Why I Value Family Dinner
The importance of eating together.
There is an unspoken rule about not touching the wet napkins provided by the Chinese restaurant during family dinner. Everybody in my family understands this. The Chinese restaurant will not charge for the wet napkins, and it will be excluded from the bill.
It just seems natural for my family to unite against the restaurant for a single cause: to save some pennies. It is a subtle but socially acceptable form of behavior, a simple act that gives me a sense of belonging and unity. I bet many Asian families practice this during their family dinners too.
Family centric meals is still a tradition followed by Asians around the world, even though solo dining is a common sight nowadays.
In Singapore, where I live, it is typical for Chinese families to dine together, especially during the weekends. Family dinner is a weekly affair that I always look forward to. It is heartwarming to know that everybody in the family puts aside their schedule to eat together on a routine basis.
A typical Sunday evening for me looks like this.
