11. Explanation to paragraphs 11 and 12

Explanation:

  

The narrator desires to be suave (meaning 'confident and charming') for once in his life. He might be good at greater or intellectual matters, but when it comes to the meagre and day-to-day matters, he may seem half-witted or imbecile.

The narrator wishes he could rise from a dinner table without looking like someone who had just experienced an earthquake. Or get in a car and close the door without leaving some inches of his coat hanging outside. Or wear light-coloured trousers without discovering at the end of the day that he got stains from chewing gum, ice cream, cough syrup or motor oil on his back.

 

 
The narrator's wife is particularly conscious of him eating while on a plane. When the food is delivered on the plane, his wife would ask their children to take the lids off the food for him, since it is likely that he would spill the contents. Or when he is about to cut his meat, his wife would ask their children to put their hoods up, as he might end up throwing the knife, meat or its residue on the kids.

The narrator says that the things are different when he is flying alone. When he is on his own, he doesn’t eat or drink. He would neither lean over to tie his shoelaces, nor would he put a pen anywhere near his mouth. He simply sits very quietly. Sometimes, he sits on his hands to avoid them from flying out unexpectedly and causing troubles.

Poor narrator, he always tries to turn into a stone when he is on a plane. He says refraining from doing anything cuts down on the laundry bills although it’s anything but fun.