DAVE BARRY DOES JAPAN
DAVE BARRY
Not the biggest of Barry fans, I must admit. But since I'm convinced that Someone-Important-Up-There has written Japan into my script this year, I gave it a shot. Armed with a tin of wasabi-covered green peas (I kid you not: the brand's called Tong Garden, and it's available at Health & Glow), I plunged in recklessly.
It's your regular all-American diatribe on something 'foreign' -- occasionally funny, and largely predictable. Lots of jokes on how strange Japanese characters are, how unpronounceable the language is, how short the people are, how weird sumo wrestling is,... (But, hell, if I was looking for insight, why would I read Barry?)
Surprisingly, though, carefully mixed with his standard-issue-raving-and-ranting, you'll find a fair amount of good things about the Japanese. Excellent service wherever you go, for instance. Great, well art-directed street food. No tipping. Elevator Ladies. Very Ladies. Their fascination for the form and sound of the English language, combined with a reckless disregard for its meaning. (Much like India -- that's why you see so many Tshirts that don't make sense. Except in Bangalore, the land of Tantra Tshirts.) And that's what made the book so readable for me.
I won't be rushing out to buy another Dave Barry too soon, but if stuck for a choice, I'd definitely pick a book like this over all of his column-writing put together.
If you disagree, (and I know plenty of normal, intelligent, funny people who love the man) this is his site. And if, like me, you're turning Japanese, check this out.
Sayonara for now. (Though the Japanese usually say 'Bye' too.)
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