Last week in Japan: Welcome to OSAKA

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My overnight bus rolled into downtown Osaka from Kumamoto at 6:45 AM. I was sleepy and very haggard from the pervious weeks leaving preparations. However, that didn’t stop a very energetic older foreign man who was sitting across the aisle from me from getting up and plopping himself down in the open seat next to me. “Oh, brother!” I groaned to myself. I was anxious about getting off at the right stop and didn’t feel like chatter. Although the conversation was more one sided and went like this:

“Are you going to Nara? I think is beautiful….I’m going sightseeing.
Why you leave Kumamoto? Ahhhh..I see… So, you are American…
I am Palestinian. I want my family to live Japan with me. But it is impossible…
Your government is bad. VERY bad. We are all disappoint in your country. Why is your president so BAD man??? We all have bad feeling to America.
Oh! This is your stop? Ok. Have nice trip!”

And with that, so begins my travels as a young, single American woman… I’m sure such encounters will not be my last.


Mika greeted me with open arms as I tumbled out of the bus with my five million bags. Since then I have been trying to relax and re-group as much as possible. Kanzo and Mika, newlyweds, have a glamorous new apartment downtown. I have my own room here...eerr…make that two rooms. My bags have exploded all over the house.
I bought a new camera yesterday a stack of US travelers checks today. Things are looking brighter than last week, that’s for sure.
My fight to Malaysia leaves tomorrow at noon. All prayers and well-wishes that I make it to Kuala Lumpur safely, in one piece with little hassle are greatly appreciated!

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Photos

Osaka Nights
The view from Mika and Kanzo's lovely apartmet

Comments

[Alex]

Bon Voyage!
It sounds like you're already having an adventure, before you've left Japan! I hope- no, I KNOW you will have an absolutely amazing trip, filled with wonderful experienecs. I'm so jealous! Take care, Christy- you're in my thoughts and prayers.

[Liz]

Sayonara
Hey Christy! It's hard to believe that you are gone already. This last month in Japan has flown by. I'm sitting here at the Board of Ed on my last day of work, waiting for the head honcho to wake up from his nap so that I can make my formal goodbye and become officially unemployed. Now that I have the time, I wish you were still here, and I wish that we could just kick back and laugh at it all together. But in the meantime, I'll be sure to keep on checking this blog. By the way, if some strange man starts putting on the moves and you don't like it, just tell him that you are engaged and just at the moment you are on your way to meet the love of your life, or something like that. Good luck!