Forging Friendships Through Food

Funny how a mistranslation can lead to something unexpected like getting a Japanese biscuit. After my son jokingly asked visiting Japanese students about their love lives, they quickly whipped out this wafer biscuit with a wrapper showing images of Love Live! characters, a popular anime. My son may not have gotten the answer that he was expecting but that misunderstanding certainly paved the way for forging friendships.

Food is known to be a universal medium for socialization. As every person eats, striking a conversation about food is probably one of the safest way to go about it. More so, if the food is related to a certain culture.

Talking about food with new-found friends from another country allows you to get to know a little more about the other without being too intrusive. You also get the chance to share your take about your own culture. Eating together never fails to create that warm feeling of sharing the experience in an activity so simple yet universal.

My son usually participates in school activities pertaining to welcoming visiting Japanese students. After all the activities that include games and educational programs, such visit will always culminate with a satisfying meal. And so friendships are continually forged through food.