Bet you are wondering what in the world that means, huh?
You can't imagine.
Well, let me explain...Yesterday Mike's team (The 89ers) had an exhibition game here in Sendai against a team called The Broncos. I had it set up where I was meeting my friends Iku and Yuko at the subway stop near the Stadium an hour before the game. Iku was going to introduce me to some more of her friends there. (Sidenote: Iku speaks English pretty well, she spent some time in Australia learning in a course this year. She's a grad student the same age as me, whose boyfriend, Shinya, is Mike's teammate).
So, anyway... back to the story. Isaiah and I arrived to the station on time, and he had a ball walking up all the stairs holding the girl's hands. The game was very exciting. This league is really profesisonal so, they pull out all the stops. Isaiah was dancing around and clapping his hands and yelling when the crowd would chant together. There were yellow jerseys and scarfs everywhere...like I said, it was exciting.
Anyway, I went to the restroom, and when I returned Junko passed me a bottle of tea and a warm package with food in it. I noddled "Arigato" (thank you) and Iku explained to me that her boyfriend's parents bought them for us and the food was a meat patty that was very good. The tea was absolutely delicious and I had to admit the meat patty was quite scrumptuos.
Well, the game continued and we talked and watched and laughed together. I was half way done with my meat patty when the girl to the left of me asked how I liked it. I said it was very tasty and the gravy was good. She replied "Beef tongue." I thought I didn't hear her right, or she'd got her English screwed it. So I smiled and turned to Iku for a quick translation. She nodded her head and said "Beef Tongue. Yes. This is Beef Tongue you are eating it. Do you like it?" I said, "Wait, do you mean from a cow???" She smiled... "Yes. It's good, right."
Oh snap.
So, I sat faced with a cultural dilemma. I didn't want to offend...and Shegan warned me that if I turn food down that is given to me, I will offend in Japanese culture. But, the images of cow's tongues in my mind began to make my stomach turn. So, I tried to suck it up and continue to eat because they were watching me. I took another bite. A big one to get it over with. That succulent gravy was now cow tongue gravy in my mouth... I could feel the texture of the tongue when the meat rolled around my mouth. I tried to smile. I began to feel the nausea rise and I thought of what I was eating and what it looked like before it was cooked. I just couldn't get past the psychological. I tried to not feel like I had been tricked... shoot, maybe they thought I liked eating things such as cow tongue.
Isaiah shreiked and broke my trance. I felt his diaper and YES! It was wet!!! My son had saved me from a very very unfavorable situation. I quickly scooped him up and excused myself, carefully placing the meat patty in the diaper bag.
I went to the family restroom, and after I was done changing Isaiah I felt something uncomfortable between my teeth. I looked in the mirror and sure enough, there between my teeth was a hanging piece of cow tongue. And that is the story of how I got tongue in my teeth in Japan.
Mike's team (The 89ers) won, and Mike had a good game. He thought it was so incredibly funny when I told him what happened that he decided to share it with the other American import, Ryan. Does this make me closed-minded? Am I unwilling to totally immerse myself in other cultures? Should I feel bad for not wanting to eat cow tongue with tasty gravy?
So the moral of the story is... beware of the Japanese "meat patty". No, it's always ask what the heck it is before you eat it. (And keep a diaper-wearing toddler nearby).
And to think, I was worried when Midori wanted to take me for Japanese Meatballs last week...
Toothpick anyone?
Yours Truly,
Culturally Adventurous Mai (Apparently)
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