I didn't realise that this wasn't normal, I was raised in Australia and this is just second nature to me. I don't think other ways of eating are barbaric though, that's kind of racist. Because eating by hand is part of a lot of cultures, Middle Eastern food is usually prepared to be eaten by hand, same with a lot of Indian food. It's just a different practice and of course the food is prepared in such a way that you can do it with minimal mess.