YUK! Higher is my mother. 'Mmm, I just had chunks of tofu marinated in a ginger sauce [BOAK!] on a bed of noodles.'
When I was living in the same city, she sent me once to eat in this 'delicious' restaurant called 'Wonderful'.
Puke-a-ful, more likes.
She owns a special pair of chopsticks and knows how to use them.
My dad, on the other hand, brings tinned tuna, beef jerky, a jar of peanut butter and dried Army rations he buys from the surplus shop with him whenever they travel to East Asia, which is often enough as a) we had an exchange student from Japan live with us from 1987-1988 and she's truly a third daughter to the family b) my mum's a BIG fan of all things East Asian.
He finds the nearest McDonald's or KFC and he doesn't care if he has to be a thousand yen for the coffee.
BUT he speaks much better Japanese than my mum and continues to take evening courses in the language and practice with Rieko, our sister.
He's now 73 and can even manage the phone in Japanese!
I love to watch him because even when he can't see the person, he inclines his head in a sort of bow when he finishes and ends the conversation.