dinner w/ daichi's fam

Here are my 2 Taneichi-Chu favorites. You might recognize these usual suspects from a couple of weeks ago...they had a dose of America at my house. And to repay my efforts TEN-FOLD, Daichi (pictured far right) invited me to his house for.........you guessed, an incredible American feast! How do I get so lucky? What a blessing to continue to meet amazing folks in this town...it really does more than make up for a rather unpleasant working atmosphere.

I also think it's interesting how so many people I have met don't really care to learn English, but they DO want to visit America, listen to American music, talk about American movies (in Japanese) and eat western foods! So while I love the hangouts, as it is a great opportunity to share and learn culture, I also sit back miffed as to where this motivation to acculturate into western ways comes from. And if you learned a bit of the language FIRST, maybe you'd really enjoy all those crazy Japanglish translations on the t-shirts that you wear or actually understand what Madonna is singing about?!!? Someone tell me why learning the language is the LAST priority!?!? Well, until I can figure it out--another HUGE thanks goes to Etsuko-san for making a delectable meal and for her husband in providing the sake-induced entertainment! Daichi and Yusho---you guys are the coolest!