Three weeks have passed since I landed at Narita International Airport. Three weeks and things have finally settled enough for me to sit down and do some writing. I don't care what anyone tells you, picking up and relocating your life halfway around the globe is a major task with a lot of details to remember and then immediately forget. That being said, learning to take things one at a time makes it a completely manageable task. For those considering doing something like this, my advice is don't stop to think how crazy what you're doing is and just roll with it. Ideally, you'll be too busy to freak out and think... "Oh my God, why the hell am I in Japan as far as physically possible from everyone I know with the exception of landing on the freaking moon?" It's this kind of thinking you want to avoid.
Anyways, being on my own halfway around the world is AWESOME! Japan is really great. Okay, so maybe by coming to Japan, one of the most westernized eastern countries, I'm really doing the "Exotic Adventure Lite," but let me tell you, it is DIFFERENT out here. For one, everything is written in JAPANESE. Okay, except for all the stuff that is also written in English. But that's what you get when living in a super modern-day urban sprawl surrounding one of the largest and most densely populated cities of the world. (That is... Tokyo.) If Spanish is becoming the States' secondary language, then English is becoming, or has essentially already become, Japan's secondary language. Hence, many adventure seeking recent grads from English speaking countries (such as yours truly) are able to secure a foothold in this otherwise very difficult to obtain residential privileges nation.
After landing on the runway, face pressed against the window of the plane, I decided that Japan was essentially like all the other places I have been. The grass looked like grass, the pavement looked like pavement, and the cars, while very tiny by American standards, looked like cars. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was comforting nonetheless. As I walked off the plane and set my first step on Japanese soil down, I was confronted by my first great adventure. I would have to, wait for it... get my luggage. (Gulp!) After being escorted this way and that way and into this line and that line I was having my passport and visa examined. During the examination, I was asked to pause for a photo to be put into some government database or other and, additionally, had my finger print scanned and saved. Fortunately, I was not randomly selected for the "exploratory" search. (Although I hear this is a perk for some international travelers.)
Long story short, I made it through the extensive international security measures with no problems and had my luggage in no time. I had some free time until my scheduled pick up, so I found a comfy place to sit and did what anyone in my generation would do... updated my FB status. (Which, I'm sure, you all read.) I next went to the designated meeting space and immediately found the trainer I was to meet. Fortunately for us, its pretty darn easy to find a white guy in Narita Airport.
Anyways, being on my own halfway around the world is AWESOME! Japan is really great. Okay, so maybe by coming to Japan, one of the most westernized eastern countries, I'm really doing the "Exotic Adventure Lite," but let me tell you, it is DIFFERENT out here. For one, everything is written in JAPANESE. Okay, except for all the stuff that is also written in English. But that's what you get when living in a super modern-day urban sprawl surrounding one of the largest and most densely populated cities of the world. (That is... Tokyo.) If Spanish is becoming the States' secondary language, then English is becoming, or has essentially already become, Japan's secondary language. Hence, many adventure seeking recent grads from English speaking countries (such as yours truly) are able to secure a foothold in this otherwise very difficult to obtain residential privileges nation.
After landing on the runway, face pressed against the window of the plane, I decided that Japan was essentially like all the other places I have been. The grass looked like grass, the pavement looked like pavement, and the cars, while very tiny by American standards, looked like cars. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but this was comforting nonetheless. As I walked off the plane and set my first step on Japanese soil down, I was confronted by my first great adventure. I would have to, wait for it... get my luggage. (Gulp!) After being escorted this way and that way and into this line and that line I was having my passport and visa examined. During the examination, I was asked to pause for a photo to be put into some government database or other and, additionally, had my finger print scanned and saved. Fortunately, I was not randomly selected for the "exploratory" search. (Although I hear this is a perk for some international travelers.)
Long story short, I made it through the extensive international security measures with no problems and had my luggage in no time. I had some free time until my scheduled pick up, so I found a comfy place to sit and did what anyone in my generation would do... updated my FB status. (Which, I'm sure, you all read.) I next went to the designated meeting space and immediately found the trainer I was to meet. Fortunately for us, its pretty darn easy to find a white guy in Narita Airport.
A diagram of the human circulatory system or
a map of the greater Tokyo area train routes?
We then joined up with the rest of the new recruits and hopped a bus to find the stragglers. In a flurry of excited small talk and introductions made and forgotten, we all managed to stick together, find the later arrivals, and make it to the train as one eleven headed beast, bristling with excitement.
Home sweet home... for two weeks, at least.
From then on it was a train to train to taxi to front door trip. I don't think I've ever had a more flawless day of travel, to be honest. Even the mad dash through the sea of Japanese commuters to our second train went off without a hitch. Running through the station, luggage-laden, sweating and panting, with the desperation of not losing our herd in our hurried steps, it must've looked like the Japanese version of the running of the bulls. The Gaijin Scramble or something like that. Either way, we all made it safely to our training center, where I gratefully collapsed onto my futon.
More later!
More later!
Sean Trevor,
ReplyDeleteI immensely enjoyed reading your blog about your first day of traveling. You're an entertaining writer, that's for sure.
I can relate. I can't even believe how much work there is to be done in order to move to another country! I got to at least move to an English-speaking, America-appreciating, (mostly) Westernized country. The advice you gave about just doing things each step at a time and only looking forward (avoiding desperately to "look back" and consider everything) is spot on. But remember, my friend, you are not THAT far from EVERYone you know. I mean, I'm kind of close. We're only a few small oceans away!
Enjoy Japan! Tell all the Japanese I said hi.
oh yeah.. that last comment was from me, Jennifer Johnson, Vanessa's sister. and kind of yours. but mostly not. In fact, all the way not.
ReplyDeletewhatever! you get the point.