day 3 - expectations and surprises
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-eight years and a million words
I've had a few of the experiences I was expecting in Tokyo. The first was one I'd expected to be a bit of a chore, but it wasn't as bad as I'd feared. It was the infamous Tokyo subway system, and my size and cultural ignorance did manage to earn me a couple of angry glowers as I put my backpack up on the shelf to make room for those around me. My problem was that I timed it just as a surge of late-comers tried to beat the doors. The lesson isn't really a new one, and it goes: "everyone behaves badly on the subway and then blames everyone else". Honestly, a subway commute is a subway commute, no sense in getting pissy.
The second was one I'd imagined bungling a dozen times. It was the business card exchange. Happily, I'd been handed a thick stack of cards when meeting my local boss (Inou-san) this morning, so I was 'armed'. And perhaps thanks to the wobbly bluntedness of being pretty jetlagged this morning, I was pretty calm and fluid about the exchange. I bet they go through a lot of cards in this country - I got one from everybody to whom I was introduced!
Last night, as I was unpacking my backpack I found a secret stow-away. It seems that Tracey smuggled our stuffed bear on my trip as a little reminder. As if I needed it. It's funny, when you go from constant company of your SigO to not even being able to make a cell call - you find yourself mentally turning to them to say something, and after a second of disorientation thinking "oh, right". And of course there's waking up alone. There's plenty here that I think she would like, including the clothing and style stuff. It seems like a missed opportunity, being here solo. Ah, well.