This and that - Paying for a meal

When going out with friends or relatives it is usual for one person to pay for the whole meal rather than split the bill. Not sure whether this is a Chinese or South-East Asian thing. It's probably in other cultures as well.

There are various techniques to be 'the one'. Covert/sneaky techniques include, "I'm just going to the toilet" or "I'm getting the teapot refilled" (the Uncle Norman trick), then detouring to the cashier and paying. Out in the open techniques include declaring that you would pay before anyone else has a chance to offer. This is susceptible to failure as another party may just go ahead and pay anyway despite that.

Then there are more physical techniques like the use of an accomplice to block the path of an in-coming waiter with the bill (the Kuoh Ren strategy). Or just positioning one self strategically either at the head of the table or in a direct line to the cashier. The ten metre dash.

Another method that is less used now in this era of credit card fraud is leaving your credit card with the cashier way before the meal is over.

The 'losing' party will then have to declare, "Next time, it's my turn!"

The converse of this are the methods of avoiding paying yet appearing to be eager to pay. This includes, "Aya, just went to the toilet for a little while and you pay already". Or using the opposite hand to try to get your wallet of your pocket and getting 'stuck'. "Aya, not quick enough". As demonstrated to me by Milton. Not during a meal I might add.

Or "Too bad they don't take credit cards".