what is your eating implement of choice?

With my family and friends in the States, I use a fork, knife and spoon. Generally, using the fork and spoon in my right hand unless cutting something with a knife, in which my fork then shifts to my left hand while I hold a knife in my right. The exception is foods like tacos, hamburgers, and sandwiches in which using my hands is acceptable. :)

Then I moved to Kenya. :) The eating implements of choice change to a decent sized spoon (rice, beans, githeri, soup) and/or my right hand (chappati, beef, ugali, sukuma wiki, chicken).

Among my Indian & Ethiopian friends, I dropped all implements except my right hand. :) This is, by far, my favorite way to eat. (Unless, of course, I'm the ONLY one eating with my hands, and everyone else is using cutlery -- I have only once found myself in this position, and it was very uncomfortable.)

A visit to Japan and out came the chopsticks. These are my second favorite eating implement. :) [However, I did discover on my last day, as I just had to try some famous Japanese Ramen at the airport before my flight left... that--even though I know how to use chopsticks--actually eating ramen with chopsticks is no easy task! I suddenly felt sorry for anyone sitting in the restaurant around me who had to witness such a thing as my (probably) terrible table manners! I tried my best!]

In the Philippines, it is back to fork, spoon, and knife -- but the method is different. Your hold the spoon in your right hand, and use the fork in your left hand to guide food onto my spoon. Pretty nifty strategy. :)

Fun, fun... sharing meals with people around the world is pretty cool.