Why Did 'Asian' Replace The Word 'Oriental' & Other Things?

[Abraham]

G26ster,

You posted: When I'm in Asia I use chopsticks, and when I'm in the West I don't.

Wouldn't you be considered more 'exotic' if you used western uensils when in the east?

I have some really nice chopsticks here at home, but I use them to dig out the coffee bean grinder after grinding. They work perfectly for the task.

What, I'd like to read is how someone when in the east and the only thing provided in the restaurant is chopsticks, so they carry a knife and fork with them. A spoon is not necessary as they do have big, clunky spoons in the east for soup.

But, if you carried your own set of western utensils wherever you go to eat, you'd be like Minnesota Fats carrying your own cue stick. Asian people would sit up and take notice. Like whitey's over here hope (for the attention) when eating at Woi La Goies with cs's.

Man, you'd create great envy and massive admiration for your coolness...

Others, would say, look, look, that guy doesn't eat like us, he must be from another planet.

His sangfroid cannot be denied...

COOL!

[Abraham]

Noggin,

The best Oriental restaurant I ever ate at was in Paris (with my British GF) in Place Pigalle. It was located between a sex shop and a travel agency.

No one, not one used chopsticks. The place was full too.

It was a refreshing site, though to be sure, almost all eating there seemed oblivious to convention. Among those eating there were mostly Orientals. I guess they thought it cool to use western utensils.

On a side note, the table next to us was seated a rather odd couple. The woman was a native Parisian with her UK boyfriend. We found this out as time passed between us...For some unknown reason, out of the blue, she the woman, decided to give Nichola and I heck for simply being alive. She, railed at us, she the Parisian, was quite drunk. Her boyfriend, effusively apologized for her unseemly behavior and at meals end, which we ended at the same time, gave us a ride back to our hotel.

By then our heckler had almost gone into an alcoholic/catatonic stupor and was no longer a problem...

[spectre]

When I was in Bangkok, the locals used a fork and spoon, although the fork was mainly used to put food on the spoon.

[G26ster]

G26ster,

You posted: When I'm in Asia I use chopsticks, and when I'm in the West I don't.

Wouldn't you be considered more 'exotic' if you used western uensils when in the east?

I have some really nice chopsticks here at home, but I use them to dig out the coffee bean grinder after grinding. They work perfectly for the task.

What, I'd like to read is how someone when in the east and the only thing provided in the restaurant is chopsticks, so they carry a knife and fork with them. A spoon is not necessary as they do have big, clunky spoons in the east for soup.

But, if you carried your own set of western utensils wherever you go to eat, you'd be like Minnesota Fats carrying your own cue stick. Asian people would sit up and take notice. Like whitey's over here hope (for the attention) when eating at Woi La Goies with cs's.

Man, you'd create great envy and massive admiration for your coolness...

Others, would say, look, look, that guy doesn't eat like us, he must be from another planet.

His sangfroid cannot be denied...

COOL!

While i get the comic sarcasm in your post, no, I believe you'd be perceived as exactly the opposite. In Korea for example you'd probably hear whispers of, (phonetically) "Mechin Meegook." (Crazy American).

[G26ster]

When I was in Bangkok, the locals used a fork and spoon, although the fork was mainly used to put food on the spoon.

In Scandanavia the knife is used to "butter" the fork with a mix of varieous items on the plate.

[Abraham]

G26ster,

I'm, of course, being deliberately ridiculous.

Whenever, I've been in a different land, I've always been circumspect. So, of course, I wouldn't attract unwanted attention by being ostentatious - just using my imagination. Something I'm rarely without...

As to the use of "buttering" we U.S. folk are babes in the woods. Most of my pals from distant lands (and long ago) seemed to be virtuosos with a knife and fork.

[G26ster]

G26ster,

I'm, of course, being deliberately ridiculous.

Whenever, I've been in a different land, I've always been circumspect. So, of course, I wouldn't attract unwanted attention by being ostentatious - just using my imagination. Something I'm rarely without...

