Japanese Food, Culture, and the Tanabata Festival

The Soba Incident by Duncan Dixon Moving to a new country and meeting a new culture always has the likely for incidents that are embarrassing at the time, but humorous later. The following incident happened to me several weeks after I arrived in Japan. I was in Odawara around noon and I decided I wanted to dumbfound someebi soba. I found a restaurant display that looked good and, because I could not speak Japanese, carefully copied down the characters under the display, on a piece of paper. I went into the restaurant and gave the paper to the waitress.She tell it, gave a nod, and pointed me to a seat at a table in the middle of the restaurant. A adorn box topped with soba soon appeared. It came with a bowl of broth leaving me with the problem of what to do with the broth. I knew I had to get the noodles and broth together somehow. I debated with myself for a few minutes, do I fleece up the noodles and dip them, or pour the broth over the noodles? I finally came up with what see med a suitable solution pour half the broth over the noodles.I did this and watched to my dismay as the sauce ran our of the fuck of the noodles, across the table, and began dripping onto the floor. The other customers looked at me with thinly disguised amusement and I began to wish I had ordered something simple like katsu-don. About this time the waitress appeared and looked at me and the mess I had made. She disappeared into the kitchen and came blanket with a fork. By now I was completely embarrassed. I ate quickly and discovered the power for my problem the bamboo mat so cleverly hidden under the soba.I paid my bill and fled. To this day genius thing puzzles me I never did get the shrimp that were supposed to be on top of the soba. My premier(prenominal) Tanabataby Duncan Dixon * Read the two versions of my paragraph about Tanabata. * Which is for readers unfamiliar with Japan and which is for readers who know Japan? interpretation 1 Every July when the Tanabata festiva l arrives, I remember my first Tanabata. Tanabata is the Star Festival, traditionally celebrated in Japan July 7. In some cities people hang elaborate decorations from bamboo poles.To the poles they also attach papers on which they have written their wishes. Some friends told me that Tanabata in Hiratsuka was worth seeing so I took the bus downtown. I had been living in Japan for about nine months and didnt speak much Japanese yet. The downtown field of operation was packed and I was constantly bumping into people. As I was making my way through the crowd, my trade fleecy the articulatio humeri of a young girl about three years old who was walking with her beget. Without expression up at me, the girl reached up and took my hand. Immediately, I was in a quandry.If she looks up and sees whose hand she has, shell threat and lay out crying, but if I pull away quickly, she may also look up and panic. If her mother sees I have her by the hand, how can I explain what has happened? I ll be arrested for attempted kidnapping. All these thoughts hie into my base on balls as I walked along. Finally, after a few more metres, I was able to retail store my hand from the grasp of my escort and melt away into the crowd, undiscovered. Even today, the thought of what might have happened, makes me shiver. stochastic variable 2 Every July when the Tanabata festival arrives, I remember my first Tanabata.It was the year I was almost baffling in an international incident. Some friends told me that Tanabata in Hiratsuka was worth seeing so I took the bus downtown. I had been living in Hatano, Kanagawa for about nine months and didnt speak much Japanese yet. The downtown area was packed and I was constantly bumping into people. As I was making my way through the crowd, my hand brushed the shoulder of a young girl about three years old who was walking with her mother. Without looking up at me, the girl reached up and took my hand.Immediately, I was in a quandry. If she looks up and sees whose hand she has, shell panic and start crying, but if I pull away quickly, she may also look up and panic. If her mother sees I have her by the hand, how can I explain what has happened? Ill be arrested for attempted kidnapping. All these thoughts rushed into my head as I walked along. Finally, after a few more metres, I was able to release my hand from the grasp of my escort and melt away into the crowd, undiscovered. Even today, the thought of what might have happened, makes me shiver.