I’m writing this offline on my laptop on a train. I’m the 特急 (Special Express or something in English) from Kitasenju (北千住駅) to Ashikagashi (足利市駅). Finally I have more adventures to write about! Today has been crazy enough already and now I’m on my way into the heart of the Japanese countryside (well it’s no Aomori but it’s certainly countryside by Japanese standards).
The flight was delayed by 3 hours this morning. Not 3 hours late arriving, but 3 hours sitting in the tin can while they fixed it. They had to disconnect the APU (auxiliary power unit) for a while which meant that the air conditioning went down, which wasn’t fun at all.
That flight was sandwiched with lots and lots of public transportation. I got 2 buses (29 to 19th&Holloway then 28 to Daly City BART station), a train (BART to SFO) to get to the airport. Then getting from the airport to where I’m going now, I got the first train out of the airport, but got off at Narita station and waiting for a Limited Express train. That got me to Aota where I changed to the Local line for Sakiya. I changed line then to the Tobu line and had to go down one station on the Local line until I got to Kitasenju which is where I could board the express I’m on now. I don’t know how I even remembered all that.
Being back in Japan, even though it’s only been for a few hours, is making me feel like this is definitely the place for me. Until this morning I was torn between Ireland, San Francisco and Japan… but since I saw Narita and Uchida, even though it was just from their station platforms, I’ve been thinking that this is where I have to be.
Finally, some reading material.
I had a similarish revelation. Coming back here for a second time, even though I insanely loved it after the first, really finished off any doubts hiding in even the furthest recesses of my mind that I want to be in Japan until I die. Either I had forgotten how good it was, or perhaps I just had a better perspective to compare after going to Ireland–>Japan–>Ireland–>Japan.
In any case, I look forward to our potentially delightfully frequent maid adventures in the future.
And may we have glorious deaths flying planes into aircraft carriers for the Emperor!!!
Ireland->Japan->Ireland->San Francisco->Japan gives good perspective
ボクは絶対あんたみたいな外人に負けないんだから！！
Speaking of which how’s your Japanese? I fail less and less everyday, but it’s so ploddingly slow making progress.
Today was the second time I wrote to a client and had to use 敬語 and such. It was also the first time that my boss said it was fine and I could send it out just as it was ^_^ お前よりうまいだろっ！
むかつく。
でしょー ^_^