[quote=“zender”]How bad are we talkin’? 
Worse than like this?
[/quote]
Rofl
Love this one!!! My Mother-In-Law chews and talks with food hanging out of her mouth!! Drives me NUTS!!!
Says who? God Almighty? Jesus, eating with your mouth open is probably the most natural thing one can do. Whoever introduced the rule of shutting your mouth while chewing was probably a perverted French king or something. I am sure there are scientists who can prove that keeping your mouth open while eating is more healthy than doing so with your mouth kept shut.
People, enjoy life! Enjoy eating! Eat, talk, laugh, be merry![/quote]
Well because chewing with one’s mouth closed keeps the food in. Can you imagine chewing the portions of a chunky soup with one’s mouth open? How about that bubble tea?[/quote]
Not only that, but lip closure is an important part of swallow function. When the oris obicularis (lip muscle) is contracted it allows the aero-digestive process to occur and for the bolus to move naturally in the oral cavity and be masticated. I actually spend a good deal of time working in early intervention correcting swallowing disorders and one of the absolute first things to assess is structure and function of the oral cavity, including proper ennervation of the oris obicularis.
All that said, I doubt she has a swallowing disorder, so you can try to change her, drop her, or take my advice:
I always enjoy having my bolus masticated. Doesn’t happen nearly often enough for my liking, though.
It’s not even just that. Hasn’t anyone noticed how Taiwanese people love to talk while there’s food in their mouths? My gosh, I’ve had so much food shot at me. It’s disgusting. Also, I think it’s widely acceptable in Taiwan to do that. Have any of you seen those tv shows where they present food? My gosh, the hostesses always talk with food in their mouths. Grrr…
@skoster: That would work if most Taiwanese women had a chest to begin with. Most are as flat as my building walls.
[quote=“UkJenT”]It’s not even just that. Hasn’t anyone noticed how Taiwanese people love to talk while there’s food in their mouths? My gosh, I’ve had so much food shot at me. It’s disgusting. Also, I think it’s widely acceptable in Taiwan to do that. Have any of you seen those tv shows where they present food? My gosh, the hostesses always talk with food in their mouths. Grrr…
@skoster: That would work if most Taiwanese women had a chest to begin with. Most are as flat as my building walls.[/quote]
Hate to stereotype but I love the sound of sandals/shoes shuffling across the floor because obviously it takes to much effort to pick your feet up! This must be a safety precaution as the floor is full of liquid and food from peoples mouths! Although I especially notice this in Taiwanese men my wife (Taiwanese) has a no tread on any of her sandals.
Hope things went well. Try pretexting the critical request by holding her hand, saying that you really care for her, but …
Also, doing it when she’s eating is a real good way to spoil a meal. I’d do it away from the table. Perhaps you could even use a 3rd party situation as an example instead of pointing at her.
That is such a disgusting habit. Especially if it is coupled with the sound of air rushing through ones nostrils. It’s like having dinner with Neanderthal man.
Squirt her with water when she does it.
They eventually learn not to do it.
I’m from the west too and as a child I was endlessly reminded to chew with my mouth closed.
Now I’m married to a Taiwanese native with family and friends. I see SO MANY people chewing with their mouth open and talking while chewing, etc. I just HAS to be a cultural thing.
And elbows ON the table seems to be a local custom too.
I’d say get over it, that’s the way it is here. “When in Rome…”
Best not to let something like this go, only to have her tell you, months down the line, that, “It didn’t bother you before!” I asked one friend about this (she’s Vietnamese Chinese) and she said that it’s one of those things that goes back a long way, and is meant as an indication that one is enjoying one’s food. That being said, I agree with Maoman; play the “lower-class peasant” card, or arrange with some friends to discreetly tag-team her. It’s disgusting and if you can get just one convert, you’ve changed the world. Maybe she’ll go evangelical and start telling her friends.
