Chopsticks – the greatest invention ever
I have on my desk at work two pairs of chopsticks. One I stole from from Pho Hung, one of the better Vietenamise beef noodle soup places around town. They’re plastic, and have some random writing on them, and what looks like a peacock.
The other pair is by far my favorite. They’re your typical enameled Japanese Chopsticks – not really special in them selves. The black enamel is shaved away at the top revealing spots of different colors. These were given to me nearly ten years ago by a friend who had recently returned from Japan as a Christmas gift. Was VERY awesome, as I also got a Raman bowl from someone else. The bowl got busted a couple of years ago, but for a long time I used the chopsticks everyday.
You see, I have a really sensitive sense of touch. I love velvet, but can feel each fiber that sticks up. Cordory bugs the hell out of me. Certain woods do too – especially if they’re semi-finished at all. The fake wood they make cheap wooden chopsticks out of is the worse, so I’ll bring these with me to the restraunt. It never fails that I get a comment from the wait staff about it.
The funny thing is that traditionally you carried your chop sticks with you every where. In some cases they were even used as weapons. I guess they’re just not used to American’s being that picky about a set of chop sticks.
On the other hand I guess I’m lucky, I’ve only ever once been in a restraunt where some white trash was dining and demanded to have forks and spoons “like civilized folks,” instead of some “stupid sticks.” I felt embarresed about the way the waiter and owner bowed and scrapped to make them feel at home, and the couple didn’t even realize it. They went on to complain loudly that there better not be any dog or cat meat in the food, sniffing heavily at each piece of meat. Like we American’ are much better. Eating Pig’s feet, Pork Rinds, and who knows what else.