Any input is appreciated. I am quite satisfied with this essay but I can still add 200 characters. Suggestions?
We all have distinct personalities and habits. Identify and describe a personal habit - of any nature - that best defines you.
"Twirling Noodles"
Italians twirl spaghetti. It is an efficient method we have developed to eat spaghetti while minimizing the occurrence of sauce stains and impolite slurping sounds.
The canteen at ISM provides a selection of unhealthy, germ-infested, multi-cultural delicacies, ranging from the typical Asian rice with toppings of meat or fish and veggies to a disappointing version of spaghetti. One of my personal favorite lunches is a bowl of Shan noodles that costs 1,500 kyat. Shan noodles are flat, thin noodles made from rice flour. This particular dish is cooked in a tomato paste, with minced chicken, chopped peanuts, and chili powder. The overall consistency of this dish is slimy.
One day, as I was absentmindedly picking at my bowl of noodles with my wooden chopsticks, I began to twirl them. The flat noodles wrapped around the chopsticks, creating a ball. I gazed at it in amusement. "Look," I called out to my friend. He saw my creation and laughed. "You're eating Asian noodles like you would eat spaghetti: Italian-style," he observed. I'm guessing that for a Chinese, I was committing a criminal offense by using chopsticks like a fork.
After living for many years in different countries, I have embraced a fusion of characteristics and customs from all the places where I have resided. I am a hybrid of cultures. I enjoy trying new things, like cooking spaghetti with Chinese dumplings, and accepting challenges, such as eating with chopsticks. Yet, I have also learned to pick the best aspects of each culture and combine them to my best advantage.
Since that day, I began to twirl noodles around chopsticks, exactly as I would twirl spaghetti around a fork. I have been criticized and laughed at by all my friends in Myanmar, but hey, it's convenient!
For me, it lost some clarity at the start because I did not know what ISM was... maybe the reader will know, though?
I think if you add material, you might want to add it at the end. The last sentence is not very strong; it does convey refreshing "realness," but I think it could be stronger. Add to that last paragraph while keeping in mind your purpose for this essay -- the effect you want to have on the reader.
:-)
