A New Country
I'm gearing up for bed a day later and half-way around the world from where this "day" started. I find myself, for the first time ever, in Japan. While I have been to Asia twice (Israel in 2010, Istanbul earlier this year), this is the first time I've ever been in East Asia.
Sunday started very early, with a 6:00AM drive to O'hare. The trip from Madison to Chicago was a rather uneventful two-and-1/2 hours, and I was at the airport with plenty of time to check my bag, clear security and relax at the gate before loading to head to Minneapolis-St. Paul. The flight was a quick one, and we landed ten minutes early, which was great considering I only had a 40 minute layover to catch my next flight - to Tokyo!
I got to the gate for the Tokyo bound flight as it was boarding, and a minute or two after I showed up, I saw my friend Rochelle join the line. She lives in Tokyo (well, Chiba) and had been in the US for a wedding, and we had coordinated to meet up and make the flight together from MSP. We considered ourselves lucky that we both had uneventful short connections and settled in for the 12 hour flight to Japan.
I filled my time with three movies, the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (pretty good, mindless entertainment), the Imitation Game (excellent) and Gone with the Wind (which I am a little embarrassed to say I had never seen before; it could have been about two hours shorter). They served two full meals -- beef and rice, followed by chicken and rice -- which were decent. And to get in the Japanese mood I had some sake.
Other than a bit of turbulence here and there, the flight wasn't bad, and clearing customs in Japan was a cinch. We caught a train around 4:15 for the 45 minute ride to Chiba, followed by a 15 minute walk to Rochelle's. The weather could not be more perfect: sunny and in the low 70s.
After settling in a bit we headed out to grab dinner at a sushi restaurant down the street and stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things.
We've now sorted out some plans for the rest of the week, enjoyed a bit of Japanese television, and are getting ready to sleep after a very long day. Time for some adventures tomorrow!
Sunday started very early, with a 6:00AM drive to O'hare. The trip from Madison to Chicago was a rather uneventful two-and-1/2 hours, and I was at the airport with plenty of time to check my bag, clear security and relax at the gate before loading to head to Minneapolis-St. Paul. The flight was a quick one, and we landed ten minutes early, which was great considering I only had a 40 minute layover to catch my next flight - to Tokyo!
 |
| Crossing into Illinois on the drive to O'hare. |
I filled my time with three movies, the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (pretty good, mindless entertainment), the Imitation Game (excellent) and Gone with the Wind (which I am a little embarrassed to say I had never seen before; it could have been about two hours shorter). They served two full meals -- beef and rice, followed by chicken and rice -- which were decent. And to get in the Japanese mood I had some sake.
 |
| The second meal of chicken and rice. |
After settling in a bit we headed out to grab dinner at a sushi restaurant down the street and stop by the grocery store to pick up a few things.
 |
| The sushi restaurant, complete with conveyor belt and train to bring special orders. |
Comments
Post a Comment