Taiwanese are very modest when it comes to most things. The exception being chopstick ability. More than once I have heard a friend say "I'm the best!" when it comes to their chopstick skills. Alas, even I am no exception as I also proclaim that my chopstick skills are the best. But I'll get to that in a bit later.
While you may find chopsticks hard to use, you will eventually become a pro if you live in Taiwan. This is because the way food is prepared, it's made with chopsticks in mind. They are usually foods that you can't very well poke or scoop with a fork, you need the pinching action of chopsticks to get the job done.
In fact the whole way a meal is eaten is only conducive to using chopsticks. At home nobody has their own plate, instead they are only given a bowl of rice. The dishes are placed on the table and you pick up what you want with your chopsticks, then rest the food in your rice bowl, then eat it. Reaching across the table to pick up some vegetables with chopsticks is pretty easy, doing it with a fork is next to impossible.
As for why my chopstick skills are number 1, it's because I have my own method of using chopsticks which is completely backwards. The idea is to hold chopsticks like you are holding a pen, and at rest they are closed shut. When you want to pick up something you use energy to pull them open and they clamp automatically down on what you want. Essentially your chopsticks are like needle-nose pliers.
My way of using chopsticks is reversed. I have them open the whole time and use energy to close them. The reason for this is because back in six grade i sprained my thumb and had it in a splint for a week or so, and i had to change my pen holding style to adjust and i just never went back. Don't feel sad for me though, as this has caused my chopstick style to be revolutionary.
This is because my way actually makes it able to pick up very tiny things with ease. With the normal chopstick style you can clamp on a clump of vegetables/rice/meat with ease, but when it comes to picking up one tiny piece of rice or something of the like, it requires a lot of work. My way however makes it absurdly fast and easy to do this. Many a Taiwanese person has doubted my effectiveness, only to loose in a test of speed and precision.
I always try to do a lot for Taiwan, as a way to give back to all it has given me over the years, but perhaps this new way of using chopsticks is my greatest gift. You're welcome Taiwan!
