First, let me give you an introduction to Valliyoor. Though it's a shanty village with people in farming and herding, people of Vallioor are known for their business acumen and high standard of education. It was a small town in Thirunelveli district with only 2 main roads, with 4 streets that cut across those main roads, with one of them that goes around the main temple for Lord Murugan with his consorts Valli and Deivaanai (Devasena). This temple has a rock-cut sanctum carved out of a hill and several mandapams surrounding it. At the time we were living there, there would have been less than 5000 residents.
I started my schooling in Valliyoor. What does hashtag "etiquettes" have to do with a shanty little Valliyoor, you may wonder. Well, that's were I started my education. My year 1 and 2 were in a Christian mission school. That was the only school in the whole town. It may surprise you to hear that's where I learnt table manners, rather, floor manners, on how to eat with a spoon and with hands. Every student was made to sit on the floor with their lunches, most of them were given food at school; some like me would carry our lunch bags; in it, would be tiffin carriers, water bottles, cutleries, if any, and of course, a towel to spread on the lap while eating. Half way through lunches, every day a teacher would check each child's palm. There should be no food in the palms. Those that did, would get smacked on the knuckles. Also, we were taught to never eat with our mouth open. No matter whether there were delicacies brought from home or midday meals provided by the school, treatment was the same; etiquettes were the same. Random, unlikely place where I learnt my most valuable table manners :)
Do share the most random place where you learnt something valueable. What did you learn?
