Working as an ALT, I was paid monthly. I am not the best at budgeting and managing my money. So the end of the month was very lean. Sometimes my lunch at school was the only meal I got for the day. Lunchtime is a set amount of time and when it's over, it's over. Doesn't matter if you finished your food or not. As a result, I got good at using chopsticks very quickly. When that's the only food you're getting for the day, you learn to pick up the pace.

Sometimes if the class I was supposed to eat with was off on a field trip or some activity, they had me visit a different class. This day, they had me have lunch with the 1st graders. For the very first time. I generally taught 5th and 6th grade at most of my schools but I'd occasionally get to do a one off lesson with the younger kids.

By this point, I had mastered chopsticks. So it's lunchtime and I am going to town on the rice. Think Goku shoveling bowls of rice in his mouth. Focused on my meal. When I suddenly hear soft little whispers. “Sensei hashi wa jozu desu ne?” and “Honto niiii!!” I swallow a mouthful of rice and look up,. Twenty little pairs of eyes staring at me in awe and admiration. Blown away by my skills with chopsticks. I just smiled and said “Hello!” They returned my greeting and went back to eating.