Hopefully it's not to late to update my journey this past view days. There has been some communication difficulties so sorry for the delay. Anyway I went to landed in Narita not knowing anyone on the plane and was to shy to speak to the person beside me - who was a pretty Jappanesse but spoke good Indonesian. In the back of my mind I hoped that this flight would be like my flight to India where coincidently I got to know the person beside me and we talked the whole flight - he also ended up helping me A LOT at the airport. But sadly the world doesnt always go as you wish - just like two years ago when I did not wish to get a new friend on the plane to New Delhi but I did, this time when I did wish for it I didn't. I kept hearing my friends voice saying that I should try to communicate with someone to ask them how the hell I will arrive at Nagaoka - hopefully someone on this plane has the same destination, and I could go with them. But until the plane landed I sill haven't got the nerve to talk to anyone. Finally in the shuttle train from one part of the airport to the other I made eye contact to some Indonesian person and spoke to him. I asked him whether he was going to the same direction as I am - Ueno Station for this matter - he wasn't ofcourse. But I got to talk to so many other nice people, and some of them was this man - maybe in his 50s- and he offered me a ride to the station. At first I was verry hesitating because I didnt know him and he was obviously a guy - which is scarry - but then after very careful observation and thought I decided to go for it. Luckyly he turned out to be from the Indonesian Embassy - his name was Bambang - and he was very Nice to me. So I ended going from the Airport to my destined station - Ueno Station - using a car. Before dropping me off he wanted to drop off another passanger to the Shinjuku area - an Area I recall often read in my Manga books. so I got to see the city of Tokyo that day - and it was so pleasant!. Tokyo is very clean and everyone dresses up very nicely - thats what I first realised -, if Scott Shuman was here he would've got so many good pictures! and many of them are using bycicles - which is so cool. The city itself is contoured -like San Francisco - but the vibe you get is very New York like, alhough I must add even when its such a big city it still feels very town like - friendly.
Mr. Bambang decided to drop me off at a station called Meguro. He said that it was easier that way, because Ueno Station is a very big Station, he was afraid I got lost there, so he said it would be easier if I took the Subway - which was not underground- to the Ueno Station and then changed to the Shinkansen train there. Also if we went from the Meguro Station, he can help me buy the tickets, in Ueno he cant - so thats a very big point there.
In Meguro - while I bought my tickets- I realise one very important thing people keep saying over and over : Jappanesse dont speak English. Even if they do, you probably dont understand it. So there it goes all my English washed down the drain. Luckily Mr. Bambang was there to help me, so he was the one who did most of the speaking.
Then I got to the train, and sat. My Station was about 8-9 Station away so I got plenty of time to observe these people - who were for me very interesting. AS I said before they all dressed up very nicely. the man are wearing suites and the girls just look good. I notice that all the girls are pretty slim - I'm the most overweight there, and I'm not even THAT fat.
When I arrived at Ueno station I realized that I couldnt read the tickets - they used Kanji. so I panicked. I didnt where to go - other then the direction Mr. Bambang has described to me before- Ueno is big! but I went with my guts and went to the right direction - ALhamdulillah.
The Trains here are only 4 minutes apart each other. I think this is a big deal because we are speaking of a bullet train -they are 300 something km/hour - and to have them only 4 minutes apart is for me very high technology. ALso I must add here that for all the years Shinkansen had been operated no body had been killed in any accident and that the average delay of the train is only 6 seconds! WHOUCH. also you should read carefully your ticket and it will tell you exactly where to stand on the platform.
The Shinkansen - although I know its very quick- doesnt feel that fast. On my way to Nagaoka I saw the scenery gradually changing from the City landscape into the mountains and villages of Japan. I feel at home somehow - at least I see some things familiar, such as trees and mountains and houses- but I know I'm so far away from home.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar