Journey to the East (Part One)

I came to Japan this May, and it's been over four months now. I've visited and played in many places, but haven't left any written records—truly a pity. Of course, by 'written records' I don't mean graffiti scribbled everywhere, but at least some memories to look back on, and also for future travelers to reference. For a nobody like me, the contribution I can make to Sino-Japanese friendship is probably nothing more than this.

Originally, I'm a lazy person; writing travelogues, this mentally draining task, is not something I do. But this time, my future husband carried 20 jin of Chinese rice all the way here, not caring if customs officers saw him as an oddity, traveling thousands of miles across the ocean to visit me—I was so moved that I was dizzy with tears and utterly overwhelmed. (This travelogue is meant to be shown to my husband later, so no matter how fake the words, I have to say them.)

Writing the travelogue was originally his idea, but he mentioned it long ago and hasn't written a single word since. Helpless, I have to ghostwrite for him. If any royalties or copyright fees come up later, I'll handle those too. Being nice really has no remedy!

Finally, I humbly dedicate this travelogue to my dearest future husband. Oh yes, his birthday is coming up—let it also serve as a birthday gift!

Chapter 1: Anticipation and Planning

That big idiot had been saying he would come to Japan to see me for a long time, but I never imagined that from submitting the application to getting the visa to boarding the plane, it would only take about three weeks in total. Even now, it feels like a dream. (I forgot to introduce: 'big idiot' is what I call my future husband, also known as big jerk, big fool, big lazybones, big loudmouth, dimwit... In short, unless otherwise specified, any strange name in this article refers to him.)

Three weeks before the big idiot came to Japan, I began meticulously planning, arranging everything, busy front and back. I initially wanted him to decide where he wanted to go, but he changed his mind every day—unreliable. In the end, I had to take charge and arrange everything myself.

Basic itinerary as follows: (Quoted from email at 10:56 AM, August 18, 2005)

The following is my schedule for your travel in Japan.

=================================

Aug. 25(Thu.) pm:

Arrive in Japan.

I'll pick you up at the bus stop and go back to my apartment.

Have a rest and dinner in my apartment. (Which dishes would you like? tell me in advance.)

After dinner, go around and shopping in Tsurumi (my living area).

Aug. 26(Fri.)

To Disney Sea.

Note: You shall get up much earlier.

Aug. 27(Sat.)

a.m: Have a rest at the apartment.

noon: To my Japanese Class, to have lunch.

p.m: To Yokohama for sightseeing.

Evening: See fireworks in Yokohama. (Ref.:)

Aug. 28(Sun.) & Aug. 29(Mon.)

To Fuji Mountain.

The night of Aug.28, we will stay in Fuji, and enjoy the hot spring.

Aug. 30(Tue.)

Sightseeing in Tokyo.

Aug. 31(Wed.)

Prepare to go back.

===================================

How do you think my schedule? You can also refer the following website, if any other place you want to go.

If no objection, I'll try to reserve the hotel in Fuji.

Zhuang

(Note: At that time, I couldn't input Chinese on my computer. Sorry for any inconvenience in reading.)

This shows how meticulous and thoughtful I am—after all, I've worked for a Japanese company for two years; if I haven't learned anything else, I've learned how to make plans. Such a plan naturally has its reasons. Don't rush, read on, and you'll see. By the way, to accompany my dear future husband on his travels, I used 4.5 days of my annual leave, which is only 5 days total, after much pleading. Later I found out that the half day counts as a full day in work hours. Oh well, those three hours I muddled through at the office I consider my contribution to the Japanese people.

Chapter 2: Arrival

To save money, I decided not to pick up the big fool at the airport. I would just meet him at the Yokohama Express Bus stop. Worried that the big idiot might get lost, I prepared a very detailed instruction for him, as follows: (Quoted from email at 5:21 PM, August 17, 2005)

The following Instruction will be important to you. Be sure to print out and don't loose it.

============

When you arrive at Narita Airport, having gone through the customs area, pick up your luggage, then,

1. Look for the Limousine Bus counters in arrival lobby of Terminal building of the 1st floor.

It is around the place where you pick up your luggage.

2. Purchase a bus ticket, you just tell that lady: One ticket for YCAT (to Yokohama)

One ticket is 3,500 yen.

The bus departure time aroud that period is as below:

13:10 , 13:40

14:00 , 14:20 , 14:40

3. Make sure your bus departure time.

Leave enough time to make a phone call to me. (045-XXXXXXX)

Tell me the bus departure time.

So you should have some coins to make a phone call.

It is better that you can have some 10 yen coins. 100yen will too much waste.

4. Get on the bus on time. It may take you 90-120 minutes to Yokohama.

5. I will pick you up at Yokohama bus stop.

===============

So totally, at least you should prepare 3500 JP yen and some 10yen coins.

Also, you can exchange the money in the airport, but it is better you can prepare in China.

Is it clear? If you feel confused, I can pick you up at the airport, but you should wait for me around 1 hour.

Zhuang

Let me explain: There are many flights from Shanghai to Narita Airport every day. The big idiot took the same China Eastern flight M523 that I took when I first came to Japan—departing Beijing time 9:50 AM, arriving Tokyo time 12:50 PM, at Terminal 2. This arrangement was based on his schedule.

But man proposes, God disposes; many unexpected things happened.

First, the big idiot's arrival coincided with Typhoon No. 13. I started worrying for him the day before: Would the plane be able to take off? Arrive on time? He doesn't like to carry an umbrella—would he get wet?

