Familiar Faces

September 5 2006 3something pm

Stepping off the plane, I notice one thing. It is very hot and humid. Is it just this area where the plane connects to the airport? I will soon find out. Before Japan lets you in, you need to fill out some form as to why you're visiting, where you're staying, and if you have guns or illegal drugs with you.
I sort of had a little panic moment because I didn't know the address of the place I was staying at... The Japanese gentlement at the front of the temporary visa line place told me to <Just go since I can't understand you> when I asked him if I could use a phone. I just scribbled "Samurai House Higashi-Ueno" as my address. Apparently that was good enough. The booth guy stapled part of the form to my passport and I was on my way to get my luggage.
I had this fear that I would somehow lose my luggage on this trip...
I went to the luggage conveyor belt with a feeling that my luggage wouldn't be there and I stopped at a spot I found had a suitable view and waited... Oh there it is.
It was the 4th or 5th luggage bag that went by.

On my way out they check your luggage and show you a sign of things that you shouldn't bring into the country. The luggage check guy would point to an item on the sign and ask if I had any of those particular items. To which I shook my head no for all of them.
Then he asked for me to open my luggage. He briefly looked over what I had in there (mostly clothes) and took a brief interest in a box of oatmeal I had brought with me. He looked at it and then shook it a couple times and then deemed it was okay for Japan.

What am I doing here?!

On my way out of the arrivals gate, I'm still in disbelief that I'm half way across the world.

I see people waiting with signs and I look around to see if there's anyone waiting for me. I sent out an email to some friends prior to coming with the day and time that I'll arrive but I didn't get an definitive answer if anyone would be waiting for me.
... Nobody.
Okay, first I have to exchange money. I take a look at the exchange rate and eye this guy handing out papers to people lining up. Okay I need one of those.

Then feel someone's hands on my shoulders.
It's Mike and Fumi! :D
I haven't seen them in a few months but it feels natural seeing them again. Like it was back in Toronto.

I exchange some money.
I'm riiiiiiiich biatch!!

I use Fumi's phone to call Hiromi, the landlord of the place I'll be staying at. She tells me what station to get off at and where to go... I give the phone to Fumi and they start speaking japanese. Appointment set!

Yokoso! Japan

I'm so glad that they came to pick me up because if they didn't I would have been in a little trouble. My first encounter with the Japanese train system was a bit overwhelming. I had no clue what was going on.
I set my brain to autopilot and just do what Fumi tells me to do. Mike is also carrying my luggage which he did all the way to my place. Thanks Mike! You can't pay for this kind of service! ... well yes you can but I did not... so it was awesome. I stick my ticket thing that I bought for I don't even know how much into the ticket gate machine thing and it eats it and spits it back out at the other end with a hole in it. Quite different from Toronto. I take the ticket back and then we hop on the train.

First thing I notice is the fan on the ceiling of the car. It rotates around shooting cool air at people.
Second thing I notice is that the train is mostly asian.

The train ride took about an hour or two. I wasn't keeping track of time. Busy talking and looking out the window. Everything is new and interesting to me.
I still can't believe I'm here.

We step out of the train and head outside. I think I complain about it being hot and humid a million billion times. The night before I left, I remember it being so cold. The sun's already gone down and I'm breaking a sweat. I'm not even carrying my luggage either.

We head into what I now know as Ueno station to meet up with Mayu!
It feels normal and weird at the same time...
I buy a 1000yen passnet card because Fumi tells me to.

I'm totally out of my element at this point. Ueno station is monstrous compared to the dinky stations in Toronto. The weather's all different, the people are all uniformly japanese, everywhere is something I haven't seen before. I don't even remember what entrance we came in from.

We meet up with Hiromi, who's parked on the side of the road with her van. She takes us to the place I'm staying at now.
What I should have done instead of being dazed and confused was pay attention to where we were going and how we got there. This becomes important later on.

We get to my place and she gives us the tour. We also meet a nice fellow staying here named Dan.
He talks with Mike, Mayu and Fumi in japanese while I sign things and pay money.

After the paperwork was done, I lock my things up and then we head back out to go eat. Hiromi does us the favour of driving us back to the station. We say our farewells to Dan who was going out to eat as well and I think was waiting for an invitation to go eat together.
We wave bye to Dan as we drive off.

We get to Ueno station and then meet up with Vivian!
It's a JP3000 reunion in Japan!
We find a place to eat near Ueno. It was on the 2nd or 3rd floor of some building which I can't remember where or what it was called. You take off your shoes before entering the eating area. It was nice :D
We get into the groove of things, even though I haven't seen these guys in a few months we don't skip a beat. I still feel weird being in Japan and I gather that everyone feels weird that I'm in Japan too.
We say bye to Mayu who has to leave to go to work and then we leave a bit after.

I'm really greatful for the friends I have showing me the ropes of Japan. Without them I would be lost somewhere and possibly dead from starvation.
Thank you Mike, Fumi, Mayu and Vivian!
You deserve a million thank you's! <3