All of nations have their own cultures and all of their cultures have their own beauty and interest. Viet Nam also has its own cultures that I want to share to you. One of them is about using the chopsticks when eating.
Some of you may know about the chopsticks, but some of you may not know about it. However, in Vietnamese culture, chopsticks are used as a traditional eating utensil. In every meal, the Vietnamese usually uses chopsticks to pick up pieces of food instead of using a fork as American usually does. About the chopsticks, they are a pair of small, equal-length, tapered sticks. Since olden times, chopsticks are usually made from bamboo tree and various types of wood. Recently, people make them from bone, metal or plastic as well. The pair of sticks is maneuvered in one hand, between the thumb and fingers. It’s a little bit hard to use the chopsticks to pick up food. I still remember how hard it was when I learnt using chopsticks. The food was slipping back and forth on the plate as I was trying hardly to pick up it to put in my mouth. Because of that, using chopsticks is not easy at least is for me. Yet, the chopsticks, themselves, have a meaning-the meaning of Vietnamese’ emotional look. As I said, the chopsticks are a pair of sticks, and they have to be a pair to use, but without other stick, they are useless and meaningless. Additionally, the chopsticks cannot be separated apart and cannot be used on each other hand. They have to be used by one hand, either on right hand or left. According to this, Vietnamese people compare the husband and wife in family as a pair of chopsticks. They need to be a pair and should never separate from each other for if not, they cannot do anything as a pair of chopsticks missing another.
After all, I want to say that there are still many other cultures about my country and their meaning. Moreover, the differences between every each culture in every each country represent their own beauty and make an interest thing for each of us to discover and to amaze at.
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I remember the first I started to learn how to use chopsticks. I was told to use it appropriately, but I could never follow its special way of holding. One day, I was invited to my friend's house and had a dinner. I was using chopsticks as I did at home, but my friend's parent pointed my bad grab of chopsticks. It was embarassing moment because Koreans consider using chopsticks as a part of family education. Since then, I started to fix my grabbing. I even used a special pair of chopsticks that helps to adjust grabbing style. Now that I can use chopsticks very well, it is funny moment to see how Western people use chopsticks.
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible the meaning of chopsticks. I want to try to use chopsticks because it looks interesting how people use them easily. It looks pretty hard to get two chopsticks in one hand, I hope you can teach me to use them. Also, the meaning is very interesting. Now, I know what chopsticks represent for Vietnamese culture. Also, I think that it is true that husband and wife need to be together. It is a good compare between one marriage and chopsticks. Vietnamese culture is very interesting like other cultures.
ReplyDeleteMy country (Thailand) use chopsticks too !!! However, we use both spoon + fork and chopsticks. I think most of Asian countries use chopsticks. In Thailand, we use chopsticks for any kinds of noodle and water rice, but we use spoon + fork with regular steam rice for meal.
ReplyDeletei can use spoons but not chopsticks. even after i practiced still i always mest up. maybe i should practice more or something
ReplyDeletechopsticks are very difficult for me to use. Thats why in my country(Iran) we only use spoons and forks.
ReplyDelete