Culture

Sometimes I worry that I am not really living life to the fullest.  I worry that I do not seek out adventure or excitement, and that the routine of school, grading and prep, sleep and school becomes the extent of my life.

Fortunately, any time I start to feel this way, opportunities present themselves just in time to prove me wrong.  Tonight was such a night.  Though Reno's is an American restaurant, it is where most of my interactions with Japanese people and local culture takes place... and often this happens against the backdrop of a third culture.

Tonight was Mexican Night at Reno's, with Tacos and Enchiladas served as specials, in honor of the evening's musical guests: a Mariachi duo!  It was very interesting to hear these two friends speaking in Spanish and then translating into both Japanese and English, especially since I understand all three languages to varying degrees (those degrees being relatively small for Japanese and Spanish of course).

As the evening wore on, Reno's filled to capacity.... and that's when things got 楽しい (fun).  Several songs saw the entire crowd up on their feet, dancing, clapping and cheering.  Several songs even led to a conga line!

So it was that on this evening, April 29, 2012, I had the opportunity to be the only 外人 (foreigner) in a 15-person Japanese conga line.  This wasn't on my bucket list--I mean, how could I have even fathomed having such an opportunity?  However, it was one of those moments that reminded me that my life, despite its general busy-ness, does have its share of adventure, fun and spontaneity.  I will not soon forget nights like tonight, and I am ever-grateful to God for providing such cool opportunities!