How do you deal with a "slurper"?

[tjwash]

We rent a room to a Japanese college student, great kid, great renter,great person, but man, ATROCIOUS table manners. You can hear him slurping his food out in the back yard. IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS. When he starts eating I have to leave the room.

Oh well, just had to get that off of my chest...

[Triple H]

1. I know how you feel...

I feel like smacking a "slurper" upside the head. It annoys the hell outta me! :grr:

[tjwash]

3. Golly dude, this kid is GREAT, except for that one little thing...

nt

[Mikimouse]

2. That is perfectly acceptable behavior in Japanese society...

n/t

[tjwash]

4. He is the fourth one from Japan we have rented to...

...and they all do that. The guys at least, the girl did not...

[Mikimouse]

7. I know the feeling...

When I was a child, my parents had a Jaoanese boarder. Wonderful guy, grad. student at Harvard, and from a very good family. He insisted on cooking Soba for my paents one night, and they never forgot it (definitely not compatible with their eastern European palates). His table manners were immaculate, but he too slurped, especially with noodles of any type. In my opinion, Korean men are louder though, if that is possible. It is a part of both cultures.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Slurp back

Make it as loud and obnoxious as possible. He's probably indulging in a primal urge to stake out his territory.....like male mockingbirds.

[Mrs. Venation]

6. Duct Tape

Don't remove it until the ill-mannered slurper swears to change his ways.

[Commendatori]

8. I saw this problem once

with a Japanese ballplayer. Just tell him that this isn't looked upon favorably in our culture, he'll apologize (quite sincerely, I assure you), and that will be that.

Just do it one-on-one.

[tjwash]

9. I may let the wife do that....

...she's a little more *ahem* tactful than I am.

[Delano]

10. It is a part of the culture, with a practical aspect

It's a way of cooling the noodles as you eat them. I do it with my Japanese wife & kids, and we do it at authentic Japanese restaurants.

I'm amazed that something so innocuous would inspire such annoyance. I lived in Japan for many years, and I loved it. Overall, people are kinder, more considerate, better educated, and MORE INDIVIDUAL than we herd-animal Americans. We just judge them by appearances too much, and our "fashion" (noserings, etc.) blinds us to how unbelievably conformist we are where it counts - on the INSIDE.

Why not show a little tolerance for a culture that has been around more than a thousand years longer than ours?

[geniph]

11. It's not considered bad manners in Japan

but he might be surprised - and chagrined - to find that it is considered bad manners here. If you mention it politely to him, my bet is that he'll try to stop.

Or you can do like I do to my cats when they start butt-munching late at night, and throw pillows at him. On the whole, I think you'll get a better response from telling him it's considered poor manners here.