We went to a 3rd year memorial service for Art's uncle at the temple over the weekend.
Art's aunt treated all of us to a luncheon at the Waimalu Chop Suey Restaurant. While we waited for our food, Art's cousin, Tsugi laughingly boasted that he could hold chopsticks on both hands since he was ambidextrous.
That's when Art noticed that Tsugi held his chopsticks using three fingers to manipulate the top chopstick. Art tried to show him that the proper way was to hold the top chopsticks with two fingers.
Tsugi's brother, Kazu chuckled and told us that he's always been embarrassed about not learning to hold chopsticks correctly. We all raised our eyebrows and (sorry to admit) burst out laughing uproariously when we saw that he held his chopsticks crossed! How does he ever hold his food?
And there was a lot of food! This is my plate and I certainly didn't finish it. We ate my leftovers for dinner.
That's when we got into the chopsticks wars. I told Art he was NOT holding his chopsticks properly.
My mother took Art's side. Wouldn't you know it? As a matter of fact, she holds it like Art. What the heck?
"NO", I said. "You're supposed to hold the top chopstick with three fingers and brace the bottom one on your ring finger." After all, how can you catch a fly like Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid, if you're not able to control that top chopstick better?My brother agreed with me later. He told Art he needs the strength of that third finger so he can lift heavier food to his mouth...hence (he laughed) his size compared to Art's.
When we went to my aunt's house, she agreed with my mother. She said the two fingered approach was much more graceful. However, my cousin who happened to be there agreed with me.
Well... I looked online and proved to my mother that I was right. She didn't like that. She said just because it says so online doesn't make it so. I don't think I want to admit to her OR Art that I found another website that said (maybe) they were right.
Ah well... should we discuss how we hold our forks?
Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody. And nope, I wouldn't use chopsticks for corned beef and cabbage. Knife and fork all the way!
I found that very interesting. I always wanted to learn how to eat with chop sticks mainly to slow down my eating in hopes of eating less. Guess I should try both ways and go with what works.
ReplyDeleteAnd you are right.Fork holding is also not uniform.
What a hoot, Kay! The temple is beautiful. Glad you can have some fun in the family frenzy of how to "float a chopstix." I've not mastered it well, but my son's done pretty well...considering he's mostly Irish.
ReplyDeleteMaybe your relatives in Japan can check in with you on a specific day each week? Their reality is more acurate than the jillion news reports. Aloha, DrumMajor
I can't manage chopsticks at all, nor can Christopher, so we would always use a knife and fork; even in a restaurant where they offer chopsticks we always ask for a for knife and fork. We eat the British way, using both knife and fork at all times - unless it's rice of course when we give in and turn the fork over to scoop it up. I'm considered a bit peculiar though in that I won't eat dessert without a fork as well as a spoon.
ReplyDeletefunny, I never knew there was a proper way to hold chopsticks. I was however showing my twin grand daughters how to properly set the silverware by the dish at the table and they asked why? I don't know....lol!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lesson in chopsticks etiquette. I am not coordinated enough to use them. I have a hard enough time with a fork. Cute post Kay. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI have been using chopsticks for years and remember impressing some Chinese in Shanghai once by showing I could eat noodles with chopsticks, which they thought would be beyond anybody who with blue eyes... :-)
ReplyDeleteTo me, the right was to hold chopsticks is the one that lets you pick up the food and transfer it to your mouth :-)
ReplyDeleteWhenever I try using chopsticks I soon revert to a fork since I like my hot food to be at least warm by the time it reaches my mouth! I never knew there was any controversy about holding them!!
ReplyDeleteSo very glad your aunt has been heard from. Thank you for the chopstick moments.
ReplyDeleteinteresting chopstick discussion, i never learned how to use them properly, but I manage somehow!
ReplyDeleteI never have been able to manage chopsticks but my ex learned when he was stationed at Yakuska and in Hawaii. He taught our kids to use them when they were toddlers. It was fun when we went to Chinese restaurants to see the staff peeking to watch the little American kids eat with them.
ReplyDeleteI hold the top stick as if I were holding a pencil - 2 fingers and the thumb. I let the bottom stick rest on my ring finger.
ReplyDeleteI usually ask for a fork, though, and so does David.
Yes, I know, some Asian I am!
Great fun reading about this family discussion.
ReplyDeleteI'm hopeless with chop sticks. Thank God for forks! I do like the European way of using a knife in one hand and a fork in the other. The problem is it really allows you to shovel in your food.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! Who knew there were so many ways to hold chop sticks!! You and your family have alot of good times!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a funny post!
ReplyDeleteI have to go find some chopsticks to check what kind of grip I use.
Mrs. H must have taught me to use them when I was in high school.
You can test me next time we meet.
I wonder what you think about the awkward ways that many young people have these days in holding a pen or pencil.
Dina: I worked so hard to teach my first graders how to hold their pencil. I am forever noticing how young folks hold their pen or pencil if they write in front of me. More often than not, you'll see me wincing.
ReplyDeleteI can eat with chopsticks but I do not hold them properly./ It would be surprising if I did since I taught myself. This post might have helped me immensely when I was learning!
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, ha.....Funny post. I can hear the Duelling Banjos music in the background as I read the post. I was macrobiotic for 25 years when I lived in Florida. Big community of macro there and the Kushi's always came down for workshops. We ate with chop sticks. I don't know if I hold them correctly or not, but I get the food in my mouth. Guess that's important, huh?
ReplyDeleteLove to you. xo xo xo
This was so fun to read. I guess that I never thought about Japanese or Chinese not holding chop sticks uniformly.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too good at mastering the whole chop stick experience. Numerous students have tried in vain to teach me how to eat with these utensils. (Are they considered utensils?) I clumsily eat with chop sticks when in their company so as to show that I am trying to adapt to their cultural practices, but all I can think of is, "Get me a fork!"
I was trying to think about how I hold my chopsticks - but since I'm hungry right now, the photos of your delicious-looking lunch are just TOO distracting!! I need to eat lunch first before I give this more consideration!
ReplyDeleteNancy T. :)
I didn't know how I held chopsticks so I had to put them in my hand to see. I hold them the way you do.
ReplyDeleteI have tried many times to learn to use chopsticks but to no avail – I usually make a mess. That was a fun post.
ReplyDeleteI love it! I need to do a blog post on the ways my students hold their pencils. There is a lot of variation there.
ReplyDeleteDrumMajor: I think it's really hard to get a phone call through right now. I'm going to try again tomorrow for my mom. I'm really worried about the nuclear disaster. They're 36 miles away from it, but I don't think that's far enough!
ReplyDeleteOi, of all people the Japanese should not have to bear the threat of radiation, again.
ReplyDeleteI have tried to eat with chopsticks with no success. I have always admired thos that can, especially eating rice.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by those who can eat gracefully with chop sticks!!
ReplyDelete