The Mystery Continues

I have been trying to get to the bottom of why our Japanese students consume so many hotdogs, and in such unusual ways (in enormous bowls of ramen, in egg and bean filled tortillas ...). My buddy, Alan, has done some research on his own. He has a Japanese friend who he emailed about this phenomenon. Here was his friend's response:

"Hotdogs in Ramen? I never heard of that ... I think hotdogs are similar to Japan but we usually eat hotdogs as hotdogs. Those students have different habits from average Japanese, I guess. Hope this help."

Thank you, Yosuke (via Alan), that does help. It appears that my students are aberrant. That comforts me and disturbs me. First, my faith in the Japanese people is restored. On the other hand, though, it means that my new housemates are misfits. I must remain vigilant ...