Home » Japan » Final Leg of RTW tour

...The final leg of my tour is accompanied by an amalgamation of indiscernible emotions. I sat with a larger than life frown in Hong Kong International Airport as the tourism official ploughed on with her inquisition despite my obvious disinterest. Truth be told, I suppose I was glad for the distraction for I was more than reluctant to be leaving people and a country that had hosted me so well. Yes, Nick you can take that as a personal compliment! I flew, Hong Kong to Singapore, having no time to exploit the free internet and other services at Changi Airport before being swiftly hauled onto a connecting flight that would bring me here: to the home of bullet trains, technological advance, strange foods and shinto temples, where beneath the concrete jungle of buildings, lurks a scurry of life steeped in cultural traditions and a way that is, authentically Japanese. In fact, so Japanese that after seven months of solo travel across the globe, I am experiencing the most extensive cultural shock suffered thus far. At the moment I am in the big T - the capital city of Tokyo, which, I had presumed to be relatively international.

Final Leg of RTW tour

Asha Patel
2006-10-05 21:04:50

Displayed times (last time: )

my departure. Went back to the Peace Park to use the internet facilities (so hard to come by in this country). The consequence of two small hours of organisation and decision making was an insurmountable amount of stress, comparable only to the days of my studenthood that I thought I had left behind long ago. Though back then, I would at least have my loved ones who cared enough to listen...

...I stood at the Hiroshima platform awaiting the shinkansen bullet train, just ready to bite into my lunch when a
stern looking train guard approched. My "konichiwa" was rewarded by an unfolding of the crease lines into a a bright gaping smile that illuminated his unusually blue eyes. With his broken English and my limited Japanese comprehension, we managed to converse for twenty minutes. I watched the trains glide gracefully and silently into the station with gleaming white armour. With white gloved, sharply dressed staff bowing as the trains pulled in, the whole scene was something of a wonderful spectacle. The doors would slide open and orderly streams of lined passengers would disembark. The train then left without a second of delay. I never tired of watching this calming process... My meditations were interrupted once again by the train guard who asked what I had learned were a standard series of inquisitive questions from my marital status to my nationality. This time though I got asked too, about my career ambitions. Jeeez; will the world just leave me alone deja?! je ne sais pas encore! I was in my seat midst contemplating the kindness which I had found surprising (highlighting perhaps my own preconceptions and prejudices) when a beautiful young Japanese woman beside me seemed to read my thoughts and prompted conversation on the subject. Again, in broken English but enough to make the basic exchange the of information and small-talk. I was surprised enough when she wanted to take a photo of me, but that was not all. Her stop had arrived, and when ...