Saturday, June 25, 2016

Contagious Beauty

Outlines of leaves delicately carved into the wood bar. Our host recalls the titles of 1960s jazz tunes gently swirling in the air like the steam from our mugs of green tea. Little pieces of artwork appear on our plates one piece at a time: vibrant orange, rich yellow, smooth white; a hint of citrus bringing out the almost sweet flavor of cooked eel; crisp shiso with pickled radish... The flavors, textures, and colors compliment each other perfectly, like a polyphonic violin partita dancing in my mouth. Sushi.

We grin and leave the chopsticks on their holders, copying our host in old-school "real" Japanese manners: this is finger food! He is quick to smile, eager to explain, generous in sharing this country that has been his home for over 70 years with these two young foreigners who have barely skimmed the surface of culture, language, and food. We chat across the bar with the chef as he shows us the different kinds of fish they have tonight, and by the end of the evening the 2 businessmen beside us join in the pleasant small talk.

Up the narrow stairwell and down the back alleyways the train station is still bustling with people,  a whole other world oblivious to the refuge of quiet beauty just around the corner. Filing into the train car, eyes glued to phones, faces masking everything except a bit of tiredness after a long day's work. Across from me a baby twists away from her mom to beam at the businessmen standing above her, a contagious smile that spreads down the line of middle-aged business men before I realize I'm grinning as well.

Maybe it's cheesy, but moments like these are part of why I'm thrilled to call this city home. An appreciation for stepping away for a moment, and cherishing something beautiful. A reminder that beauty, and appreciating beauty, are wonderfully contagious. A hope that maybe through a bite of food, a quiet moment away, a smile, we can each share a contagious fascination with the One who is most beautiful of all.

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