On August 25, when I went to work in the morning, I was completely distracted, my mind wandering, constantly refreshing the Narita airport flight schedule online, and glancing at the rain outside, praying for good weather during these days. (Thinking back, in that half-day at the office, I didn't do much work—so I donated my wages, so be it.)

Fortunately, when I left the office at 12:00, the online schedule still showed on-time arrival, and the rain outside was gradually decreasing. Thank God, thank Buddha, everything was as I wished.

But as clever as I am, and as foolish as he is, I waited anxiously at home, sitting on pins and needles, for his call. 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30—no sign of the phone. Calculating that clearing customs takes an hour, even if the plane was late, he should have called. To stop my wild thoughts, I started shelling edamame (called "cha dou" in Japan). Finally, when I was shelling the last few, the phone rang—I finally heard the voice I had missed, longed for, desired, expected, and hoped for.

"I've arrived." Beep beep beep... (45 seconds later) "I'm going to take the bus." Beep beep beep... Dear clever readers like me must know what happened.

Little knowledge: Japan's public phones are similar to those in China: card type and coin type. For cards, you need to buy a card first; most public phones have a card vending machine nearby, but it usually only accepts 1,000-yen bills. For coin phones, it's simpler: just insert coins. Most coin phones accept 10-yen and 100-yen coins. 10 yen gives a very short call time (about 10 seconds), and you need to keep adding coins when the system warns you. 100 yen gives a longer time (maybe about 3 minutes), but the method is the same.

After all this nonsense, dear readers must find me long-winded. But missing just those few words, our big idiot didn't know how to use a public phone. He didn't even finish half a sentence before the call dropped; he didn't know you have to keep putting coins in a coin phone! Even worse, that big jerk blamed me afterward, saying I wouldn't let him use 100-yen coins so he could talk longer (I swear, wasn't I just trying to save some money? At least someone who can't even make a call like that only spent 20 yen, much better than wasting 100!). So I still consider my cleverness and foresight a blessing. According to him, being someone "smart" in this technologically advanced modern society, having a little trouble with a public phone is understandable. I really don't know if technology fosters ignorance or ignorance develops technology. Anyway, this topic is too profound—leave it to the world university debate!

Now, about the late customs clearance: blaming my lovely, dear future husband was really unfair. Actually, I have to blame my beloved parents. To help me save money in Japan, they made that big fool carry 20 jin of rice all the way to Japan. Not to mention the weight of the 20 jin of rice, just getting through customs was hard enough for our prideful fool. (A small aside: I remember when this prospective son-in-law first visited my house during the freezing cold New Year's Day, to look energetic and dignified, he only wore a shirt and a suit jacket. I spent the whole dinner worrying that the air conditioner would malfunction or the waiter would forget to close the door and he'd freeze.) So by analogy, even though I didn't see his predicament at customs, I think it must have been quite funny.

Additional notes about the rice:

1. When bringing Chinese rice into Japan, customs conducts animal and plant quarantine inspections. The specific process is unclear, but it involves opening the package for inspection. The cost is free. So a word of advice: If you're short on time, don't want trouble, especially if someone is waiting for you or your phone call, don't bring rice—don't ask for trouble!

2. They say Japanese rice is tastier than Chinese rice; I think the taste is quite similar. But washing Japanese rice is much easier—there's almost no impurities, so just rinsing a few times is enough.

3. As for the price of Japanese rice, it's ridiculously expensive. I searched high and low and found the cheapest at 2,780 yen for 20 jin—that's about 10 yuan per jin.

Based on the above, even though washing rice is a bit more trouble, I'd still rather eat the rice from our great motherland China. I am very patriotic!

I've digressed again. Let's get back to that day. As sharp as Zhuge Liang reincarnated, I arrived at the Yokohama Airport Bus terminal at the same time as the big jerk's bus, to ensure he would see my brilliant welcoming smile the moment he stepped off. But this big fool didn't even look for me first—he was only concerned about his suitcase containing 20 jin of rice. Should I be touched or angry? Forget it—consider my feelings wasted.

Meeting my boyfriend after four months apart made me happy. Especially since he traveled thousands of miles to see me—excitement, emotion, elation—it all makes you dizzy, and at such times, you're prone to silly mistakes.

For instance, this time, taking the big idiot to ride the train, after inserting the ticket into the gate, neither of us thought to take the ticket out—you need it to exit. Good heavens, is stupidity contagious? So we wasted 320 yen just like that.

Note: Japan's train system is very developed, connecting everywhere. But for us working Chinese, the price is not cheap. Basically, that money could have covered a taxi ride back home. From Yokohama to Tsurumi where I live is only three stops, costing 160 yen per person. That's basically the starting fare—relatively cheap. Because of the high transportation costs, most companies, even small restaurants, buy commuter passes for employees as a basic benefit. Train tickets also come in single tickets, one-day passes, monthly passes, three-month passes, half-year passes, etc., to meet different needs.

In short, after spending an extra 320 yen, we finally arrived home safely (my place in Japan).

Our "carnivore" had been hungry all day—no breakfast, didn't eat well on the plane—so my dinner seemed especially delicious. Besides, this was the first time he had eaten my cooking since we got to know each other a year and a half ago—how could it not be delicious? About my cooking skills, I will describe them in detail in a dedicated chapter later. For now, just remember: "superb culinary skills, amazing technique, good in the parlor and the kitchen."

Because of the typhoon, we changed our plans to stroll around my neighborhood at night and just enjoyed our time alone at home. I'll also describe my neighborhood in due time.

The rain was heavy that night. I kept worrying about the next day's Disney trip. Typhoon, oh typhoon, after tonight, take a rest tomorrow—you've been raining and blowing all night, you must be tired!