The 92nd Episode : Home cooking
[June, 1997 Antwerp, Belgium]
It was Sunday evening when I arrived in Antwerp. The dinner would be had at the customer’s home with cooking by the president’s wife. That was my first visit of a personal house abroad. When I was at the entrance of his house, his daughter welcomed me greeting ‘Kon-nichiwa (good afternoon)’ in Japanese. She was interested in Japanese history and also studying Japanese.
I didn’t take off my shoes even in the house, that's the western style. There was a good and beautiful carpet in the living room, on which I walked in shoes. It was discomfortable for me as a Japanese.
His wife was cooking in the kitchen. We were having idle talk including his daughter and her younger brother before the dinner was ready. The young girl was eager to know about Japan and asked me some things.
Before long the dinner was ready. His wife finished cooking and was at the table already. Her husband (the president) carried the cooking pan to the table and share to each dish. His wife did nothing at the table.
He said it was normal but I didn’t know if it was only at his home or all in Europe. Anyway I seldom see it in Japan. It is usually done by women. I say this, then some people sensitive to discrimination might say ‘sexism’ but I don’t mean that.
Tasty foods with Belgian beer made us have good talk. The main dish was chicken boiled with tomato sauce.
