12UNIT1Iamfrequentlyaskedthequestion,”Canyouusechopsticks”IhavelivedinKorea,JapanandChina.Ineachcountry,Ihave,moreoftenthannotandwithouthavingrequestedone,beengivenaforkwhenonewasavailable.IhavepolitelyrefusedandsaidthatIwouldbefinewithchopsticks.Sometime,Ihavetomakefurtherexplanation.ChopsticksaretheleastofmyworrieswhenIameatinginanAsianhomeorrestaurant.Infact,learninghowtousechopstickstakesmenothingbutafewweeks.ThisisnottosayIwasskillful,though.Learninghowtousechopsticksiseasyforme,whereaslearningtheritualsandhowtoconductmyselfatthetableisquitedifficult.JusthowmanytimesdoIhavetosay”no,thankyou”whenIreallymean”no,thankyou,Itrulyamfull”?HowdoIgetawaywithrefusingmorefoodwithoutoffendingsomeone?IfIinsistandIstillgetmore,isitappropriatejustnottoeatit?ThiswouldbeimpolitewhereIcomefrom.Ihaveenjoyedmanygreatmealsandmyinteractionswiththepeoplehavebeengreat.IamincreasinglyawarethatIwillneverbeabletogivebackasmuchasIhavereceived.Idon’tknowhowIcaneverthankallofthepeoplewhointroducedmetoeatinginAsia.UNIT2Thiswaswhatallofthetrainingandpainwasabout-winning.IwatchedTVtoseetheyoungrunnerwhohadbeenundermycoachingforthelastfewyears.Iwouldhavebeenthereonthespothaditnotbeenforthetrafficproblem.Icouldn’tmakeitevenonmybicycle.WhileIwatchedtheyoungrunnerentertothecheersofthousandsofpeople,Icouldnothelpthinkingofthepainsthathehadgonethroughinhistraining.Theyoungrunnerwashardlyconsideredtobepromisingwhenhefirstcametome.Therewerecountlesstrainingsessionsfullofpainforhim.IhadseenfatiguewrittenonhisfaceIhadheardhimswearatme.Ihadbeenindifferenttohisangerandpain.Itwasclearthatonlyhardworkcouldearnhimsuccess.IhadsmiledtomyselfwhenIfoundthathehadtoomuchpassiontogiveup.Andhewouldpersistwiththetraininguntilhereachedperfection.Ihadneverforgottoremindhimthatdespitethechallengeshehadtokeeponpractice.ItwasunfairthathehadnotimeforhisGF.Butthatwaslifeforhim.ThethunderousshoutsandcheersdrewmebacktotheTVscreen.Oh,mydear,theyoungrunnerwasgainingspeed.Hewasrunningtothefinishline.Hewasstrongenought...