1990

"Which is the real world Thayer Dining Hall and the campus po', or Lau Lau fruit trees, cooking bananas, and 'rascals'? Both are real; neither is real. Both are unbelievable, yet gripping; neither could be a lifelong home for most of us." Fitting words, written by Jason Greer, from Labu, a small village on the Huon Gulf, across the bay from Lae, Papua New Guinea. Jason was there after teaching English in Tokyo for a year and a half. Way back in .March, when he wrote his note, Jason wasn't sure where the trade winds would take him next but stay tuned.

John Stouffer, associate editor for Action Sports Retailer, wrote in to say he's living in Oceanside, Calif. (San Diego County), and writing "all kinds of fun articles on the surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding industries." This summer and early fall he's competing in about 12 contests as a sponsored surfer. He gets free surfboards and wetsuits, and he doesn't pay contest-entry fees. He hopes to parley his amateur role into a professional one. John has also done some freelance writing for TransWorld SNOW boarding magazine and Ray Gun, a startup music magazine. He invites everyone out to his place and offers a free surf lesson, to boot.

-More news from the Saigon Bureau: Gary Orenstein wrote to say that he and Jeff Swiatek have been holding "Dartmouth Club" meetings on the first Thursday of the month since last October. The meetings have usually been in Ho Chi Minh City, but have also been held in Hanoi and Hue. They are working on getting official College recognition. Gary can be reached at Century Saigon Hotel, 68 A Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. And, yes, Gary has taught a Vietnamese cook to make cheese steaks.

It's not too late in the column to note how international we are this month. Writing from the Canadian Northwest Territories is Jeannine Dolan. She's now done with her third year of med school at McGill in Montreal. During the past school year, she spent time in Inuvik doing a six-week family-medicine rotation. The town's population is 3,200 (including five doctors) and is north of the Arctic Circle, but not above the tree line. Which leads me to wonder how does one get north of the Arctic Circle? Doesn't that put you in another dimension? She also said Renee Bourgoine is teaching first grade in Portland, Maine.

Stephanie Baldanzi is engaged to Benjamin Muskovitz, whom she met in D.C., and plans to be married in the fall of' 94. Steph will start her final year at George Washington University Law School this fall.

A quickly-scrawled note clearly written by excited hands came from John Komet to announce his and Becca Michaels's engagement. They met on the music FSP sophomore spring in London and later sang together in the Dodecs and Glee Club. "We're psyched needless to say," John sang.

You will notice a new address at die bottom of this column. I have moved from that big news organization in the sky and that city where potholes are covered by large metal slabs to the Yankee Group in Boston. In my new post I am following and writing about the telecommunications industry while learning the consulting business. My group, consumer communications, studies and helps our clients learn about the technologies that will be in our homes tomorrow: interactive TV, home shopping, blinking, movies on demand, and more. It's been a big change for me. I've left behind friends and my favorite Chinese restaurant (Szechuan Cottage, 84th & York, where they serve free wine), but my work is really interesting, and there's a whole new city to explore. Why not drop me a postcard at my newlocation?

164 Strathmore Rd. #18, Brighton, MA 02135