Lost in Translation Part II

I write this update in the smoky internet cafe across the street from the Okurayama apartment. It is strange that with all of the social graces and advances of Japan, there is still smoking in most restaurants and the bullet trains all have smoking cars and designated smoking areas.

While Mark and Kamaya were working Saturday, I went into the Shibuya and Harajuku area of Tokyo. I walked to the Meiji shrine and saw not one but two Japanese wedding processions. The information boards in Japan are all oriented to face the direction relative to where you are standing and this means that the top of the map is not necessarily north. That took me off course a couple of times before I figured it out. Now it is actually really helpful. However, fate is an interesting thing because the second time I was off course, and really fed up with how big Tokyo is, I saw somebody that I knew. No joke. The year I was at Trinity, he was head of college. It is a crazy world. He is actually moving to Hong Kong in two weeks (jealous) and will likely live abroad for a long time.

Sunday was the first day of my now activated Japan Rail Pass and thus began a very busy week of intense travelling　and walking. I am not sure my toes will forgive me any time soon. Something interesting about the Japanese politeness: it occasionally will clash with my sense of Canadian politeness. For example,　you are not supposed to talk on the phone while on any trains, and not supposed to eat or drink while walking (!) but it is perfectly acceptable to paint your toe nails on the shinkansen (bullet train). Anyway, I went to Osaka,　transfered trains,　and then continued on to Hiroshima. The train system is very detailed, and mercifully homogeneous in its design and delivery. All of the stations have the names written in Romanji (English letters) so at least I could tell where I was going. And even though many Japanese don`t like to speak English because they are shy, all of the stations have tourist information with people who will.

One thing that I have found since being here is that in some ways it is easy to navigate, until you make a wrong turn, and then it can be very difficult. For example,　the directions to my hostel from the Hiroshima train station told me to take the tram to Dobashi station and then walk in the same direction as the tram and pass two pedestrian crossings before turning left. Problem was, I wasn`t sure if the first crossing included the one I got off at...or not. And away from the main areas, there are no English signs on the streets so a map is completely useless. Many maps for travellers have landmarks instead of street names. Anyway, I asked a nice lady which street I was on and where my street was. Many Japanese can read English but can`t speak it. She took me across the street in the wrong direction but at that point I was already committed to getting her help! In a couple of minutes I had 3 helpful Japanese women trying to understand my instructions. Eventually, one asked me which hotel I was staying in and when I said J Hoppers, they all said oooooo and once of them took me right there as she walked her dog. Later on that evening I said a different Japanese women escort a group of spanish backpackers in a similar fashion.

Again, I will have to write more at a later time. It has been a very busy week.

Leslie