Yakitori with Otousan!

Tonight I had a one-of-a-kind cultural experience: eating yakitori (grilled chicken) at a yakitori restaurant with Otousan!!! I was taking a walk with one of my friends, Shoji, when I got a call from an unknown number. I didn't answer the call since I was with a friend, but when the same number called again, I picked up and found out it was Otousan. He and I had talked a week ago about going to eat yakitori but never got around to it. So when he asked if I could come right then and there, of course I said yes. I walked with Shoji to the train station, met my host father there, and then we walked to the yakitori restaurant.

The restaurant was very small. Upon entering, I saw a counter with about ten seats around it. Then there was a slight protrusion from the wall and there were a few (maybe three) tables in the back section of the restaurant. Otousan and I sat at the counter. He ordered various chicken dishes for us to try, most of which were seasoned with soy sauce. I ate chicken skin (my favorite), chicken liver, chicken ligaments (which I had tried before), and chicken hearts. Otousan and I had some very interesting conversation as well. One of the topics which we discussed is my attitude toward achievement. It didn't take him long after meeting me to realize that I am a perfectionist, and he, like everyone else I know, believes I am too hard on myself. He says it's bad for my health to be so hard on myself, and he thinks that I have bigger things to worry about than, for example, a grade on a single chapter exam, so he wants me to not worry so much. Of course I agree with him, but whether I can follow through with this or not is something else.