Destination Tokyo

10 days without my boys. For a family that has never been apart for more than a couple of days, it felt like forever! But only a CHUMP would turn down free airfare and free lodging in Tokyo, but the offer was only for me. Not being a chump, I accepted the offer and packed my bags. Nothing makes a 12 hour flight feel like longer than sitting for an hour on the tarmack before take off. I haven't ever been in an airplane for that long. Car yes, airplane, no. I watched movies, and chatted with Lisa (mostly mocking the drunkity-drunk, drunk chic sitting behind us loudly cussing up a storm.) and before we knew it we were in Japan.



We spent some time figuring out how to track down David and his friend, Kurtis who were meeting us at the airport (their flights came in before ours.), then bought our train tickets into Tokyo from Narita. And there began my 10 days of sticker shock! The train ticket was much more expensive than I would have guessed and when you times that by 6 it seems like chartering your own private train would be cheaper. Jet-lagged and sticker shocked, we arrived in Shinjuku station (one of the city's busiest) late at night with still yet another train ride and car ride to get to our apartment.

We finally made it to Tada-Koen station starving. David said there would be a place to eat there. He picked a noodle joint and we all had noodle bowls. Lisa and I tried to have David ask for our without meat. David was not amused that Lisa is vegetarian and I am eating mostly vegan. The vegetarian translated ok, but the vegan, not so much. It was the beginning of our fun food times with David, who eats the junkiest food I have ever seen, and thinks it is weird that not everyone else does. It made restaurant choosing interesting.

After a bowl of noodles and cabbage and sprouts, we were picked up by the Uchida family from the train station. We were staying at their empty apartment, and they had it all set up for us. The first thing that struck me was the size. The place consisted of one main room, one kitchen, a bathtub/shower room and a toilet room. This was an ok size for the six of us to use as a crash pad, but the fact that they raised their 5 children (!) in this tiny space surprised me. After the size came the smell. It had a very distinct, earthy smell that came from the wood and the tatami mat floor. David said it was a typical smell of a Japanese home.

Last, my impression of the bathroom(s). The shower and tub were in the same space and attached to one another, yet separate. It resembled something out of an RV (also a place where function rules over style). Down the hall, was the toilet closet. (You didn't want to get naked for a shower and then realize you had to use the toilet. It was definitely beneficial to plan ahead.) The toilet had a faucet attached at the top of the tank that doubled both to re-fill the tank after a flush as well as a place to rinse your hands. (I just never really got over the fact that it was attached to the toilet and would use the sink in the kitchen for actual hand washing).

After taking a tour of the apartment, we all gratefully crashed out on the futons they had set up on the floor for us. (Yes, that is right, we slept Japanese style for our Tokyo stay.) Happy to finally be able to rest after the crazy journey to the East.