Japan, June 21, 2000
Dave
Toyooka never was the save after the Dave-asion
|
When I first moved to DC, long before I had cool
DC housemates, I lived in a freak-filled house on Ingleside Terrace. Populated
by Crazy Carol, the Angel, Wickan Woman, Dave and I, there were enough odd
adventures for a whole other website. Luckily, I've been fortunate enough to
loose track of all but Dave, for he was the only quasi-normal guy in the
place.
I say quasi-normal because Dave isn't exactly who a father would dream his daughter would bring home for dinner. Lost in bad 80's punk (yes, he's also an 80's kid), and with a hairstyle unchanged since 1992, Dave lives in a world all his own. Whoops, I was wrong! Here's what Dave has to say:
Currently, Dave-land is approximately Toyooka, Japan where he's teaching English under the Japan Educators and Trainers program. Kinda like a reverse Peace Corps, Japan imports Westerners to open the country to new ideas, and unlike the Peace Corps, pays them handsomely to do so. Somehow Dave was accepted, proving that even the Japanese can be duped, and he's spent the last few years banking cash and living life as the resident gaijin (foreigner). While I wandering across the main island, I stopped in on Dave and checked out his scene. He's not doing too bad, with a swank traditional Japanese house, complete with tatami mats and wood screens, a school within bicycle distance, and a short hop to Kyoto. Unfortunately, Toyooka is not Tokyo, and the small town feel was too much for me beyond a brief visit. Soon, Dave will return my inquisitiveness with a trip to Beijing and I can't wait for Dave to note the slight price and service difference with his larger yet poorer neighbors. Hell, the train ride from Hong Kong will be a culture shock in itself compared to Japan's bullet trains! |
