One Month Left

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Things I will look forward to post life as a tour leader:

Being able to stay home when it is raining. Being able to say that the weather is miserable, and that there is no use in going outside. Or not having to verbally comment on the weather at all. Having phone numbers to call for delivery attached to the fridge, or actually, having a well stocked pantry so I can make soup while wearing fluffy slippers and fleecy pajamas around the house.

Not having wrinkly raisin toes and wet shoes and wet jeans and frizzy hair not having any pajamas at all. Not having to smile ridiculously hard every time it rains and pretend that the occupied city is fabulous in spite of the dreary downpour.

I'm in Japan, now. Hiroshima. Visited the Peace Park this morning, left the pax there to wander on their own. Nearly cried, again, because of the horror caused by the A Bomb. To reinforce the magnitude of the disaster my country imparted, tomorrow we travel to Nagasaki. I'm supposed to emphasize the early Dutch trade and the international flair of it all by taking them to Chinatown. Well, there will be NO Chinatowns for me whilst on tour anymore, that is for sure. The pax can go get spit on and stared at by fake Chinese people if they want to. Even if they are kind people who are working there (as it is Japan, everyone inevitably is kind and polite), I will still be convinced that they are talking about me under their stinky breath and trying to cheat my passengers. I will not be going there. Plus there is a replication of West Lake in Hangzhou smack dab in Nagasaki. China advertises the real deal as the best travel destination in their country. Well, crowds of matching shirted, drunk Chinese smashing into each other's boats on the lake is not my idea of a good time.

The only bit of information my enlightened new manager gave me about Nagasaki was the location of an 'awesome bar.' I have a feeling that's where I'll be headed in Nagasaki. In the rain. Passengers are welcome to come. But I think I'll take the day off of smiling. And I'm definately not going to mention Chinatown. If anyone is in Nagasaki this weekend, feel free to join me.

And now I'm going to take a very long bath and go get an instant miso soup, which i'll add double the water to and savor while gently scalding the back of my throat. I realize that sounds weird and a little disturbing. It is. One more thing I'm looking forward to leaving behind for those other leaders verging on insanity. : )

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