1/11/2011
Axl Loves Nabe…Right?
Nabe parties are popular during the winters in Japan. A nabe party is a dinner party where friends get together and cook seasonal vegetables, a variety of meats, tofu, and/or mochi in a clay bowl. The joy of eating nabe is sitting around a small table, sharing food and discussion with your friends. It’s the one of the cheapest and easiest forms of entertainment you can find in Japan. And what better way to meet others than at a nabe party?
My coworker, Cheiko, wanted to introduce me to her boyfriend, Tstumo and his best friend, Tetsuro, over nabe. I think Tetsuro likes foreign girls, but I preferred the idea of meeting new friends.
When Cheiko and I arrived, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” was playing on the television. I kept wondering why they were watching this until Cheiko told me they were watching the movie to practice English. I couldn’t help laughing a little because no one seemed remotely interested in the movie, but I guess it’s similar to my way of thinking that maybe I will somehow ‘absorb’ Japanese from passengers on trains and wake up one day being fluent in the language.
A nabe pot was placed on the center of a coffee table filled with seasonal produce; a variety of mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, ginger and Japan’s version of bacon (which is completely different than you’d find in the states). Cheiko’s boyfriend is an artist so the presentation of the nabe was impressive. He zig zagged bacon between slices of cabbage to resemble a pinwheel and placed Enoki mushrooms sprouting from the center of the pinwheel. Maitake mushrooms were strategically scattered around the edges to enhance the pinwheel effect. It was really impressive. I was unaccustomed to men preparing dinner for me, so out of habit, I wanted to help. Cheiko kept reminding me that it was our job to prop up our feet and watch the men work to impress us. “Do they give foot massages too?” I joked. “Because if they do, my heart just might skip a beat.”
When our stew was ready, we sat around the coffee table and enjoyed small discussions, trying to get to know one another. Conversation was a bit challenging because my Japanese is nearly nonexistent and the men’s English skills were fairly basic. Cheiko acted as a translator between us. It’s at these moments I wish Japanese was easier for me, but I’m slowly learning how to read the body language and expressions of Japanese. This is not as easy as one may think considering this is a culture that isn’t comfortable sharing emotions or personal opinions. The Japanese are masters of emotional disguise!
After “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” finished, the men were trying to figure out what other American film could be played. I wasn’t fond of the idea of playing movies when trying to get to know one another, but I’m guessing it was their way of trying to make me feel ‘at home.’ Because I get extremely distracted when the television is on. I suggested using my Iphone to play background music. More than anything, I enjoy casual conversation and getting to know people and these were people I was interested in knowing. So, I propped up my phone and picked the mellowest Hôtel Costes mix I could find.
That idea didn’t last long when Tetsuro began talking of his study abroad in Idaho during the early 90’s. We then transitioned into talking about trends in music and 1980’s hairstyles. He showed us a picture of himself during his study abroad days; a youthful Japanese teenager with a perm so big it put Slash to shame. I could tell by his distant smile when sharing his experiences that those days were some of his best. It was endearing. Amid retelling us about his college years, he decided it was a good idea to put on a Guns ‘N Roses video compilation…So much for a relaxing evening. I didn’t mind because I enjoyed the fact he could reminisce over his glory days. He seemed truly happy when telling us about his study abroad. It also seemed to be his way to connect with me, the American.
Because the Guns ‘N Roses compilation disc was every music video Guns ‘N Roses ever made, we spent the next two hours joking and talking about the fashion, the hair and the dramatics of the videos. Cheiko and I are alike in the fact that we have no problem goofing off a bit, so we would reenact dramatic scenes from the videos. She was the dying lover and I was Axl coming to save her or vice verse.
An evening of Guns ‘N Roses over nabe is not what I expected, but I still enjoyed it. Since Japan is a completely different world than the States, it was also nice to allow myself to reminisce over something familiar. I was reminded of my childhood in the early 90’s when I would visit my best friend’s house and watch the same Guns ‘N Roses videos. And of course, at that time, I jokingly reenacted the dramatic scenes from the videos, but instead of nabe, it was Pizza and Pringles. And I too had a big fro that put Slash to shame. Except, mine wasn’t a perm. It was the side effects of not knowing how to properly use Frizz-ease. Oh, how times have changed…well, maybe time has, but I haven’t.
