What is your favorite body part?

"What is your favorite body part?" I ask my students in Japan.

Junko points to her arm. Skin I ask. No no sensei. She draws a line following the river of her veins. I like to see blood thinking she says. You can tell it is thinking. The vein also travels up and down the neck. This is a large vein she likes to watch for.

 

Cameron Diaz likes ears. Cameron is not her real name. I let my students change their name in my conversation English class. They can feel like they are acting. And not the shy quiet students they are used to being. Cameron likes ears because they are like the french horns she plays. 

 

Daisuke is into ribs. He thinks it is funny when you cannot feel your ribs when you eat too much okonomiyaki and mabu tofu.

 

Shino likes the eyelids of men. The way they look when concentrating on a subject. Like how many hairs of daikon radish they should dress sashimi in.

 

Hideki likes the uncomfortable face one makes when trying to . . . Wait sensei. He stops to take out his electronic dictionary and show me "break wind". I laugh. I like the face one makes when trying to break wind after eating too many dried potatoes he finally says. But what is your favorite body part? I ask. Where the wind comes from Hideki answers. I laugh.