This blog is for my new friend Rhyming Gaijin.
While it sounds like I'm still in Japan, these adventures, comedic and traumatic, historical tidbits, and plain old information, are things I learned during my three years in the country. I know... a mere three years - but I learned a lot.
I firmly believe that one needs to learn something new every single day for it to be considered a full day. I learn something every time I write one of these blogs, so since September 21, I've felt reasonably good with myself knowing that I have not wasted the day.
So... let me take you down to early August 1990.
One of the first things I bought after arriving in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan was a triple boxed set of paperback books on Japan's history (sadly I sold it in 2008, not fully believing I would ever write these Wonderful Rife blogs). To familiarize myself with my new home, I read these books from cover to cover several times.
While it sounds like I'm still in Japan, these adventures, comedic and traumatic, historical tidbits, and plain old information, are things I learned during my three years in the country. I know... a mere three years - but I learned a lot.
I firmly believe that one needs to learn something new every single day for it to be considered a full day. I learn something every time I write one of these blogs, so since September 21, I've felt reasonably good with myself knowing that I have not wasted the day.
So... let me take you down to early August 1990.
One of the first things I bought after arriving in Ohtawara-shi, Tochigi-ken, Japan was a triple boxed set of paperback books on Japan's history (sadly I sold it in 2008, not fully believing I would ever write these Wonderful Rife blogs). To familiarize myself with my new home, I read these books from cover to cover several times.
History, in fact... is why I wanted to come to Japan. Have I ever explained how I got here?
Back in February or so of 1990, I had an interview with the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Programme folks in downtown Toronto. During the interview I was asked why I wanted to go to Japan. Pretty standard stuff, eh? Well, I didn't really prepare for the interview - much like everything I do in rife. I said the first thing that came to mind - which rightly or wrongly, was how I felt.
I told them that I wanted to go to Japan to talk to people. I wanted to find out about who they really are. I wanted to ask an old-timer about the war (WWII) - to get their side of things.
When I was told that was probably a very difficult thing to find out as the Japanese are kind of tight-lipped about their personal history, I said I don't mind. It's not something I'm just going to ask a stranger. I'll ask one of my friends.
They seemed to like the fact that I would respect the Japanese enough to want to become friends with them... that and the fact that I was/am a silver-tongued devil who can pretty much charm the pants off anyone (in a non-sexual way, of course). The sexual way would come later.
Anyhow... they obvious bought my sincerity, because that's what it was. It wasn't the cut and dried answer everybody prefers to give about how they are looking forward to learning the language and culture et al. I wanted to talk to people.
And the JET Programme... they wanted people to talk to the Japanese. That's what the exchange was like - at least back in the early 1990s.
So... history intrigues me.
Somewhere re-writing history,
Andrew Joseph
Today's title is sung by The Beatles: LSD
Somewhere re-writing history,
Andrew Joseph
Today's title is sung by The Beatles: LSD
