Knives, Forks, and Chopsticks (II)

17 Knives, Forks, and Chopsticks (II) The next day, I could hardly contain my anxiety. It was difficult to get any work done in the morning. At noon, I left with my boss and two co-workers and headed to the restaurant. We were seated at an excellent table. My boss wrote out the food order, speaking to the server in Mandarin. My heart was pounding, but then I noticed a strange thing. Instead of the customary chopsticks, each of us had knives, forks, and spoons. I was confused at first, but then, it hit me. My boss knew that I would have trouble with the chopsticks. He wanted to save me from embarrassment, so he had called ahead and arranged for us to be served with knives and forks. I couldn't believe how thoughtful he was.

In an instant, I made up my mind. I asked the server to bring some chopsticks for me. When they arrived, I took them in my hand and carefully manoeuvred my fingers around them. I looked over at my boss. He smiled as I grasped the chopsticks and took hold of a bit of rice and meat, holding on tightly as I tried to get it to my mouth. My fingers slipped and the food fell back to the plate. However, I didn't give up, and eventually managed to eat my entire meal using only chopsticks. It felt like a great accomplishment. In the end, I wasn't embarrassed at all. I'm glad my new boss was so considerate. And I'm really glad I decided to ask for chopsticks. We go out for lunch often in this new company. We always have a good laugh about that day. I have now mastered the chopstick technique. And you know, it really isn't that difficult once you get used to it.