After finishing off the Daikin intensive last Thursday I stopped in at Red Spanky on the way home for the first time since being back in Japan. The owner of the place, Miyuki, cooked me dinner (seafood risotto) while the bartender made me some drinks (a daiquiri, a Cointreau tonic, and a vodka tonic). It was a nice way to spend the evening, and a really good way to work on my Japanese skills.
During the evening some other customers came and went, and since they were curious about me it was easy to strike up conversations with them. One customer came in for the first time in two years, and brought along a friend for the first time. They were a little drunk already, having dinner at a local izakaya, but we had a good talk about the differences between northern California and southern, and English accents around the world. The pair left after insisting I look exactly like Keanu Reeves, which is something that foreigners get a lot in Japan. I’ve been compared to Brad Pitt, Keanu, and even Daniel Craig while I’ve been here.
After they left Miyuki pulled me aside and told me that they had picked up my bill, and they had even left money for two more rounds of drinks for me. I was a little surprised – they must have been more drunk than they appeared. The other customers got wind of it and were a little incredulous at the situation. Since I was done for the night, I donated the last two drinks to Miyuki, who sat next to me on the customer side of the bar and drank them with her customers. The bartender, Abe-san, made himself a rum and coke and we all sat back and relaxed. It was a good night to hang out at Red Spanky.
