Live from Japan!

So, last night I had an enkai with all of the english teachers from Kano High School. It was a great deal of fun. It was also quite a wake up call to me, remembering my interaction at my welcome party with the English staff, now so long ago. I have really made some good friends of many of the teachers now. I feel I am part of the group. I was more or less a part of the interactions all night, and able to joke and follow the conversation, even when the Japanese surpassed my ability. (But i was even surprised by what I could understand.)

Unfortunately this meant they were more willing to freak me out perhaps. Since coming to Japan I have eaten many things that I did not recognize. Ranging from “imo” which is NOT a potato as I know it. To sushi containing “organ of crab”, as it was explained to me. In this second one I was almost sad I had asked what it was that I was eating. Maybe, I thought, you are better off knowing.

Last night however I experienced an extreme version of this.

When we sat down for dinner there were many small dishes that were there to be eaten as appetizers. I knew a couple of them and a couple I didn’t. I plunged in and ate anyway. There was one dish that had a pinkish white substance and had a texture not unlike boiled egg whites. I tried it and it was not particularly good, but I would not have said bad either. This is when one of my supervisors asked me if I knew what it was. I, of course replied that I didn’t. He half smiled half cringed. “It is, ano…. like egg, but from the male fish,” he said. (OH GOD…) “It comes from the male sexual organ of the fish, do you understand? ano… I know the word, but I think it is impolite to say.”

Oh I understood, and even if it is impolite I will say it, I had eaten the semen of fish. Sometimes, your really are better off not knowing.

Later that evening my other supervisor asked me about the dish. “How did you like it?” she asked. “Well,” I said, “I like the taste better than I like the idea…” She laughed. Apparently many Japanese feel the same way.