Hoo boy

[SeaCat]

Well the wife saw me eating dinner again last night with sticks and decided she wants to learn how to use them. The only problem with this is she has never learned to use sticks. (Another strike in her education as she grew up. I consider being able to eat with sticks a great survival issue. You can always make sticks.)

I tried to show her but she gets frustrated easily and I'm not the best teacher.

Now I have to find some beginners or learners sticks for her.

On Saturday I'll be talking with the Vietnamese and Thai R.N.'s on my unit to find out if they know any place locally I can find these things. If they don't I have found a couple of places online where I can order them.

That being said have you seen some of the sticks they have out there? Talk about beautiful. Almost too nice to eat with.

Cat

 

[3113]

Sticks aren't hard to learn (though, granted, i learned them as a kid at a Korean restaurant...maybe I shouldn't talk....).

The whole idea is that one stick moves and the other does not, yes?

Start by showing her how to hold only one stick trapped between the pad of thumb and the forefinger. Tell her, in fact, that she can rest the top of her forefinger on it. Make sure she holds it so that only those two are involved, the rest of the hand folded away.

Now take the second stick. Her thumb and forefinger should be creating a "gap" like an "Okay sign" in that area of the hand between thumb and forefinger. A little gap. Slide the second stick in there, under the first stick.

Tell her to use her ring and/or middle finger to press THAT stick into the the middle of the thumb. THIS, you tell her is the stick that will not move.

Now have her move her forefinger up and down, tapping the first stick agains the second unmoving stick. Practice, practice, practice.

She'll be picking up grains of rice in no time!

Here's an online demonstration. It does it the opposite way (stable stick first, moving stick second). Which ever way works best for her.

And here's another demonstration.

 

[glynndah]

http://www.unik-um.com/img/chopsticks.gif

 

[3113]

http://www.unik-um.com/img/chopsticks.gif

cheater!

 

[Austin8]

http://www.randi.org/site/images/stories/swift/fork.jpg

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Easy to learn. If you eat you use sticks. If you can't you starve.

As a side note: I think we should flood the market in china with Uncle Ben's Converted Rice. It doesn't stick together so the Chinese will have to spend so much time eating one grain at a time they won't be an economic force anymore

 

[Elianna]

Easy to learn. If you eat you use sticks. If you can't you starve.

As a side note: I think we should flood the market in china with Uncle Ben's Converted Rice. It doesn't stick together so the Chinese will have to spend so much time eating one grain at a time they won't be an economic force anymore

Are you kidding? Uncle Ben's was bought out by Chinese investors and now they sell it back to us with lead paint used to color the boxes.

Sorry. I'm a little passionate about children, and some toxic toy fiascos have just pissed me off.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I learned to use them in third grade Sunday school. The teacher gave each of us a pair and put a bowl of jelly beans in the center of the circle of kids. Talk about motivation!

 

[john-the-author]

I learned to use them in third grade Sunday school. The teacher gave each of us a pair and put a bowl of jelly beans in the center of the circle of kids. Talk about motivation!

I grew up using them myself since about the age of 3, so I use them frequently. Serving things in bowls is entirely appropriate so you can shovel food in, though.

 

[ishtat]

Start off with Japanese chopsticks .They are usually shorter made of wood and not perfectly circular at the hand end. It makes them easier to hold and use.