Unbelievable
Last night my school held a Farewell Party for all the teachers that are leaving our school. We have 8 teachers that have been reassigned, 2 vice-principals that are retiring, and 3 members of the support staff that are leaving. The farewell party was a lively affair with lots of food and drink to make sure that everyone had a good time.
One thing I really like about these office parties is that there is random assigned seating. When I walked into the party I had to take a number out of a little box and then I had to walk around and find the place that had the same number. This means that everyone has to sit by new people instead of having the same old people and departments hanging out with one another. For me, this means that I usually get a chance to talk to people outside of the English department and get a little closer with my other colleagues. It also means that I have to use a lot of Japanese.
Last night I sat next to a Phy Ed teacher and a Japanese teacher. Both of them made a huge effort to use the little english that they had, and they also enjoyed talking in Japanese with me, even though they had to speak very slowly and use very simple words.
The funniest part of the night was when the Japanese teacher put his sashimi (raw fish) onto his personal grill to cook it. Immediately I was reminded of the experience we had in Sapporo with Eric and Virginia. I just sort of looked at him for a moment, in surprise, trying to figure out how to ask him if he likes sashimi. Finally I was able to come up with the question in Japanese and I asked him.
“Sashimi wa suki desu ka.” (Do you like sashimi?)
“Iie. Karai.” (No, I hate it.)
So, there you have it. Another first for me in Japan. This is the first time I have met a Japanese that doesn’t eat raw fish. Given how common it is in Japanese cuisine, I can only imagine what a pain in the ass it is. At least, at this particular restaurant he had the option of cooking it himself.