Chinese Chopstick Etiquette

Chinese chopstick etiquette

There are certain rules for using knives and forks, so why wouldn't there be rules for chopsticks? Now that I know how to use chopsticks properly and (hopefully) without offending anyone, here are some main rules.

No playing with chopsticks In other words, using them like drumsticks and swordfighting with your table neighbour is not permissible (at least not in public).

No sticking your chopsticks up vertically into your bowl Shrines to deceased people usually have a bowl of rice or sand with 2 incense sticks sticking upwards, which is why sticking your chopsticks into your bowl can have similar unpleasant associations.

No pointing your chopsticks at people Pointing your chopsticks at someone is also a no go, as it's seen as hostile.

No digging around You should take from the top layer and avoid digging around the plate in search of the food.

No eating directly from the main plates You should first place the piece of food that you took onto your own plate, and then eat it, instead of eating straight from the source.

No tapping against the bowl Tapping against your plate is considered to be impolite and should be avoided when possible.

I was walking back to my dorm and I saw a group of students carefully following this cat and taking photos of it in an almost paparazzi way, and the cat just looked so exasperated? Like, yes you can take a picture but just this once I have places to be and things to do.

I wish I had taken a photo, it looked just like something out of a comedy still.

Pondering whether or not to re-take the HSK4 exam (without the speaking this time) since I failed to meet the passing mark by around 10 points last time and I refuse to believe that the past few months of studying wouldn't be able to give me that boost.

Growing up is being neutral at best about maths throughout school only to accidentally fall in love with it later on in life

Indonesian Landscapes by Abdullah Suriosubroto

What textbooks do you use for learning Chinese?

I noticed that my current textbooks at my exchange uni in China are noticeably different from the textbook used back at my home uni, and now I'm interested in knowing whether the content varies drastically overall.

I'm curious to see what are some of the other textbooks that used for learning Chinese and how effective you would consider them to be, so please feel free to share your thoughts!