There is still quite a stigma around mobile phones being at or around the table when going out for drinks or a meal. The problem is that mobile phones are now centric to our everyday lives, be it for the reasons of work, being social, or for play.
While it can be seen as quite rude to be glued to your screen while others are with you or someone is trying to take your order, if deployed correctly, mobile phones can actually enhance the bar and restaurant experience.
Finding out exactly what that is
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It’s all well and good that menus come with allergy advice and what have you, but what if you encounter something unknown to you? Some people like to go out and just have the same old stuff, but many others want to try something new. That said, there will still be certain ingredients that you’ll want to avoid that may not be detailed on the menu.
So, in as few as three taps and some typing, you can quickly identify a dish and decide if you’ll like it or not. This is even more helpful when you’re travelling abroad and can’t quite decipher the meaning of some words. With a translation app like Naver Papago Translate, iTranslate, or TripLingo, you can easily find out what you’re ordering and how to pronounce it to the waiter or bartender.
Filling that space between ordering and eating
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Some of us don’t have the luxury of always going out with friends and have to eat on our own or are forced to sit around waiting due to their tardiness. Either way, filling those long, sullen silences can be tough, especially as the only thing to do if you didn’t have a smartphone would be to re-read the menu or peep at others.
So, it’s always good to have a quick standby that is not only enjoyable but also doesn’t require much concentration so that you can respond like a human when the waiter comes around or your friends arrive. For this, slots are the perfect solution as games like Dead or Alive II, Phoenix Reborn, and Book of Dead are quick and easy to play while boasting a grand level of high volatility to keep them enticing even in small doses.
Plastering over those awkward moments
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Picture this: you’re out with people who you find it difficult to talk to, be it that they’re new acquaintances or people who make you nervous, and that overwhelming silence kicks in around the table. You can solve these very quickly, before the ‘Dutch courage’ kicks in, by flicking through your phone to find an intelligent and relevant topic of conversation.
To do this, you’ll want to equip a news feed widget, like Feedly, Inoreader, or Flipboard, to one of the panels of your phone’s home screen. By doing this, you can casually unlock your phone with your fingerprint, swipe to the side, and have a whole feed of conversation topics at the ready: all you have to do is read.
Provided that you’re careful of not staring at the small screen for too long and make sure that you’re not too enticed by the mobile activity, you can make good use of your mobile phone without being seen as rude.
