(01/07/00)["Meeting foreign men."] A nice fatherly man is helping me figure out how to do things. He will share his E City newspaper with me if I pay half the bill for it. I agree, then forget to bring my copy for him to read, as I had promised. I feel badly I didn't remember. Then I am swimming and enjoying it. Then I am at some gathering and being introduced to three men. Max, from Japan, another one and someone with a very long hard to pronounce name from Russia. I am accurate at naming what country they are from based on their names and appearance. The Russian is a grump. We are standing in front of a square cart where Japanese foods are on it. The fatherly man shows me how to go from one side to the next and get small appetizers. One bright red thing I say looks like cranberry sauce. He smiles and I say Don't tell me! I don't want to know. He agrees it would be best if I didn't know what the food really was. I see ham slices and say oh good. Something I recognize and like. It is important to do things in the custom of the Japanese so I don't offend anyone.