bit uncomfortable and uneasy. Trying to concentrate back on my computer. “Sshhhhlurpp” another noodle. I was having a hard time trying not to feel a bit annoyed by the sounds. After all why can’t he eat in silent? It’s a matter of politeness… right? Good manners when eating?
Immediately I stopped and started to reflect on this thinking process I was having and why these sounds were making me feel like that. I tried to step out of my preconceived reality and assumptions. Then, I quickly realized how truly absurd is having those feelings. If you really think about it, what a nonsense it is feeling uncomfortable by such a natural act as eating and the sounds of chewing and sipping? The sounds of tasting food, flavors.
Why considering rude the natural sounds made while eating? Isn’t it after all, just a social construct we totally made up and invented? What’s the purpose behind it? Why the sounds of chewing when eating have to be off putting and considered rude? The reality, is they are not. They are just considered rude in our preconceived westerner bubble reality. In most countries of Asia these sounds are just seen as something completely normal. You slurp the noodles and the tea with a purpose: to not get your mouth completely burnt while doing so. It tastes better too. Chewing sonorously helps extract more flavor and taste and appreciate better what you´re eating. It has an useful purpose and in the end, after all, it is merely just the sound of eating and drinking. When do we decided in one part of the World that this sounds were rude? that we should be offended by whoever does it, and needs to be avoided?
In this case we are just talking about something as insignificant as chewing. But certainly makes you think. If social constructs that we totally invent, affect the most insignificant things and how we perceive and judge others; imagine on more serious and relevant social matters how deep are tied into our unconsciousness. How this constructs affect us judging and carrying preconceptions about others and feeling entitled without even really knowing anything about them. This cultural social constructs deceivingly trick us in feeling we have the right answer about things: “the right way”. But how dangerous is this? If by any means there is a single right answer, a truth: it is that no one knows for sure anything about anything. “I know that I know nothing” Socrates said long time ago. I won’t necessarily start eating loudly, but from now on, I won’t be put off by the sounds of something as natural as the act of a human eating some food.