As to the use of "buttering" we U.S. folk are babes in the woods. Most of my pals from distant lands (and long ago) seemed to be virtuosos with a knife and fork.

Of course I know you were being deliberately ridiculous, and I agree that we are way below the power curve, vs. the rest of the western world, in the use of the knife and fork.

[Abraham]

G26ster ,

Yes, we're below the power curve and now I'm howling with laughter. Thank you for that witticism! That's some great stuff!!

What I'd like to see is someone using one (1) chopstick while being effective eating like we non-chop-stickers can do with just a fork...

Though, I guess some 'spearing' expertise may come into play...

[SQLGeek]

I use chopsticks most of the time when I eat sushi or other Asian cuisines. It's an experience thing for me and I'd like to think I am quite adept at using them for whatever that is worth. We had several good sets at home when I was a kid so I grew up using them.

I don't care if somebody else uses them or not. It's not a condescension thing for me. I just like using them.

[Grundy1133]

G26ster,

Wouldn't you be considered more 'exotic' if you used western uensils when in the east?

From my understanding the Chinese actually invented forks.

Bone forks have been found in archaeological sites of the Bronze Age Qijia culture (2400–1900 BC), the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–c. 1050 BC), as well as later Chinese dynasties.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork#History

[Vol Texan]

When I was in Bangkok, the locals used a fork and spoon, although the fork was mainly used to put food on the spoon.

This is correct. The Thai don’t use chopsticks. And, in many SE Asian cultures that do use for & spoon, the spin is the dominant-hand utensil, with the fork in the weak hand for ripping and/or sliding food onto the spoon.

I prefer eating with chopsticks when it is appropriate to do so. I’m actually mildly proficient with my non-dominant hand as well, but that’s just for the novelty of it.

Chopsticks are just one of the ways things are served / consumed differently in Asia. Stop by the food stand at Chutakek market on the north side of Bangkok and get a snack. It’ll likely be pork belly in a yummy sauce served in a clear plastic bag. Order coconut juice in Singapore? Get a coconut with a straw. Order coffee to go in Vietnam? Served in a clear plastic bag with handles and a straw. Chopsticks in Korea? Often they are metal for in-house eating wooden are the cheapies for to-go only. Order coffee on the Indonesian islands of Java or Sumatra (both exotic-sounding coffee names). Get Nescafé instant coffee.

Or worst of all. Don’t go into the barber shops in South Korea if they have TWO barber poles. No barbers work in that shop.

[flechero]

I've was also taught that people are Asian and things are Oriental, unless things were specifically named otherwise.

I use chopsticks when made available, purely for the novelty of it. It's enjoyable on occasion. (although only a few times a year, anymore) If I used them all the time, I would probably lose weight.

[SewTexas]

My husband is half-Japanese, after an embarrassing chopstick failure the first time we went to a Chinese restaurant, I learned pretty quickly.
We use them when the meal calls for it...unless my arthritis is hurting. My mother-in-law was able to use them almost better than a fork or spoon until a couple of weeks before she died.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Using chopsticks seems to take a lot of practice, which I have no interest in doing.

Whenever I have eaten Chinese food with Americans who know how to use chopsticks, I feel like they flaunt their skills at it in a superior fashion.
I'm glad their flaunting of their superiority over us staunch spoon/fork/knife users enhances their personal validation. :-)

We have spoons, forks, knives, and even sporks to get the job done. :-)

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I had a boss who came from Lebanon. When he came to this country to attend college, he was confronted with application questions regarding his ethnicity such as "Caucasian, Native American, Hispanic, African, African-American, European, or Asian".

He filled out all these forms as "Asian". He was asked by people why he chose that definition since he didn't look Chinese or Japanese.
None of the others fit him, so he chose Asian. There was no "Arabic" choice.

SIA

[ScottDLS]

Hold it!

Occidental, (not to be confused with orthodontics) is a an oil corporation.

ok, ok, I kid.

Though, I find the term occidental offensive as is my prerogative as another complaining about nothing human bean.

I prefer 'whitey'.

As a “person of pallor” I am offended by the term whitey. I prefer paleface.