Only slightly related, but when I taught kindergarten, my assistant was TERRIBLE when it came to chewing (and talking) with her mouth open. I’d wait until she started eating and then explain to the children that they should close their mouths when eating because they were people, not dogs or pigs, and that is how nice people eat. Then I’d turn to her (often in mid-smack) and ask quietly if it bothered her as much as it did me that we had to teach them this and that their parents let them eat like animals. She would always agree (although in the kids’ defense, some of them had lovely table manners…) that it was horrid and disgusting. After about three months of this, she was cured and so was the class! Three years later, we’re great friends, and we all (teachers and kids) chew with our mouths closed. At least where Teacher Nemesis can see us.
Which is the important thing.
I’ve experienced that also, and it bothered me too. I told her, “How can I ever take you home to meet my parents if you do that?”
Stopped like a bull running into a wall. Never happened again.
Although, of course, when the relationship didn’t work out, she pulled out the old, “But I’ve changed so much for you!!”
Edit: [quote=“Joschka”]And elbows ON the table seems to be a local custom too. [/quote]
Actually, I’m quite thankful for that one. 
It’s kind of hard to tell people not to chew with an open mouth if ‘super stars’ or ‘well known’ people are featured in adverts on TV eating and burping like pigs, to show people how delicious the product is … :ohreally:
I raised this issue with SO this morning. She became indignant, defensive and swore that no Taiwanese would do this, and that they are taught from an early age to chew with their mouth closed.
So you’re all wrong.
Well, my wife eats civilized, always did, and has the proper table manners … my passed away MIL … that’s another story … 
[quote=“Nuit”]I raised this issue with SO this morning. She became indignant, defensive and swore that no Taiwanese would do this, and that they are taught from an early age to chew with their mouth closed.
So you’re all wrong.[/quote]
Well, I mentioned [url=http://tw.forumosa.com/t/whack-things-in-taiwan-part-3/38330/22 thread[/url] to some students hoping to get their viewpoint on the matter.
Everyone just sat their glassy eyed except one old bloke who offered, “Must be all the foreign lawyers who work there…” 
I’m beginning to think chewing with their mouths open is quite common in Taiwan. My Taiwan relatives do it quite often. Recently my aunt went to breakfast with my mother and I, and continued to chew with her mouth half open and talk simultaneously. It was not a pretty sight as flecks of food was flying out toward my mother. I couldn’t help but laugh when a huge chunk of food fell out of her mouth and back on her plate. Thank the heavens my mother was there to scold at her older sister to chew with her mouth closed and talk when she finished swallowing. There was no way I can tell my older relative what she should do.
But I guess not every one has a westernized Taiwan relative to keep their eastern counterpart’s table manners in check.
[quote=“Nuit”]I raised this issue with SO this morning. She became indignant, defensive and swore that no Taiwanese would do this, and that they are taught from an early age to chew with their mouth closed.
So you’re all wrong.[/quote]
Ha, so funny. I was on a first date a few weeks ago and there was open mouth chewing with occasional lip-smacking. On the third date, I bring up (randomly) open mouth chewing and was told the exact same thing above with the same attitude (people here don’t do that and parents smack their kids for it) by someone who does it!!! That was the final date.
[quote=“suiyuan31”][quote=“Nuit”]I raised this issue with SO this morning. She became indignant, defensive and swore that no Taiwanese would do this, and that they are taught from an early age to chew with their mouth closed.
So you’re all wrong.[/quote]
Ha, so funny. I was on a first date a few weeks ago and there was open mouth chewing with occasional lip-smacking. On the third date, I bring up (randomly) open mouth chewing and was told the exact same thing above with the same attitude (people here don’t do that and parents smack their kids for it) by someone who does it!!! That was the final date.[/quote]
I can’t even look at someone when they eat like this because it turns my stomach so much…my hat goes off to you for making it to the third date!!!
In restaurants in Taiwan, both my husband and I tried to sit in places where we weren’t facing too many people for that very reason. My husband especially has a weak stomach for the open mouth chewing thing and would totally lose his appetite when he saw locals smacking away at their food. Yuk.
Chewing with your mouth open is like China’s version of ‘Ghetto Fabulous’. “Yeah that’s right motha fucka, I got all kinds of food, I aint strarvin’! Look bitch, it’s right here in my mouth, sweet nutrients, betchya wish ya Scury withered’ ass had some o’ what i got!”
T