Posts in another thread got me thinking that my fussiness is not unique but I began to wonder what else folks may be fussy about:
Fussy:
Foods have to be natural ingredients
Clothes have to be natural fibers if they touch my body (I would care about the outside of a coat because I could touch that but I could care less about the soles of my shoes)
Paper documents (for how much I am trying to get a whole program and agency to go green, I will throw away a document or copies of the document if I notice an error before the document goes out.)
Why do you like the slender pointy one better? I actually like the rough stubby ended ones better because they permit a greater volume of food. The lacquer ones are good for hair bobs as far as I’m concerned.
There are many types according to country and commercial establishment, so by your description I can’t know what you are referring to. But to clarify what I mean, the above shows what is probably the most classic iteration of the Japanese type these days, and this is the type I had in mind. As you can see, they’re not slender but are strong and of strong wood (my favorite pair’s wood is so dense that they don’t even float), so supporting food volume isn’t an issue. Plus they won’t roll around. I like the precision of the pointy ends; you can pick up a grain of rice with them, yet easily indulge in the bad manners of spearing your food too, if you want to do something so apish. And very importantly to a noodle fanatic like me, on well-made sets the ends are milled so that once the sticks are in hand, when you close them there’s extended surface contact from tip to up the chopsticks for a ways. More noodles per grab, for it’s a more secure grab on your noodles. It’s all practical. Doesn’t hurt that they just plain look good, too.
I’ve raised kids, I’ve cleaned up after them when they was sick at both ends more times than I can count, fussiness went out the window long ago.
I do hate people who drive while using their cell phones, I’ve gone way beyond fussy on that one.
My chop sticks have to be made from bamboo harvested in December and aged for at least two years, that’s why I have to carry my own. Folks who don’t use chop sticks made that way eventually die.
These are the standard restaurant chopsticks around these parts these days.
Another available version is rounder. I can see why you like your chopsticks better. It’s the flat sides that matter. When I google imaged chopsticks, I think I got to see a new thing to be fussy about.
Those aren’t bad at all, for my liking. They’re reasonably strong and you still get that longish pointy business that I like so much. I’m always pleased to get them.
For me, it’s the whole package.
As you should. And if you still prefer the stubby-ended ones, then that’s what does it for you.
I don’t know if its still the case, but a decade or so ago Canada was the leading producer of stix like that; they’re one of the things that a million or so acres of Aspen parkland can be usefully turned into when they’re not being bulldozed to get at the oil sands below.
When we have far-eastern food both my wife and I use chopsticks. I like Chinese food, when they have a vegetarian option. Lately we had a Thai restaurant open up locally. It’s now an Indian restaurant again. It’s a bad site. If the business lasts two years it’s doing well. There are two really good (and well-known) restaurants on the same block.
She likes blunt (Chinese) Chopsticks. I like pointy (Japanese) Chopsticks. One of us prefers volume. One of us prefers accuracy.
What am I fussy about?
Milk in tea. Most Office Drones take half milk and half tea or coffee. I say add it with an eye-dropper. So I make my own.
People speaking to me. If I’m in the kitchen with the washing-machine in fast spin and you are speaking to me from outside the kitchen in a normal voice and not even facing me, don’t act surprised when I don’t hear you. And yes, the last time I went to the opticians they gave me a free hearing test and said my hearing was better than normal. Thank you.
Bastids of Sales-people who come to our office and commandeer a hot-desk and disappear into a meeting leaving their mobile phone on their desk which rings at least three times at ear-shattering volume. Selfish bastids. These phones are a lot quieter in one of the desk drawers. They’ve always found them so far.
Getting the Tune names right, or at least, making an effort. There is an entire generation of musicians out there who think the tune is called “Leather Away the Bottle” because the Blue Book prints the title that way. Leather away the Wattle, maybe… “Waves of Tory? Never heard of it!” AAAAARGH!
Wilful ignorance. Ignorance I can bear. Wilful ignorance gets my dander up.
Apart from that, I’m perfectly serene, as long as I get my own way…
As someone who lives in Kentucky, I’m sure you’ve heard this, “There is no shame in having lice. There is shame in keeping lice.” There are better methods dwest.
I have SO tried to not be fussy about that one. I mean, really. If I were a woman I’d tie my hair in a bun and chuck a knife and fork in it for “hairpins”, just to see if anyone gets the point.
But I recently have seen that this practice of adorning the hair with eating utensils is nowadays not unknown in at least China and Japan in nontraditional contexts. I was frankly surprised and not a little disappointed, because I’m betting they probably got the barbarous practise back from us. So, since they’re kickin’ it that way, I suppose I should be less fussy, now. But…no. Ain’t happenin’.
Still and all, if hairpins they must be, I agree with Mute’s feeling that the lacquered ones are basically best suited for only that. Lacquered, precious metals, ivory/plastic “ivory” (or just plastic in general) - they can look good, but all are slippery and don’t grip as well as naked wood or bamboo. I have an attractive pair of smooth-polished tsugaru-nuri lacquerware sticks given to me as a farewell gift, but they sit idle: I burn more calories using them than I get out of the meal. And you’re supposed to let your esteemed guests eat with special utensils like that. I dunno; the folks at one of my favorite Chinese/Vietnamese joints have taken to making sure that instead of the bamboo throwaways, I now get those special sticks that look like ivory (PLUS they’re stubby what with the Chinese thing and all; odd, but they don’t seem to have Vietnamese chopsticks, for what it’s worth), and I think to myself, If you really loved me you wouldn’t want me to starve. Sniff. But, it IS the thought that counts, and I run with that.
Chopsticks are the duct tape of sticks. I use them for a lot of things. Plant stakes, window props, all sorts of braces, mobiles. When I had long hair, I used them as hair bobs and they work.
Well, this is where I draw a real distinction between disposable and nice, not-intended-to-be-disposable sticks. I wouldn’t use the Japanese ones I keep at home for my personal use for anything like that unless I were in a true bind, but fortunately I have a couple I could spare if it really came to that. For dedicated duct-tape chopstickery, usually I just go get a meal at the China Express to be polite before I leave with a couple or so extra packs of the disposables that sit there in their bin for the taking. And they’re free. Except for the meal. But, I’d eventually go there anyway if I’m in a hurry.
I hope the ones you stuck in your hair at least never touched food prior to that. Even if you washed them. Yes, I’m fussy.
