Some small pieces of food

A set of chopsticks-- preferably tapered (has thick and thin end)

3 minutes a day for 3 days.

Practice with a salad. Start with large pieces and decrease the size as your skill improves. Soon you'll be plucking sesame seeds out of mid-air.

Like any other motor skill, repetition is the key to success. Several short sessions over a period of time is more effective than a big chunk of time spent in one day.

Add a little extra water to the rice before cooking, so that it's sticky enough to easily pick up with chopsticks.

2torial #0607: Learn2 Use Chopsticks Not the kind you play on the piano... Would you eat a sandwich with a spoon? Or use a fork to eat ice cream? Certain foods require the appropriate utensil. Asian foods are no exception: they seem to taste better eaten with chopsticks. And although some of us were raised using chopsticks, it can be an awkward experience for the rest of us. Fortunately, learning to eat with chopsticks is a simple matter, as this 2torial shows. Many of us labor under a misperception about chopsticks--that both sticks are moved together in your hand as you pick up a morsel. This is only half-true. Instead you'll be holding one chopsticks in place while pivoting the other one to meet it. Simple, eh? Heaven forbid that the restaurant serves disposable chopsticks in this era of disappearing ancient forests. But to prepare you for that possibility, here's some advice on breaking them apart. Pull the sticks away from you on a horizontal plane, so your palms end up facing away from you. Twisting them apart vertically can cause splintering, which might hamper your dining experience.. Position the chopsticks Place the first chopstick so that thicker part rests at the base of your thumb and the thinner part rests on the lower side of your middle fingertip. Next: Bring your thumb forward so that it traps the stick firmly in place. At least two or three inches of chopstick should extend beyond your fingertip. Relax. Now position the other chopstick so that it is held against the side of your index finger by the end of your thumb. Tap the ends of both sticks on the plate, while holding them at a slight angle to the table. Allow them to slide just a little so that the ends line up. Pivot the top chopstick Place a little pressure on the top chopstick. It will pivot on your index finger just above the second knuckle. Remember: the bottom chopstick is stationary. The tip of the top chopstick will move towards the tip of the bottom chopstick. Encourage this. Hold those tips together firmly enough to grasp a piece of food and lift it off the plate. Place delicately into your waiting mouth. Although there's no need to stoop, you may wish to lean over your plate a bit during your first attempts. It might save you a clean-up. That's about it. Have a little practice and you'll be able to use chopsticks with the best of 'em. -end- Learn More!