November 29, 2007Arrival, JapanIt was a bumpy ride to Japan. The flight attendant warned us there would be turbulence. Even so, some passengers tried to use the bathroom even as the plane was jumping around. I sat in the last row, surrounded by packaged tourists.The flight was a scant two hours, just enough for snacks and breakfast before we began to descend. On arrival, I moved quickly to immigration and watched the line stretch longer and longer behind me as planes let off more packaged tourists. Their guides waved flags to help them find their way. I exchanged my rail coupon for a JR pass and took the train into Osaka. I checked into my hotel. The room was the size of three tatami mats. I put down my bags and took a quick shower and then made my way downtown. At Namba station I was immediately lost. I started down the Namba walk, a long underground shopping arcade, and then decided to emerge to see the ciy. I emerged at random and kept walking. Eventually I stopped to ask for directions to the Domburi arcade. I had been walking in the wrong direction. The Domburi arcade was much as I remembered it. I stood in front of the giant animated crab advertising one of the more famous restaurants and looked down the street lined with neon signs. The guidebook described the scene as Blade-runner-esque. All it lacked was the rain and the replicants. I ate a spicy miso ramen at a small stand. I couldn't figure out the mechanics of ordering until one of the waitresses pointed to a machine standing outside. You put your money into the machine and push a button beneath the picture of what you wanted. A ticket emerged, which you gave to the waitress after sitting down. The soup was delicious. I went home early. It was confusing to be in an Asian country where suddenly couldn't speak the language. I would catch myself starting a sentence in Chinese, and then be lost as to what the Japanese words might be. Even when I studied the phrase book, I'd find myself still thinking in Chinese, the Mandarin erasing any Japanese I was trying to learn. At the front desk of the business hotel I checked a movie out of their library and went back to my room. I undressed and put on my yukata and went downstairs to the public bath. There, I washed and rinsed and got into the tub. As my body unwound I stared at the pink tiles and let the hot water surround me. I was back in Japan, but my brain hadn't quite realized it yet. Posted by eku at November 29, 2007 7:38 AM | ||||