Chopsticks are two long sticks that, according to the wrapper from the local Chinese restaurant, can be wielded and manipulated to "pick up anything!" In Asian households, chopsticks are essentially extensions of our fingers. Chopsticks are typically made of bamboo, wood, plastic or silver; ivory, gold, or jade can be used if you prefer bling versions. Since they are utensils for eating, and since eating is viewed as a gathering of family and friends, it is rude to use them to stab at food (the act of stabbing being seen as hostile).

As I was packing up my kitchen, I came across a plethora of chopsticks, mostly disposable, gathered over the years. So that got me thinking, what are some non-violent, alternative uses for chopsticks? Here's what I came up with:

-shrimp deveiner/desheller (my cooking teacher taught me this: insert tapered end and dig along the shrimp's "spine" to remove the black vein)
-test whether oil in skillet is hot enough for stir fry by using the chopsticks that have been used to mix the ground pork/meat. If the ends of chopsticks (with a bit of meat on them) sizzle when they touch the pan, then you're ready to cook
-kebab skewers
-weight control! Find yourself digging into the bowl of M&M's? Use chopsticks to pick them up; you'll find you eat a lot slower
-cocktail/drink mixer
-a support for plants
-pointer (during presentations)
-painting (use it to draw dots or filling tiny spaces)
-hair accessory
-use broken chopsticks as craft sticks
-touching up decorative icing on cakes
-a straight-edge