Gaston Jean-Baptiste, known as "Bonga," is a voodoo priest and a conga player. Bonga has been touring Japan giving workshops on Haitian music and teaching the traditions of Haiti. Luckily, one of the stops on his tour was my living room. A small, amiable man with dreadlocks, Bonga spoke from his "zabuton": "Ask me anything."
I didn't know what to ask. I felt the way my students must feel when I say to them, "Ask me a question in English." I was searching for the right questions, but nothing came. So I did what my students do under these circumstances. As articulately as possible, I blurted out single words. As I gained confidence, I worked up to full sentences.
Me: Voodoo!