would anyone want[ ]to use such clumsy, primitive implements? I don't get it.

One eats differently with these implements and there's a delicacy to dining with them.

To each their own, of course, but I cannot imagine eating Japanese or Chinese cuisines with western tableware.

to have some wonderful Chowmein. While there this very loud couple, tourists from Alabama came into the restaurant The man when he sat down saw chopsticks sitting at his plate and started yelling about why there were no forks, knives and spoons? The waiter was very frustrated, as they only kept their traditional green plastic chopsticks and had to walk up and down the block looking for a restaurant that would give them some plastic forks, spoons and knives and grabbed four. By the time he brought back the utensils, the couple had gotten their meal served and were bitching " WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT THIS WITH MY HANDS??? You said you would bring me some utensils!! At this point he was being totally obnoxious and driving some of the regulars to leave the restaurant , and in the mean while the couple was harrassing the waiter, even though he went way out of his way to find the utensils they needed,. I was never so embarrassed for them in all my life. You don't go into a Chinese resturant and start screaming cause if you do the cook might come out with his Chopping blade and tell you to get the hell out.... and that's what he did, and when they left, everyone applauded the cook!

out who become abusive.

clan. I wonder if that is due to the food, or if people eat slower with chopsticks and savor the food instead of shoveling it in?

Clumsiness departs with practice.

I've always had a problem with using chopsticks and now I know how! It's definitely a useful skill and I appreciate the lesson.

...and in the crook of the thumb.

I'm quite proficient. I can pick up a single grain of rice with my chopsticks. A skill developed while being stationed in Japan for 2 years with the Air Force nurse corps.

May we presume that you are talking about a single grain of raw rice?

...uncooked/raw rice, I've never tried that.

I don't have any uncooked rice at home right now, so to test my skills, I just tried a single black peppercorn, a single Christmas cookie sprinkle (shape similar to a grain of rice but smaller), and a single little silver ball that you can put on cookies.

I could pick up all 3.

Title says it.

I’ve done marbles and small Christmas tree ornaments, but nothing like you’re talking about.

I was fortunate to learn how to use chopsticks when I was young so it's always been second nature to use them.

There's an elegance to eating when using chopsticks. I cannot imagine eating sushi/sashimi with a fork and lo mein wouldn't be the same using a fork and spoon!

my daughters (4) knows how to use them from 8 - 22, baby number 5 is 2 years old and is learning, but I can't do it.

She took me out for Japanese sushi and for Korean sushi. I loved the food, and I enjoyed using chopsticks.

I learned them from a Chinese friend at her (parents) family hiuse when we were mid-late teens.
I got very good at them, but it's been while. I just remembered I'd often ask for them from my then local Chinese take out place in the 2010's.

My best story was in College (East Village) a mix of us white, one Latina and Chinese friends went down to Chinatown not that far away, maybe 8 of us.
We sat at a round table with a lazy Susan, except when we had a Big pot of soup packed with ?glass noodles, veggies, and maybe meat.

I was already quite proficient but I think was the only Left-hander, and had to watch my elbow with the Right-hander to my left, bc my elbow would sometimes go too wide! 😄

Off hand I can't tell you how I hold mine.