This morning I woke to the wet sound of snow as it gently slid out of the grey sky and met the edge of my window before trickling down the gutter and onto the street. It is the first real day of Spring, and the preceding week of thaw found itself rudely interrupted by the jealousy of Winter.
Archives for posts with tag: travel
… exactly when I became so absolutely at peace and fine with everything.
A slow process, but these last few months have really been interesting.
And I come home (well, to the people I love) in under three weeks.
Show Us Your City: A Walk In Seoul | Creative Cities 2.0.
I could say so much, but there are not any words.
Watch the video, follow the link and read the interveiw.
There are many reasons why this city and this boy are so special.
This is one of them.
I am in Narita International Airport.
The 8-hour flight to Japan was totally fine.
They made me re-pack my bags in Brisbane and check one of my carry-on pieces in. Was very annoying, but my father and I handled it well. Apparently Japan Airlines only allows 20kg each, and they are very strict about the one-piece carryon being 10kg. But I charmed my way through it. Got on with three, which probably total 20kg together. Completely Fine.
As I was saying, the flight was nice. Read half of Twilight (thanks Lauren), watched ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’ and ‘Yes Man’. Continued writing my essay, ate two meals, and made everyone fall in love with me.
Overalls + Big Glasses + Holga + Innocent and Meek demeanor = ATTRACTIVE
Well, not in this photo per se, but you will have to believe me.
Food was good, got an exit row, asked for a rum and coke, you know, just for something fancy, and I got a coke with lemon in it. No Rum. It’s a sign. I am officially going to enjoy being an alcoholic on my 40th Birthday. Not day earlier. It is something I will look forward to. Like Roger and Coffee. You know?
Go to Narita no troubles, but my Confidant, yet Innocent and Meek demeanor eventually played against me. Specifically, when I tried to get through the security clearance for the international transfer, my Overalls set off the metal detectors. Four times. The poor Japanese girl had to swipe my entire body, and do a manual search. I offered to take them off. She giggled, but said it would be unnecessary.
Then, every single piece of electronic equipment I had stashed on my person had to go through the scanner one-by-one. No Joke. About 20 separate items in total. And my flutes got some airtime as well. Everyone was very interested in everything that I had. Lucky I had almost an hour to board my connecting flight. Needless to say, I am now very efficient at packing my briefcase in a hurry.
Got an exit row again on the connection. But it was one of those fancy double-decker planes, and I was right at the bottom of the stairwell. And there is no stowage for those seats, so I had to walk half-way down the cabin to find a place for all my stuff, and then had to surrender my flutes to a stewardess, who put them in the ‘cloakroom’. Which was fine. I settled into the final chapters of Twilight, and ate my Japanese snack. It was very ideal. Agebentto. Maybe? It was written in Japanese and Korean, and I really cannot remember what it was called, but it was v. v. Japan, and v. v. Tasty. Two kinds of cold rice, one with chicken curry, one with salmon and roe, a meat ball, some eggplant pickle and one of those shiny, gooey balls made of starch and beanpaste.
MMMmmmm…
The largest single debacle of the entire trip was me being far too efficient at the Korean end of things. I was mighty chuffed with myself at having being the last off of the plane, and first in the customs cue. It seems Incheon has opened a new section of the terminal that I have never seen before, and we needed to catch a train to connect to the main terminal. The thing is, I breezed through immigration, customs, picked up my bag, dismissed several enthusiastic cabbies, bought my bus ticket (W9,000), found the right stop, gave my luggage to the driver and found my seat… All in Korean. However, it wasn’t till I sat down in the bus with all my things that I remembered that I had checked in an additional backpack. And I didn’t have it with me. So.
Having very basic skills in Korean is fine when everything is going well, but when you almost die of a heart attack, you seem to realize that you are entirely inadequate. So, progressing in a hyperactive hybrid of English and bad Korean, I let the bus driver know what was going on, got all my stuff back off the bus, out of the luggage hold, sold my ticket to a little old ajuma (married lady) standing in line, ran back into the terminal, and conversed with the security guard at the exit gate, telling him that I am an idiot and left something on the carousel.
He sent me away to the airline desk, who didn’t really want to help me, and just sent me back to the security guard. He radioed inside, took my passport, made me leave my bags with him, and wait for a very awkward 10 minutes while a customs officer (in plain clothes) came out and escorted me in. She was very nice, but in my haste, I knocked all of her paperwork flying whilst she was swiping us back into the arrivals lounge. I apologized in Korean, and she assumed that I was fluent. Me, being the ridiculous person I am, didn’t correct her and so she continued to tell me what I had to do to retrieve my bag. In Korean.
So, naturally, I proceeded with the directions that I convinced myself were correct, but were, really, just wild stabs in the dark. It turns out that the universe did provide at this time me with total proficiency in bluffing Korean, and when I returned empty handed, she asked me what happened, and I mumbled something about the bag not being there, which is when I think she realized that I was an idiot.
She took me to the lost and found, and I got my bag back. We then conversed in English (she was more than fluent). She asked me if I was studying Korean, asked me why I had so many Korean visas in my passport… You know, chit chat.
The last thing to do was to have my backpack searched. The woman at the scanner was perplexed as to why all foreigners use cable ties on their baggage. (She was a bit annoyed that she had to find a knife to cut it off). My escort said something about it being a stupid idea for foreigners, they shrugged to one another, and I was waved through.
