Two years ago, I got a job in a Chinese—Canadian company in Vancouver. One day my new boss said he would invite me to lunch to celebrate my new job in a Chinese restaurant. "A Chinese restaurant? Chopsticks? Oh no! Will I make a complete fool of myself?" I thought.
That evening, I cooked noodles and spent two whole hours trying to learn how to use chopsticks.Try as I might, I didn't succeed.I called my penfriend and asked her to explain exactly how to use chopsticks. She patiently explained the proper way of holding them. "Louise, it's not that hard," she said. "That's easy for you to say," I replied. "You've been eating with chopsticks all your life. It's natural for you!"
I didn't sleep well that night. The next day, when my boss took two co-workers and me to the restaurant, he spoke to the server in Chinese. My heart was beating fast, but then I noticed something strange. Instead of chopsticks, we all had knives, forks and spoons. I didn't understand at first, but then, it hit me. My boss knew that I would have trouble with chopsticks. To save me from embarrassment (尴尬) , he had arranged for us to be served with knives, forks and spoons. I couldn't believe how thoughtful he was.
Now, we often go out for lunch. After a lot of practice, I've mastered how to use chopsticks. And it isn't really that difficult once you get used to them.
