Osaka,
Japan
Saturday, May 15, 2004
Though I'd never want to permanently call Japan home, I've been here 1.5 years and I think its always a bit difficult to leave place so familiar. As always, the best thing about a place is the people you meet and the friends you make. They're what make the place special and memorable. When I think of Japan, I'll remember the sights and temples and the different way of life, the businessmen on bicycles, etc., but mostly it's the people I'll remember - Paul my workout partner, racquetball buddy and drinking buddy, fellow restaurant tester; a relaxed and kicked-back guy from Canberra, Australia who was a big surfer and who I only saw angry once; overall my best friend in Japan. There was Bill from Scotland, one of my first roommates, who made me laugh just looking at him and talking to him; a total goofball who reminds me of Spud from Trainspotting, who doesn't know the meaning of casual drinking, so every time we go out drinking he ends up slobbering drunk, which only compounds my inability to understand what the hell he's saying! Great guy and good friend though, oh yeah, and a really good photographer. Brian (Hawaiian Brian) who was the current events friend and always wanted to discuss what was going on, politics, anything really...you could always talk a little deeper with Brian. And lastly, Hajemi...so difficult to describe; a 40ish Japanese father of 3 and company worker, somehow both a typical and atypical Japanese man, but more like Brent than any other man I have ever met! He was all about women, drinking, and having fun! I would never try to generalize a whole group of people, but without having met him I might be able to categorize most Japanese men. I did so many things here that I would have missed out on if it weren't for him and he definitely made Japan more interesting and fun! There were many others, but we don't have all day do we!?! So, that's what I'll remember most about my time in Japan...the people.
Anyway, I took the bus to Nagoya because my discount flight to Bali departed from there...unfortunately the flight isn't until 10 am tomorrow, so I just figured I'd get there, go to the airport and semi-sleep at the airport. NOPE! The airport bus was out of service by the time I arrived, a taxi would have cost a ton, so I go to Mr. Donuts to burn some time and think what to do and I finally just decide to stay up all might and catch the airport in the morning. McDonalds is open until 3 am, so I go and chill out there and read and then when it closes I'll just find a small nook on the street and watch a movie on my MP4 until sunrise when I catch the bus to the airport!
