Getting to Japan: PART 2

Yesterday's entry only covered the very beginning of my long, long travel day. So I'll try to cover the interesting/important bits while not boring everyone to death. The plane ride from LAX to Tokyo Narita Airport was in general quite smooth. Korean Air always has great service and decent food. The leg room around the seats felt smaller than normal to me though. We got two meals, both which were kind of lunch/dinner type food. I had some beef and vegetable thing which was fine, and then later a pasta which was better. I like that the flight attendants come by offering water and juice often, and snacks in between the meals (brownie). So I wasn't hungry, but I did have a small problem: I ate too many fiber snacks and my stomach was pretty upset the whole flight. Woops lol. I felt bad I had to keep making the guy next to me in the aisle seat get up (and he always apologized to me when he did...  killing me with politeness). Other than that little bit, the flight was good. I dozed for a few hours, then watched 2 episodes of PBS's "Sherlock" series and the Disney/Pixar movie "Brave." I have to admit I cried a little during "Brave" in one of the scenes where the mom (who has been turned into a bear) is protecting the daughter. (In my head: "Momma-bear!! *Sob*" - because I call my mom Momma-bear sometimes for being so protective). Lol. I was feeling just a little sentimental.

Then, arrival at Narita airport! Immigration is pretty easy and I am given a re-entry card. After that is Customs, which I am more worried about due to somewhat copious amounts of prescription medications and contacts in my bags. I have the Yakkan Shoumei Certificate which proves that I have permission to bring these in for my own personal use, but I just don't want any drama. Luckily, no drama at all. The Customs agent asks me what the purpose of my visit is, and I say study abroad. He asks me where I was before Los Angeles. (In Japanese). I don't understand the question... I'm thinking "Umm, at home in Orange County?" Then I saw he was looking at the stamps in my passport and I wonder if he's asking about my visit to Japan in January? Finally, I answer, in Japanese, that I was born in the U.S. Lol. Strangely that seems to satisfy him and he doesn't have any more questions (probably because he didn't speak enough English and I didn't understand enough Japanese). Ta-da!

Now the exciting part - getting to my next flight, a domestic flight booked separately through Japan Airlines. But first - I see a Softbank!Softbank is the #1 phone company in Japan and I heard that you can buy a prepaid phone from them at the airport. The advantages of buying the phone at the airport are that you aren't required to have a residence card, just a valid passport, and the staff speak English (sort of). So, spur of the moment, I went to buy a phone. They only sold one model there which was a sleek but not otherwise fancy phone that cost about $100. That's the downside of the airport - only one model and somewhat overpriced. But it was worth it to me to have a Japanese phone right away and not have to deal with going to a Softbank store and trying to get a phone in Japanese. So, they helped me fill out a little paperwork and told me to come back in 30-40 minutes. I wandered around and found a place to sit, then successfully connected to the airport's free WiFi. Success! Chatted to Mei-chan on the Line app on my iPhone. Got thirsty/hungry, bought some weird cold green tea thing.

Kind of bitter. Not recommended.

Soon enough, it was time to collect my phone. It was already charged and they set it up in English for me, helped me add money to the prepaid balance, and helped me get the unlimited mail thing. ("Mail" on Japanese phones is somewhere in between an SMS text message and a regular old email.)

Open!

Closed!

Alright, well I figure I should make my way to the domestic terminal for the next flight even though I still have 2 1/2 hours left. After taking a bus to the domestic terminal, I checked my bags at the JAL counter. Thank goodness, they didn't weigh them. Then I decided to go through security pretty much right away, and this is where my trouble started. So, none of the employees in the domestic terminal spoke functional English. I was trying to figure out what I needed to do in the security line, but there weren't any helpful pictures or anything. Laptop? Camera? Shoes? Sweater? Does everything come off? I'm asked for my boarding pass, then I go through the scanner with my shoes and sweater still on. *beeeeep* No go. It's definitely my boots, which have zippers and buckles. Take those off and go through again. All clear. Whew. Off to my gate. Apparently, it's in the hinterlands of Narita airport. I start seeing signs like "No shops after this point." I think, "oh, ok, I'll go to my gate just to check things out then come back for food" (it's been like 6 hours since I've eaten now). I keep going... "No bathroom after this point." Umm.... what?? Then I look back and see I've already crossed the point of no return. I'm not allowed to go back to the place with bathrooms and food and stores. You know, civilization. Oops. So, for the next two hours I hold my bladder and eat more fiber snacks even though my stomach objects and talk to Mei some more. Thank god for Mei Mei being awake late to distract me. It's seriously sooo quiet by the gate (which is in like a mini terminal with only two gates). With an hour to go, even the staff hadn't arrived yet. Apparently nobody arrives early for domestic flights.... Seriously.

After a mini-eternity, the staff arrives, other people arrive, and we board. I'm distracted by my bladder but it's a pretty cool plane. I'd never been on that model of plane before, so it's probably unique to Japan/JAL. It get's cooler when I sit down: the seats have a sliding backrest that is not only really comfortable but let's you lean back slightly without actually pushing the chair back at all. One downside: probably because of the shape of the seats (or just Japan domestic flight rule?) nothing is allowed under the seats during take-off and landing. No problem. The overhead compartments are high and swing out. Cool.

See the cool futuristic seats?

Uh oh - the line to take-off is backed up. We spend at least an extra half hour taxiing. Finally, we take off. As soon as the seatbelt light goes off, I stand up to go to the bathroom. Mr. Grumpy Japanese Business Man next to me doesn't get up even though he has his seat all the way back and the foot rest up meaning I have exactly six inches to squeeze myself through. Finally, TOILET!!! The rest of the flight is easy after that. But when we land, Mr. Grumpy doesn't help/ask me if I need my bag from the overhead bin (I was window again). He takes off and so does the rest of the plane before I can get my bags. Oh well, we all have to wait for luggage anyway, which is painfully slow. Then I took the airport "limousine" (a bus service) to the station closest to my guesthouse. From the highway, I see Tsukentaku Tower which is where my friend's/host's bar is. When we get out, it's quiet and so I decide to walk in the general direction of the tower. Not my best idea because it's not that close and my bags weigh a million pounds by now. Yes, a million. People are staring at the white girl struggling with her luggage and turning red in the face from heat and exertion. And MY GOD Osaka is humid. More humid than anywhere I've ever been.

I see the Tower: salvation!!! I wander a little more finding the bar again and by now I'm totally exhausted. I start to drag my bags up the narrow steps to the bar. They feel so heavy. I don't know if I can make it, but the stairs are too narrow to stop on. Some young Japanese guy appears and carries my bag the rest of the way up while talking on his phone. Thank god. I try to express my undying gratitude but he just wants to finish his conversation. lol. I go in and say hi to Noco and Gandhi, then freshen up in the bathroom. They are having a special live event with music so the tiny bar is packed. The atmosphere is fun but I'm pretty wiped out. After a couple of hours and one awkward request for a picture, Gandhi kindly takes me to the guesthouse with my luggage on his bicycle. We don't ride though, because I have a bad reputation with bicycles now. lol. (Last time I was with them in Osaka, I rode a bicycle to their house and kind of crashed into a grumpy lady.)

And here I am, in the guesthouse! My own room with a stove-top and toilet. I still haven't eaten but I've given up now and succumb to sleep after struggling futilely with the futon. (No alliteration intended). I made, it safe and sound, just slightly wounded in pride and hungry.
(Okay, so I lied about not boring ya'll to death and wrote a novel. But a lot happened, right??)