In the late 1980's, Chrys Browne was working at a rape crisis center, going through a divorce, and coming out - she was stressed, burned out, and needed an escape. When she heard that schools in Japan were looking for English teachers, it seemed like the break she needed from the chaos in her life. So she dropped everything and moved to Osaka.
Chrys Browne
Things immediately felt right for Chrys in Japan. She relished living in a place that was so orderly and historic. And when she met Mrs. Gaya, a tea ceremony teacher who took Chrys under her wing, Chrys felt truly at home.
Every time Chrys returned to the U.S. to see her parents in West Virginia, Mr. and Mrs. Gaya sent her back with gorgeous and expensive gifts. So when her parents came to visit Japan, Chrys encouraged them to bring a really nice gift for the Gayas. The gift they brought was not the piece of art or pottery Chrys had envisioned - it was a "lump of coal" in the shape of a horse bought from a store on the interstate with the words "Born Free" written on the bottom.
Chrys dreaded the moment her parents would present the Gayas with this tacky gift. But far from being insulted, the Gayas adored the gift. Chrys talks with Dick about what that gift taught her about her parents, and about herself.
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