Friday, December 02, 2005

Virgin Moment in Japan (1 Dec 05)

"Ohiogosaimasu", this is the first sound that wake me up from took a nap for just two hours. This time is about 4.00 p.m. (Thailand local time) from my watch and why someone has to wake me up very early. After regain my conscious, I found that I'm currently sitting on the plane to Japan with my advisor besides me. That sound is come from a cute Japanese airhostess try to annoy passenger by waking them up to get her hot towel. The flight schedule is departing from Bangkok 11:55 p.m. and arriving in Narita 7:35 a.m. local time which means we take about 6 hours for flight. But as a matter of fact, the plane took of 00:30 a.m. Thai local time. Rewind to last night before I left Thailand, my whole family members including the family of my two married brothers came to send me at the airport. The total number is about 7 persons which makes me feel very warm. Actually, I restrain all of my good friends to send me at the airport because I don't want anyone to be in trouble for me and I may not forbear to feel melancholy if I realize that I won't see them for 4 months :(

In pass days especially few months before this, I used to have a happiness time with them and feel as if I don't need anything more than only these friends. They are really nice to make me feel warm, closed and happy all the times to hang out or talk with them. We spent a time to have activities together which I cannot forget, or at least we have been chatting quite often. But from now on, it might not happen to my life. I may not have a chance to have lunch together with them, may not have a chance to send somebody at condominium, house or dormitory, may not have a chance anymore to argue everytime I talk with someone, may not have long phone with some cool friends, may not see someone play games, watch movies or download movies everyday. And the worse thing is I cannot hang out with them for a while. Even I know that I can do that after I come back but no one can guarantees because the time changes the people changes (including me) and somebody may not work in SIIT before I come back. That's why I feel depressed because I scared about future changing. Many friends called me to greet me before I left. Simultaneously gladness and sadness was happened to me. Gladness that my friends still recognize me but sadness for leaving them. "OK. don't worried you will have a better life there!" That's the word I got from one of my friends to cheer me up. I hope I can do that.

On the plane, Ajarn and me chat together all along the way as if we never meet together for months. Mostly about research works and study lifes (some is about gozzip others). We reach Narita airport about 5 mins later than schedule but we spend about one hour for immigration process because of the crowded of immigrants arriving by many flights. Ajarn is very expert to bring us out from airport to the central of tokyo with cheapest price. We take a skyliner train instead of JR from Narita airport to Ueno station by using only 1000 yens but takes about two hours. Since we didn't reserve the hotel yet, then he try to check availability of hotel for stay. After 1 hours, we finally get the hotel because many hotels are full. We have to take another train to hotel at Shinjugu. It is about noon When we reach Shinjugu and complete check-in process, it is about noon already. We go out to have lunch in Yoshinoya shop. My first meal is butadon which is the pork topping with curry soup and a mizo soup. The taste is quite good but it's not spicy enough for me even I put a 7-taste things (like a Thai cayenne pepper). Ajarn bring me to a Kanikuniya bookstore after finished lunch. All books are Japanese which I couldn't read for sure. Ajarn try to persuade me to see the good books but nothing can interest me though. I try to find the secret corner as someone said but I cannot find anything secret :P After that we go to Tokyo Institute of Technology (TOKODAI), Suzukakeidai campus which is the place that Okumura sensei's Laboratory locates. Ajarn try to explain about the complex train system of Japan, but I can get only some. It's really complicate to remember the station's names and how to connect the trains. A lot of train connections and how to expressly go somewhere are needed to study right now.



Finally we reach the campus about 4 p.m. and finally meet Okumura sensei and all of lab members. I cannot remember all of their names but surely that I can do it later. They cannot speak English well even from poor experience English skill of mine. All of them are guy, most of them are Japanese but only two are foreigners, one from Korea and another from Spain. There are about 12 members in the lab. I can remember only one member who is the Research Associate here. His name is Takamura. He is really nice and look like my old friend. After 1.30 hour, we finish a roughly discussion with Okumura sensei and beg to be excused for returning hotel. First question that I asked Ajarn is "Did I talk too much?" because they didn't talk anything too much, just listened to me and Ajarn. So I'm quite sure that it's a Japanese style but have to confirm again. You know, I talk everything even they didn't ask. Such as what I expect to come here, where I live, research works, how to come to campus, my suspect about Japanese style in keep looking to their phones on the train, or even offering them to give me any suggestions or blaming. I just want to entertain them make a familar with them but I may approach too much at the first time. As you know, how am I then you can imagine about that. But it doesn't matter, they didn't act as if they are disgusting or wanted me to stop. O.K. they will know me more later. Haha.

We return to Shinjugu and take a free time for night sightseeing and have dinner. The sun sets very quickly at this time, 5:00 p.m. looks like about 8:00 p.m. in Thailand. The weather is quite cold here. I think it's about 10degree celcius in 6:00 p.m. I don't have time to chat MSN or sending any mails to my friends and a lot of muscular pain also because I have to trolley the 40 kg luggage and two bags up and down the train stations along the way to the hotel. It would be better if I can get Sakib's massage. As I expected, the hotel here is very small compared to Thailand even the quite luxurious one. This night costs about 15000 Yen (5000 THB) for twin room but don't worried because Ajarn pay for it and he can reimburse from my scholarship supporter. With this price, we can stay in sweet room of some hotels closed to the sea in Thailand. We will stay here for only 1 day and move to another hotel near to ebisu station (4 stations from here) because of the room availability. So, I have to move my big luggage again. I will stay with Ajarn until he come back to Thailand on Monday and move to brother of my friend apartment after that.

Today, I found that the language barrier is the main problem of people who lives here. I need to know more Japanese to communicate and survive by myself after Ajarn come back. The Japanese skill that I have and gain some from Yoichi is not enough. Even Japanese people knows that I'm the foreigner, they just keep speak to me in Japanese. I just keep reply "Hai","Gomennasai","Arigato Gosaimasu","Domo" or "Sumimasen" even I don't understand at all. Another problem is an expensive of cost living here. Today, I spent about 4000Yen (3Yen=1THB) for lunch and transportation only (dinner is given for free by Ajarn). However, it is still a big money. For example, in the cheap restaurant where we sit on the bar and everyone comes alone to eat not to chat (I call it "Eating Factory"), the cheapest menu is about 500-600 Yen. Even the ice that we can buy from 7-eleven by only 5-6 Baht, it costs about 194 Yen (approx. 65 THB) in Japan. Actually, 200 Yen looks like we can buy only 10 Baht things. Very Very expensive more than I used to imagine. Let see further how I can survive here.

P.S. Sorry for my poor english and very long story. You may feel bored about this, therefore just skip some passages if you want but surely that you will miss the same feeling as mine. I don't have a digital camera yet, if I have I will take a photos instead of writing long story. "One picture represents million words"

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