1997. 忍 and I were enjoying a cup of Joe at a sidewalk cafe in Soho. At the time I met her, my Japanese was better than her English, so we conversed in Japanese. Two Spanish speakers at a nearby table, apropos 'a nuttin', suddenly inquired why speaking Japanese in NYC was acceptable and speaking Spanish isn't. I politely replied. Because languages from less tranquil cultures that don't contribute 和 are detractors.
