It was from watching TV that I first learned of a simple ritual that Japanese people do before meals. They would place their hands together and say “i-ta-da-ki-ma-su.” Whenever I shared a meal with my Japanese friends, I did it as a friendly gesture and as a way to connect with them. But I had no idea what it meant until recently, when a Japanese friend explained it to me. “いただきます” means “I gratefully receive.” It expresses appreciation both to the cook for preparing the meal and to the animals or vegetables for their sacrifice so that we may have food. After learning the meaning behind it, the ritual took on a much deeper significance for me. This is just one example of how deeper cultural context and significance can be lost in cross-cultural communication. When the context and meaning are lost, we adopt the behavior without understanding it. This loss of context and significance happens not only between cultures but also between generations. I believe this has much to do with the ...