My liquids were confiscated after all. The worst part was actually that they just throw the liquids away; they are not donated, nor can the security people keep them. So the brand new travel toothpaste I bought, the expensive Bath and Body Works lotion, my hand sanitizer, my body spray-- all thrown away. That probably amounted to about $20 worth of liquids. Fortunately my ear drops were not taken, but the elderly black security gentleman inspected the bottle quite suspiciously. He reminded me a little of Morgan Freeman. Very polite and unhurried.
While going through security I was near a very confused Chinese man. He didn’t know what security line he was supposed to be in, and some huge, crass black woman started yelling at him in a thick black accent to get back in line. Of course he didn’t understand her so he started walking toward her, thinking she was telling him to come over to her. She then yelled at him more. Then some Americans and I kindly motioned over to us. Then I talked to him in Chinese a little. It was fun. I think he appreciated hearing someone be nice to him in a little of his own language.
As I predicted I slept only an hour or so on the fourteen-hour flight to Osaka. I even tried taking Dr. Kang's advice of drinking some wine to fall asleep and that only gave me an hour's reprive. Fortunately, Pride and Prejudice was one of the inflight movies. So I watched it two and a half times.
All I could think when I was in Osaka, then in Fukuoka, then in the car with Chieko Higuchi-sense and her boyfriend was: “This is just a bad dream. I didn’t really agree to stay here for two years. I’ll wake up at home in my bed any minute now.” I was suddenly so fconfused and so frightened to be thrust into this foreign world alone. Gladly that feeling wore off after the first day.
I keep comparing everything to China, because it is very similar. The road design and the way people drive (besides the fact that they drive “backwards” here), the noodle shop we went to (the noodles were very much like the Chinese noodles, except that I didn’t end up crying from all the hot peppers), the airport was very similar in construction and level of chaos, the people are dressed similarly, their mannerisms are very similar-- the list can go on. So I fear I will continue to compare this world to the one I grew to love last summer, maybe to my detriment.
The last two days I have been busy making this apartment my own: putting up posters, moving furniture around, figuring out how to use the stove, shower, air conditioner, toaster. Thankfully I have a Western toilet, so I'm not forced into doing squats for daily excercise.Labels: Update Emails |
Name: Ruthie