Firsts

Zach

ただいま〜 I’m back in Japan, guys and gals.  We’ve landed in Narita, Japan, the first stop of our Asia vacation tour.  From here, we’ll be leaving again tomorrow morning for Taipei, where we’ll spend a few days before really returning to Japan for a true tour.

Speaking of firsts, until now Libby had never visited Japan, and furthermore she had not flown an international flight since she was young.  It’s interesting seeing Libby experience things I may take for granted through a fresh pair of eyes.  Lol, like all those interesting vending machines she’s been looking forward to.  Hopefully we’ll keep things fun and fresh going on for awhile now.

For me, it’s all familiar but welcome.  First up?  Arriving at the hotel to turn on the Japanese TV!  Variety shows, crime dramas, talking animal commercials, all that delicious Japanese listening I crave!  Second?  A bath, in a tiny, tiny Japanese bath tub.  Yes, I could get a large, more comfortable bath back in the States (in theory, although with the current drought in California I haven’t even had this small luxury myself for months), but there’s something far more familiar to me about having a bath in a Japanese tub.

And the silly little complimentary kimono in the bottom drawer.  It’s a cheap material, so it isn’t particularly comfortable, and yet, again, there’s something nostalgic all the same.

 Libby is snickering.

It’s because you’re a weabooooo!

That’s about all I have to say for now, I’m a little exhausted.  Here’s Libby for her thoughts of the past day!

Libby

I’m finally here in Japan, after all these years of obsessing over Sailormoon cards, pokemon, and Japanese studying in high school (Do you have any Sailormoon cards? If so can I buy them off you?!?!).

A couple of thoughts:

  1. Going through TSA twice, one for SFO and one for LAX, in one day makes you very sweaty. Do not recommend!
  2. I’m very full from all this traveling! We had breakfast in SFO (an organic burrito with a wheat tortilla. Wheat. Tortilla.), an umami burger for lunch in LAX, 2-4 water soda cart service, 4 peanut/other snack handouts, 1 dinner meal, 1 “light lunch”, plus tea in our hotel from the vending machine. I’m pretty tired of eating, which is rare for me.
  3. I can get used to Japanese TV. Right now I’m watching full grown adults talk about cats and meowing to each other. All these talking dog and cat commercials are great! I don’t understand what people are saying, but it’s not hard to laugh along with people on the show.
  4. You really have it easy when you know English. On the airplane toward Narita, I thought the airline attendants would speak more Japanese since most people on the plane were coming home to Japan, but that wasn’t the case. Pilot announcements were still in English first. Of course the airport had a lot of English announcements as well. I’m lucky to be fluent in English and it’s easy to take that for granted.

Overall, Japan seems somewhat like home, but then again we haven’t seen much except the airport. Until our update in Taiwan!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.