trombonish (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
trombonish) wrote2014-04-14 04:38 am
trombonish) wrote2014-04-14 04:38 am
thoughts at 4am
I did not know they drove on the left side of the road in Japan
It is as disorienting as expected to be completely unable to communicate. Though there was an interesting experience in the airport - I was refilling my water bottle in the airport, and BOTH people who used the other water fountain in the meantime were being baffled at how to turn it on - looked like they expected motion sensors instead of the usualy hit the button to make water go. I demonstrated without being able to say anything. Lots of pointing.
For all that I expected Tokyo to be a massive throng of people, the Narita airport didn't feel much bigger than Boise's. I guess it's further from Tokyo than I thought?
Another of the most disorienting things was going through Security Theater in Japan. We had to leave the "secure" area to do passports control/customs, then back through a tiny security checkpoint to the domestic flights area, that looked and felt like a bus station! And then acted like it - we jammed a little bus full of people, and drove out out to the tarmac to put them on the plane. Anyhow, all us americans are like, "can we bring drinks? Do we take off our shoes? And we all tried to give the security man who was checking tickets our passports, but he didn't want to see ID, just our tickets. Also, it was EXTREMELY well staffed - only two lines, but maybe 15 people working them.
Hiroshima is MUCH bigger than expected. Or maybe I should say more crowded. Buildings all cheek to cheek. And seeing it for the first time through a rainstorm probably didn't help experiences. It looks... I'm not sure, but no way am I walking around on the streets by myself at night. Scary.
Brains and circadian rythems are weird. After barely any sleep in 24 hrs of traveling, + 15 hrs time difference, I was SO exhausted. Expected to fall into bed at 9 and sleep straight through til my alarm. Instead, Brain poked me away at 1am saying, "get up lazybones! You never sleep this late" Been dozing off and on since then. It's dark, I'm tired... why won't my brain sleep???
It is as disorienting as expected to be completely unable to communicate. Though there was an interesting experience in the airport - I was refilling my water bottle in the airport, and BOTH people who used the other water fountain in the meantime were being baffled at how to turn it on - looked like they expected motion sensors instead of the usualy hit the button to make water go. I demonstrated without being able to say anything. Lots of pointing.
For all that I expected Tokyo to be a massive throng of people, the Narita airport didn't feel much bigger than Boise's. I guess it's further from Tokyo than I thought?
Another of the most disorienting things was going through Security Theater in Japan. We had to leave the "secure" area to do passports control/customs, then back through a tiny security checkpoint to the domestic flights area, that looked and felt like a bus station! And then acted like it - we jammed a little bus full of people, and drove out out to the tarmac to put them on the plane. Anyhow, all us americans are like, "can we bring drinks? Do we take off our shoes? And we all tried to give the security man who was checking tickets our passports, but he didn't want to see ID, just our tickets. Also, it was EXTREMELY well staffed - only two lines, but maybe 15 people working them.
Hiroshima is MUCH bigger than expected. Or maybe I should say more crowded. Buildings all cheek to cheek. And seeing it for the first time through a rainstorm probably didn't help experiences. It looks... I'm not sure, but no way am I walking around on the streets by myself at night. Scary.
Brains and circadian rythems are weird. After barely any sleep in 24 hrs of traveling, + 15 hrs time difference, I was SO exhausted. Expected to fall into bed at 9 and sleep straight through til my alarm. Instead, Brain poked me away at 1am saying, "get up lazybones! You never sleep this late" Been dozing off and on since then. It's dark, I'm tired... why won't my brain sleep???