My partner of several decades is Chinese from Southeast Asia. Before my first visit there to meet his family, he insisted that I learn to use chopsticks so as not to embarrass him. I did. The night before our departure we dined with some of his Chinese colleagues. While they jabbered on in Cantonese, I practiced my chopstick technique on a small dish of Spanish peanuts, the small round ones. I managed to consume them all nary dropping a single one. When I pointed out my feat expecting congratulations all I got was a warning about my diet.
But I can’t number the many times I’ve been out to dinner with my Asian friends only to discover that I, the only Anglo, was the only one st the table using chopsticks. Go figure.