Chopsticks!!

Down the lane when we reached Mainland China, I was very excited by the ambience and the encounter with a newest brand in the restaurant segment was really much awaited one. While seated I was waiting for the menu of the Chinese New Year, one of the red capped guys had put a small dragon shaped china clay beside the plate. It was impossible for us to comprehend what that was meant for. A cup of tea was served before he gave each of us a pair of chopsticks. Sudipta sipped the Jasmine tea and told us that the dragon was the chopstick rest.

I knew I have entered the applied physics laboratory where the pair of tapered sticks is my apparatus. And this was the first time I am doing the experimentation though I wanted to impress upon the onlooker that I am quite familiar with Chopsticks daring him not to jump to the conclusion by looking at my nose. But the curiosity of judging my applied physics ability compelled me to victimize the cabbage salad. After a series of futile attempts I suggested if we could ask them how to hold the chopsticks. Siddharth just came from Singapore with hands on experience on the apparatus and he showed me how to hold the sticks.

You hold one stick as static for the support of the other one which move to pick food from the plate. I could realize its not applied physics but it was more of a team work between the two sticks. One moves and picks with the trust that the other will give the support to accomplish the objective. Defying the laws of applied physics, it was quite exciting for me to savour the Chinese specialties with the strategic HR funda.

This was indeed a self realization for me that I have evolved from being an engineer to explaining things in the usual MBA way.

Now I developed a wish of getting a pair of chopsticks. I knew searching it in the market would turn out to be a futile one, so I decided to ask a pair from Mainland China itself. With some more HR fundas and a catalytic effect from Sudipta, I managed to get a pair of chopsticks from the manager.

I know what you might be thinking; yes next time u visit my place you will be served food with a pair of chopsticks.

** Special Thanks to Supriyoda and Pralayda for the excellent hospitality extended by you.