I went to a ramen shop in Sapporo. Proper local place, no English menu, just me and a bunch of salarymen on lunch break.
I ordered by pointing, food came, I started eating. Was using my chopsticks wrong I guess, dropping noodles, making a mess.
The guy sitting next to me at the counter, without saying a word, takes his chopsticks and shows me the proper way to hold them. Like a demonstration.
Then he goes back to eating his ramen.
I try it his way. Works better. I give him a nod, he nods back.
We eat in silence for a bit. Then he leans over and demonstrates how to properly slurp the noodles. Does it with his own noodles, then points at mine like "your turn."
I try it. It's loud, I feel embarrassed. But he gives me a thumbs up.
For the rest of the meal he like... coached me? Without words. Just demonstrations. How to eat the menma, how to finish the soup, everything.
When I was done he said "good" in English. Only word he said to me. Then he paid and left.
The owner came by after and said "Nakamura-san comes here 20 years. First time I see him teach someone. You are lucky."
I went back to that ramen shop three more times before leaving Sapporo. Nakamura-san was there twice. Both times he nodded at me, watched me eat, gave me one small correction each time.
Last time I saw him I got the nod with no corrections. Felt like graduating.
I went to a ramen shop in Sapporo. Proper local place, no English menu, just me and a bunch of salarymen on lunch break.
I ordered by pointing, food came, I started eating. Was using my chopsticks wrong I guess, dropping noodles, making a mess.
The guy sitting next to me at the counter, without saying a word, takes his chopsticks and shows me the proper way to hold them. Like a demonstration.
Then he goes back to eating his ramen.
I try it his way. Works better. I give him a nod, he nods back.
We eat in silence for a bit. Then he leans over and demonstrates how to properly slurp the noodles. Does it with his own noodles, then points at mine like "your turn."
I try it. It's loud, I feel embarrassed. But he gives me a thumbs up.
For the rest of the meal he like... coached me? Without words. Just demonstrations. How to eat the menma, how to finish the soup, everything.
When I was done he said "good" in English. Only word he said to me. Then he paid and left.
The owner came by after and said "Nakamura-san comes here 20 years. First time I see him teach someone. You are lucky."
I went back to that ramen shop three more times before leaving Sapporo. Nakamura-san was there twice. Both times he nodded at me, watched me eat, gave me one small correction each time.
Last time I saw him I got the nod with no corrections. Felt like graduating.