Remember back in my first Japan blog when I made my decision to come here on the Celestial alignment of all the worlds in our solar system? Well apparently, so too did Israel and the United States, for on the same event they decided to go to war with Iran. This might not be a big deal to the average television watcher who accepts an endless state of war with the middle east, but for anyone who understands Iran’s importance in global affairs will not see it as anything less than the most likely place for the next and perhaps final world war to begin.
What’s my point outside of the obvious? That millionaires don’t consult geomancers and astrologers but Billionaires do? Or that what were told on television is as far from reality as one can get? Perhaps both and all three, if that makes sense to thee. In any case, I was aware of the brewing possibility of war with Iran before buying my flight, and so I was more than a little hesitant to make the jump. Traveling is a precarious thing no matter what day it is, but doing so while coinciding with a global conflict seems more than a little risky.
Even so I steeled myself against the fear and uncertainty, an easier thing to do every day now, as I have practiced it so long, and went ahead, buying my ticket back to Tokyo. Only this time a month later than last year, and thus a month into the war with Iran. This would mean many things for my trip, one thing was that I would miss the best cherry blossoms in the city, but also it would be much warmer. Additionally, it meant I would spend only 1 month rather than 2, but that was okay, I came for a very specific reason this time, where before I had only wanted to test the fates.
My reason for being her now was a direct result of the first trip where I had begun writing a story about Japan taking over the world in the modern age, and doing so with technologies it had created at the end of 1945 but not been able to implement. This story I pitched to a producer while in Japan, and since he was interested, I began committing myself to it. One must understand that I have no end of ideas to work on, only a lack of interest to see them fully come to life. With interest in hand, and a time to go back to Japan, I find myself here again, the book coming very close to life, but not quite.
You see, writing is easy for me, but for it to be effective at building a world within a readers mind it must have all the supporting connective tissue, facts, figures, histories and physics that all work and do so in a way which leaves a lasting impression on your mind. This means for everything I write I must research, and every time I do I find more things to write about, which means more research, and so it goes.
Aside from the writing of the book I had to get the funds to get here, always a fun thing, finding money. Some people do it easily and quick, others not so much. I’m somewhere in the middle. Luckily, I have more friends than enemies, and so the exchange rate in my relationships is unusually high for both parties, something which is not possible in economics. Which as you may be able to infer, elevates relationships well beyond it, and rightfully so.
Funds secured, I had to do something which I avoid doing until absolutely necessary, shopping. For me a piece of clothing is like a sunburn, I wear it because I must, and once it falls off my body I don’t relish the next burn, but then again, I miss the former garment for what it meant to me all the same. As per usual I waited until the last second, and literally got all my gear in the mail from Ebay the day before my flight. I avoid shopping for new things as well, there are far too many things already made which no one uses. New or slightly used sunburns attained, I did the business of saying, “I will see you again my friend. Be safe. Be well.” To all those In my circle. Not to absolutely everyone mind you, I don’t talk to people much, not even my best friends, just the whose who of people in D’s life.
My sister Michelle drove me to the airport in Frisco, we had some snacks at Happy Girl Kitchen in Pacific Grove then took the highway to reach the big city. There was traffic, but I still got to the airport with almost 3 and a half hours to kill before my flight. Time which I used to enter through security which was a breeze I had not at all expected. While the rest of the country was experiencing heavy delays with the TSA I was whisked through faster than ever, even with the pat down, which I always take. I’ve not once set foot inside the full body scanner. Why? Because A: It’s the government, and B: Theres a reason you have the option to opt out...
The security agents literally swapped his hands down my chest and back as though swatting away a fly, put his gloves in the machine that tested for nuclear material or god knows what, and said, “Your good to go!” “That was fast.” I said, then asked him about the TSA stuff and he said they were a private security firm, not TSA, so no delays. Once through I bought a boxed salad which had no business being so good for airport food, two coconut waters and an apple. Then i sat down and was immediately surrounded by a number of people who all got on their phones on loudspeaker having conversations with family. Usually this would send me over the limit, and I’d ask them to put in headphones, but I remained Zen. Even as one person rose their volume greater than the last.
Once of these guys was a 70-year-old Spanish man who was so disrespectful to his wife I knew right away I wouldn’t like him. He spoke to me, wondering if I was going to the same place in south America as him. “No, I’m going to Japan, just sitting here to eat.” I said. He then went on to extol all the wonders of his expat village in Nicaragua and how much he enjoyed doing nothing but surf, eat and drink. Once our conversation began he suddenly seemed to love his wife and said things like please, and thank you, though by the look on her face I could tell this was a facade. We shook hands as men passing in the terminal to distant lands even so.
Once on the plane I found my seat and to my surprise I had the only two open seats of left right next to me, but the man at the far end was using the other empty spot for gear, and I was using mine, so even after attempting a two seat lay down, I opted to remain awake for the duration of the flight. The food was okay, but I ate it all slower than molasses creeps down a 1% grade, and found myself able to eat it all. Despite the food the flight attendants were top notch, which one would expect on Japanese airlines.
I tried to write on my laptop but it was too cramped so I watched a movie I saw another lady watching titled, Rental Family with Brendan Freiser, and WOW, I was blown away. The entire ending half of the film I was barely able to see through the tears. A true Japanese/American cult classic if I do say so myself. I also watched Light at the end of the Harbor, another Japanese drama about a blind boy and a former Yakuza boss, very touching.
Landing in Narita Airport I went through security faster and with more confidence than the previous time, my only hiccup being that I used a red pen for my immigration form, which is a big no no in the legal world, something to do with writing in blood or the like, who knows. Once that was corrected, I met Chahiru, a beautiful young Japanese woman who had more suitcases than any one-person id ever seen, 5 in total, and had spent the last year working in Florida.
“I want to go back, and stay. I don’t want to live in Japan anymore.” She told me.
“Fair enough, lots of things to recommend about America.” I said. We struck up a great convo, I enjoyed it.
I then got my money exchanged and a sim card with 60gb for 2 months, you never know how much data you’ll need, and I only spent $55 for it, which is far cheaper than I pay at home, $30 for 10gb of data. Then I got the Narita Express and was soon in Tokyo.
I knew where I was going, back to the Capsule hotel I had been in the first time and spent the most time in, almost 3 weeks, but this time would only be in for 3 days, as I have no intention of remaining in the big city that long for this trip.
Upon reaching the Capsule hotel, the place I got the idea for my story, I was happy to see that the people working there remembered me. I got into my robes provided by them, found my pod, and even though I was jet lagged, did my best to sleep, for unlike last trip where there was no plan, this time, there is, and with plans, come timelines, and schedules. Far less freedom, but far more to see and do. So lets go!
