Like a Pro

As almost all of you know (or should know) Canada does have chopsticks.  Due to my fondness for Chinese takeout and sushi, I've become quite adept at using them over the years.  In fact, I can even use them fairly well ambidextrously.  Being the "chopsticks pro" that I am, I thought that it would be extremely easy to eat in Korea.  Hells no!  First of all, we have wood or plastic chopsticks back home.  This makes them lightweight and easy to maneuver.  Koreans have stainless steel chopsticks and they only use these and a long-handled spoon as table utensils.  You would think that transferring my skills over would be an easy task but these babies are slippery, awkward, and heavier to use.  In fact, my friend Kelly had to feed me ramen because I was having some difficulty picking up those slippery noodles. Thankfully (although it was annoying at first), all I had for eating utensils in my apartment (and all that I could find to buy) were pairs of metal chopsticks and spoons.  Well, I practiced and practiced and now I'm a complete pro at handling these bad boys!  My Korean students and friends always drop a jaw when we go out to eat and I'm not stumbling over how to hold them or continuously dropping food like other foreigners.  And now that I do have a set of western utensils in my house (all thanks to the American airbase shopping trip), I choose the chopsticks.  It's not until I'm washing my dishes that I look up and see my forks staring at me that I am weirded out by the fact that I've chosen the Korean way instead of the western way...is this the first step to becoming Korean...oh no!!!!!!