Dar es Salaam.
A public dining hall.
The new immigrants were undergoing a thoroughly torturous lesson.
"Hold out your middle fingers and bend them slightly, like I'm doing. See this upper joint?" Layton said, pointing with his left hand at the first joint of his middle finger as he addressed the European immigrants.
"This part is crucial; it determines how you use this utensil. Now, extend your index fingers and thumbs as well.
"Watch my movements carefully. First, rest the first wooden stick on your ring finger, then place the second one on the first joint of your middle finger, pinching the upper end with your thumb and index finger.
"Pay attention: the pad of your thumb must also press against the first wooden stick. At this point, the first stick remains still.
"Use your thumb, index finger, and middle finger together to control the first wooden stick, like this. If you master this skill, you can basically handle every kind of food in all East Africa." Holding a pair of chopsticks, Layton spoke to the German immigrants.
As he spoke, Layton began demonstrating the entire process of using chopsticks for the immigrants. There was a ceramic bowl filled with rice and vegetables.
Layton skillfully held the bowl and used the chopsticks to pick up rice and vegetables, bringing them to his mouth.
"Of course, you can do all this with a spoon as well, but the East African government only provides chopsticks in order to save costs. If you cannot learn to use them, things will be very inconvenient," Layton said.
Of all the tableware in the world, nothing was easier to produce than chopsticks. Even two tree branches could temporarily serve the same purpose.
As dining halls, their scale was naturally not small, so they required no small