I've gotten myself into a food war with our upstairs neighbor. I'm not going to take time now to explain how food is a BFD in this part of the world and that there are all sorts of rules and customs surrounding offering and declining food from others (and I still screw this dance up a lot).
I went shopping with our neighbor recently and she and her husband provided me with tea and water at their home before the trip, and then purchased juice for me during (and appropriately refused my offer to pay). I made a mental note to make this up to them this summer.
This evening we hosted a meeting and only about 1/4th of the people who had RSVP'd actually showed up. We therefore were left with an entire half a watermelon, cut up and ready to eat, that no one had touched. The director mentioned that we could bring it to the upstairs neighbors. I jumped up saying, "I'll do it! They've given me food so I need them to see me bringing them food."
I carried the platter outside to where they were working on some plants, and then up to their flat after being invited in. I was proud of myself. A-ha, I thought, now we will all sit in their living room eating my watermelon and chatting politely.
And then she trumped me by plopping a tray of cupcakes on the coffee table next to the watermelon. And yes, everyone ate her cupcakes and drank her tea while we talked.
I left it there and I'm sure her family enjoyed it later, but now I need to think of my next move.
I went shopping with our neighbor recently and she and her husband provided me with tea and water at their home before the trip, and then purchased juice for me during (and appropriately refused my offer to pay). I made a mental note to make this up to them this summer.
This evening we hosted a meeting and only about 1/4th of the people who had RSVP'd actually showed up. We therefore were left with an entire half a watermelon, cut up and ready to eat, that no one had touched. The director mentioned that we could bring it to the upstairs neighbors. I jumped up saying, "I'll do it! They've given me food so I need them to see me bringing them food."
I carried the platter outside to where they were working on some plants, and then up to their flat after being invited in. I was proud of myself. A-ha, I thought, now we will all sit in their living room eating my watermelon and chatting politely.
And then she trumped me by plopping a tray of cupcakes on the coffee table next to the watermelon. And yes, everyone ate her cupcakes and drank her tea while we talked.
I left it there and I'm sure her family enjoyed it later, but now I need to think of my next move.
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