i provided dinnertime entertainment by just being myself

dear you,

who: me and eight other people
what: a birthday celebration for my host sister and her cousin
when: last night
where: portia's place, a posh chinese restaurant
unfortunate events: i was the only one to ask for cutlery due to my lack of chopstick experience. i could not transfer rice from the serving plate to my bowl to my mouth without dropping a few grains each time. i made the mistake of comparing something with peanut butter and jelly. australians call jello jelly, so the comparison was more confusing than helpful. i could hardly eat with my fork--dumplings are slippery little fellows. i nearly dripped ice cream onto my top. warm, steamy, moist towels were delivered afterwards and my look of confusion caused my friends to explain that "you don't eat them."
moral of the story: i felt like an incompetent american the entire time. it just wasn't my night.

sincerely,
shae