SemiAntics

Today Grace and I had the pleasure of using a gift certificate we got from her sister for Christmas. It was for a restaurant just a couple blocks away called The Nile.

I’ve never had Ethiopian food before, so this was an entirely new experience for me. Grace had been there once with a friend. My best quick description would be that it’s something like a cross between Indian food and Mexican food. It isn’t either of those, nor should it be compared to either one, but the whole experience was similar.

For starters, you get your food on a wide square plate that is covered with a pancake-like, tortilla-like piece of bread made from teff. This bread is called injera. It’s a lot like how Mexicans eat, except they don’t put the tortilla on the plate. But, you tear off pieces of injera and pinch the food between the injera. (Then you put it in your mouth and chew!)

Overall, the food was tasty. I had lamb, and a nice tasty salad. Grace had lentils, salad, and a variety of vegetable dishes. We were too full to have desert, but maybe next time!

In our house, we have a bed-making rule. The last one out of bed has to make the bed. If the bed stays unmade late into the day and someone other than the last-riser chooses to make it, the act is considered one of great kindness and generosity and is honoured as such. The system works well between Nathaniel and I, but it breaks down when it comes to our stuffed monkeys, Harold and Sofie. Often they are the last in bed, but they never, ever make the bed when they get up. I can understand that Sofie might have problems as she has no fingers, but Harold has no excuses. Are the monkeys lazy?

I always thought so. At least, I always thought so until this weekend. This weekend I was studying for my anthropology test and read about something called ethnocentrism. Basically, ethnocentrism is the tendency to view one’s own culture as superior and then apply one’s own cultural values in judging the behaviour and beliefs of people raised in other cultures. I’m not exactly sure about the origins of our monkeys. Harold claims to be from Norway, and Sofie says she’s from Madagascar. Wherever they originated, it’s probably safe to say that they both came from cultures somewhat different than ours. Perhaps in their culture, bed-making is unknown or even taboo. Maybe when I judge the monkeys as being lazy, I am just guilty of ethnocentrism.

What do you think? Are we dealing with cultural differences or lazy children?

If we are dealing with cultural differences, how should we handle the bed-making situation? I think we ought to respect Harold and Sofie’s individual cultures. But, at the same time, they both live in our house and are part of our family. They are expected to contribute, just as every other family member does. My own inclination is that Harold and Sofie should take their turns making the bed unless it turns out that bed-making is strictly forbidden in their cultures. If it is, then Harold and Sofie can be assigned other tasks to restore the work equilibrium in the family.