All done. On the bus now, about to review my directions to Nathan’s Apartment.
It’s rainy and a bit chilly, and it smells like Korea, and I love it.
It feels like home.
worst sleep of our lives:
hayfever, asthma attack, blood nose, panic attack, sleep interrupted by dog and then by phone…
and then the pre-dawn drive to the airport where two breakfast paninis, a skinny mocha and latte celebrated a new leaf together. or apart.
and then home to an empty bed.
and now i must drag myself back to the airport for the second time. then a third.
then lauren and i are going driving.
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Tasks for today:
- Find the Internet – See if Capoeira will happen (update: it won’t)
- Ring Soweon about meeting on Friday (update: not answering)
- Buy a Rail Map (update: pfft)
I have been groaning ever since I woke up… I am so sore!! The fronts of my knees, the nape of my neck (those bloody girls and their body manipulations). It’s all good. I‘m going to go and enjoy my day!
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Well, I made it to Ginza! I had a stroll around the Sony Building, nothing too exciting. It was interesting nonetheless. I played ‘dodge the creepy westerner’. Godzilla was smaller than expected, and I didn’t even make an effort with the Kabuki-za. Now I’m sitting on the ‘Sea Shore’ at Hama-rikyu Gardens, enjoying the beauty of nature, and wishing that I hadn’t lost my 4-lens Lomo Camera. The birds are GAGGING for Lomo action!
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I just made it to the ferry to Azakuza in time, but not before being attacked by a very small spider in the WC. I still don’t know where it ended up… Meanwhile, the theme music on this cruise is amazing – I do believe that it is a direct mix between ‘Gangsta’s Paradise’ and Gilligan’s Island (the TV show, not the musical).
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Though – is this the safest place to be ‘in the event of an earthquake’? Or should I have stayed in the garden?
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That was awkward, they announced the last stop on the line, and everyone got off excepting me, four other confused tourists, 2 generic Europeans and 2 Japanese. It was revealed that we would be conveyed to Azakuza, along with several hundred others who were just about to board.
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And yes, they numbered and listed EVERY one of the 13 bridges that we passed under (and some of those that we didn’t as well).
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Azakuza was… interesting. The markets were extensive, but I think that they were somewhat over-priced. I want some rubber-soled tabi, like the cute rickshaw boys were wearing. I saw some inferior variants for JPY900, but I will wait until I see good ones for cheap. I am also a fan of the wooden dolls, and I think that I will get one for mum and Leesh. The abandoned fairground was beautiful in the rain though. Good times.
The Temple itself wasn’t really worth seeing. It was gaudy, and crowded, and not particularly attractive. I can’t wait to see some Shinto shrines however. I rather enjoyed wandering aimlessly though, with no agenda – I wasn’t worried about getting lost, I just followed whatever caught my eye (there were probably a couple of earthliness in there as well).
My stop is next, so I better get my stuff together. I am meeting Helen at Kunitachi for dinner. I only had some KimBap for lunch (and a Snickers) so, I’ll be ready to receive…
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Ooh… I almost forgot about the amazing sleeping man last night on the train home – he was holding a stirrup, but was asleep/drunk in his shoes. Just hanging and swaying all over the place, happily causing a scene – VERY funny.
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On the Subway:
I LOST ANOTHER UMBRELLA!!!!
I am SUCH an idiot! At least this one only cost JPY300.
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Budget: I officially has JPY15,000 this morning. Now I have…
Da da da da da da da da.. JPY10,000
I only spent, like, $50 today. Pretty good!
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Internet = JPY875 (OUCH!!)
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“ damp cool misty haze
water bus gliding up river
similar, the day”
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Today I packed, watched three episodes of QAF, donned my attractive traveling clothes, and went to COEX. I purchased cheap, Birkenstock copies, a chicken burger and made my way to Gimpo,from which I will finally go to Japan (20 minutes).
I bought Helen some BokBunCha (accidentally) and bought BokBunChaJU as well (as anticipated). The former being tea, the latter being a wine constructed FROM the tea.
I have been trying to cram in some last-minute Japanese. Counting is easier than expected, Maybe I’ll be OK?
I’M HERE!!! They are not letting anyone jump in front of the monorail. I rang Helen and I have another hour and a half of travel, but that’s OK. I have no idea what I am doing, what people are saying, or… anything.
I’m lost, but, that’s ok. I never thought a foreign land would feel like home, but, I realise now that Korea is my home – and, I’m not there.
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I need to transfer @ Shinjuku to a train that takes me to Kunitachi. The CHUO Line, preferably.
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And now it dawns on me that I have lost my Umbrella. I payed KRW13,000 for it yesterday. The Universe owes me 1 umbrella.
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Tokyo Trains are officially confusing. But, it you follow an earthline, it’s OK.
ACTUAL BLISS
Helen met me on her pushbike at the station, just after 12am. A still, cool, clear, full-mooned night in Kunitachi.
We talked, shared a yarn. She led me to her two-storied building, hich she has to herself (the owner lives in a spa-resort). Her apartment is stunning. Actually beautiful. Polished floors, low ceiling, timber and jute everywhere. And it has that unidentifyable, slightly musky and… tea-like smell of Japan. (The mono-rail smelled the same). Whatever it is, it isn’t KimChi…
After chicken pesto salad, and a shower, I am about to sleep on a futon, in the guest room-cum-Buddhist-practice-room. Complete with Orchids.
