Alan Holbrook > wrote:

> In Asian countries, it's perfectly acceptable to pick up the bowl of
> soup, hold it just under your mouth with one hand and spoon the soup
> in with spoon held in the other hand.

You mean East Asian countries and even then you wouldn't always be
right. Try doing that in Korea, where it would be considered a major
faux pas. Besides, in the countries you presumably have in mind, the
solids are generally eaten with chopsticks (and, in case they are
noodles, often enough picked up with chopsticks and placed onto a spoon)
and the liquid is sometimes drunk directly from the bowl.

Victor