When in China do like the Chinese

The first thing that affects most expats new to chinese culture is using chopsticks. Some get scared at the thought of not being able to use spoons/forks or their hands to eat. I too faced this issue when i first arrived in Shanghai, initially I thought it would be ok if i eat with a spoon but soon realized that to really blend in with the chinese culture and enjoy the chinese food, knowledge of using chopsticks is a must.

I spent my initial days trying to figure out how to hold the chopsticks and slowly managed to pick up big met pieces or veggies; i did falter initially with a few pieces dropped onto the table and some on my shirt and a few on my friends too 🙂  But, soon I realized it’s not rocket science to eat with chopsticks and now i can easily manage almost everything. Plus it feels great when your eating at a chinese restaurant and manage to appreciated by the waiters/others. Sure I still can’t eat fish or other items which require extreme precision but I leave those to the experts for now.

Next step for me is to learn how to finish the last few grains of rice on my dish, some chinese bring their mouth close to the plate and others just make it look soo easy. Hoping to master either one technique soon.

My suggestion- if you’re in China is to start to learn using chopsticks and for others it’s a fun activity to try with friends- start a competition;see who wins.