|
|
Getting
off the plane the first challenge you face is
making it to your hotel. You can't read or write and not too many Japanese
speak English well enough. Taxis are prohibitive expensive, even if you are
on a company budget of an investment bank. I mean, *really* expensive.
So I took the train, and with my
Lonely Planet travelguide in my hand I was
able to figure out where to go and how to buy tickets, almost...
|
Changing
to the Tokyo Subway at Ueno station I had to buy my first subway ticket
from a vending machine that had more than a hunderd buttons, all in Japenese.
It took 5 minutes, before I had the courage/desperation to start pushing a
few buttons at random, throw in some money and to see what happens. Finally,
when a line started forming, some Japanese was brave enough to speak some
English and help me out. And after realizing that Japanese don't use streetnames,
I found a map that pinpointed the hotel building. There I was welcomed
by the most polite staff I had ever seen. The way I looked, with my backpack after
a 14 hour flight, I would not have made it through the door in most places
in the world, but here in Japan, giving service is their personal honor.
|
The Japanese subway system must be the best in world.
It's clean, always on time and the doors open at indicated
places, in front of which the Japanese form a neat line while waiting for the
train to arrive.
|
|
After
taking a shower and suiting up I went to the office just a block from
the hotel to say hello. I knew Adrian would be there and I was looking forward
to seeing him again. A British guy with an infectious laugh, he had spend three
miserable months in New York, working with me on a project that was never used.
His objective had always been to live in Japan. He had finally made it and was
living the good ex-pat life. When I arrived at the office, it was about dinner
time and
|
Adrian
|
|
the guys decided to give me
a proper introduction to Tokyo. Old friends
together, meeting up in Roppongi of course, it was a pretty sight. I got back
to the hotel at 6.30 am and needless to say I was pretty wasted.
No sleep since Brooklyn.
The next morning I broke the record in being late at work.
Around noon my collegues
called me in the hotel to wake me up and to ask me if I was I alive. I made it to
work half an hour later, but when I started up the computer to look at my
e-mail I realized I couldn't read. The hangover that day was particular bad, and I
had to run back to the hotel on the spot. I finally made it to the office around
6 pm. Luckily the boss was in Sydney and me collegues of course had covered me.
I had to work through the night to make up for lost time.
|
The
story now goes that I resigned from bar Magumbo, one of the rowdiest bars
in the Roppongi district. It is a particular good story, but unfortunately
not really accurate. Other stories say that I was fired. This certainly
lacks any truth. It was the day though, that I started independent
contracting and I haven't had a single regret since. I resigned, took the
first plane out of Tokyo and started the same day at my new job in New York.
In the meantime Japan had left an unforgettable impression of energy, fun and
beautiful people. It was just a matter of time before I'd go back.
|
John looking similarly happy.
|
|
