Journey to Japan leaves 2 Columbia teachers with deeper understanding

COLUMBIA — The shimmer off of brightly colored food lining the window of a Japanese restaurant caught the eye of Tammy Cox one summer afternoon. As she walked inside and opened the menu, she found herself staring at untranslatable symbols. With no English speaker in sight and a picture-less menu, she calmly gestured to her waiter to walk outside. Through the sign language of a hungry tourist, she pointed to the plastic food replica of what she wanted to order and walked back inside. Embarrassment hit home when she saw the faces of the local diners, who smiled sweetly and returned to their food.