kuai zi

kuai zi is chinese for chopsticks. i've gotten quite used to them by now. and i've realized that eating with these two wooden sticks has its advantages. because there is the ability to squeeze with chopsticks, the tactile information available is greater. i can tell if there are bones, huajiao shells, or even stiff rice. chopsticks are used by just one hand. no need to lay a book down on the table to read during lunch, i can hold it and eat at the same time.

now it has taken me some time to get used to eating rice with chopsticks but it is doable. first off, in china, all rice is very sticky, so for the most part picking up big chunks of rice with the 'sticks is not an issue. but even at the end, when the rice becomes less cohesive, it is possible to get those lone grains of rice by holding the chopsticks parallel about a centimeter apart and scooping.

now last night i used a fork, as i usually do when i'm eating western. didn't even cross my mind that i wasn't using chopsticks. i guess old habits die hard.