Hey all! Arrived safe and sound in Tokyo, Japan! It still feels so unreal to have finally moved to a country I couldn't stop missing for over a year. Immigration was smooth: got my own resident card! I feel so welcomed! For the past few days, I've been staying in an apartment guest room, provided by my good friends Takako and Jiro. Take a look at this view:
Right from my balcony! As much as it would be lovely to stay here for the next three years, I'll be zipping up to Sendai on a Shinkansen (bullet train) this coming Monday. According to the ticket, it'll take a mere two hours to go 189 miles to the north. Slightly fast, if I do say.
However, getting said ticket today wasn't as quick as a 200 mph train. Even though I had reserved a ticket a week ahead of time, there were a series of steps that a certain unflappable and patient Soren had to follow to the absolute degree. The Herculean task went down as such:
1. Arrive at the Ikebukuro train station, where my reservation said to pick up tickets. Dodge flustered and irritated salarymen by the dozens.
2. Find Shinkansen ticket booth. Show reservation email. Told to get a train pass that wasn't in the online reservation process. Need to go to the East Ticket booth. Receive quick directions.
3. Directions unclear. Find self in makeup department. Wonder station helplessly for a good thirty minutes.
4. Try other info booths. All say to take stairs. Take stairs. More makeup aisles and confused glares.
5. Find out that correct stairs go outside station building. Go outside. No East Ticket booth in sight.
6. Find East Ticket booth door on side of building. Go inside and bring out email. Clerk asks to see passport. No passport on person. Just resident card. Scream internally.
7. Clerk notes I don't need a train pass afterall because I have a resident card (???). Yay.
8. Buy sought out ticket. Awkward Q&A time: ask if I can load my two big bags into train on day of departure. Confused look. Ask where the bullet trains are located in the Tokyo station. Another confused look. Thank clerk for help and leave.
9. Feel embarrassed and hungry. Go to nearest McDonald's. Order two Big Macs. End up with two Big Mac meals. With two fries. And two drinks.
10. Bashfully eat food.
There you have it. One of my more frustrating yet growing times here in the Land of the Rising Sun. As my day of departure looms nearer and nearer, I can't help but chuckle as I envision three years worth of hilarity during my time as a missionary in this wonderful country. Hopefully without ordering two cokes. Thank you all again for your prayers and support! Love you all!
What a view! Loved the humorous side of a frustrating day.