Like many parties she has attended before, Asian woman Helen Pak simply cannot wait to hear another person tell her about their trip to Japan.
”It happens at cookouts, baby showers, even weddings,” said Helen. “Getting to hear about every single person’s vacation to Japan because I’m the only Asian person there is really the only reason I go to parties in the first place. I just love it!”
Helen, who is actually Korean, went on to explain her excitement.
“Being able to pause at any moment to listen to yet another stranger describe the beauty of the cherry blossoms or how sushi is just better there is always the highlight of my evening,” Helen said. “It’s a very rewarding experience for me.”
The well-traveled partygoers are equally enthused to tell Helen about their experiences visiting a country she is not from and has never been to.
“I’m really looking forward to showing Helen my Facebook album of photos I took in the Hello Kitty store,” said Jackie Long. “It’s really amazing to be able to share my vacation experiences with someone who is sort of from that culture.”
“Helen is going to be so impressed with the Japanese words I’ve picked up,” added Oliver Gaines. “Maybe we can even have a whole conversation! I assume she speaks Japanese, right?”
And the anticipation is killing Helen.
“I’ve been at this housewarming party for almost ten minutes, and I haven’t even gotten to see one Insta pic of a bowl of ramen from a Japanese tourist trap yet,” she said. “And I can’t wait any longer for someone to tell me that I look just like a geisha they saw at the tea ceremony their tour guide recommended. It’s unbearable!”
“I just crave that misguided cultural appreciation,” she added.
