Look: If you can handle a bit of violence, man, this is good TV! Netflix’s new original series, Narcos, is guts-gripping drama and a fascinating visitation of when the war on drugs reached its zenith. It’s also an interesting cultural tale of the American DEA and CIA agents trying to make sense of life, crime and culture in South America. For anyone who remembers the stories of Pablo Escobar, the Medellin Cartel and the dark years when cocaine was king, you might really enjoy this.
Listen: Different countries and different cultures can make for some challenging communication, no doubt. Now imagine that those different countries and cultures were all within one family? Give a listen to this amazing story about a hard-working Chinese immigrant who never had the time learn the language of his new country—English—yet never had the time to teach his son Mandarin. Hearing father and son communicate for the first time in 20 years of life together will bring tears to your eyes and a new sense of compassion and understanding to whatever cultural challenges you might be facing. (Scroll to 40:40, where this story begins in the program.)
Read: I love stories like this one. A boy of 15 gets his first job washing dishes at a Japanese restaurant in Long Island. The older Japanese chefs take a liking to the boy and teach him a bit about Japanese cuisine and culture. An interest is sparked. The boy goes on to study Japanese in college. After college, the young man makes his first trip to Japan where he tastes his first bowl of Ramen—a seminal event in his young life. The young man goes on to become the first non-Japanese to open a Ramen shop in Tokyo, and not just any Ramen shop—the top-rated Ramen in all of Japan! And now the book: Ivan Ramen; Love, Obsession and Recipes from Tokyo’s most unlikely noodle joint.
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