October 8, 2008
Arrived in Narita and grabbed all three bags and headed through customs. It was funny how normal it felt… I appreciated Jeph reminding me how the whole process works. It was fairly uneventful.. except watching the three little Japanese guys try to pick up my bags! (yes, they were all overweight and probably weighed more than they did!) Through some creative body language, I tried to warn them of their excess weight- which in turn provided some entertainment for all! They were cute and we laughed and I was again reminded of the fun of life in a foreign land. I hope I can always find the humor of these moments as I enter into illiteracy! Once I got through customs- I headed for my ANA (Japanese airline) flight to Osaka. I wish I had a camera as the clash of extreme high tech meeting extreme low tech was apparent. There are tons of examples of this, but the scene in the airport was an incredible example. Here’s how it worked. As I sat in the boarding area, I watched as five flight attendants prepared for the boarding process. This sounds simple enough, right? Not so- I have to try to paint this picture so you can get the full affect. Above the registration desk area was a digital sign that listed the flight number, the time of boarding, the time of departure and partner airline logos. Really everything one would need to know. There was also a digital area that told how many minutes until boarding and reassured us that the flight was still “on time”. Great. What happened next is the best ‘welcome to japan’ that I can explain. One of the flight attendants (she was the only one wearing a pink scarf, a designation of her important role- everyone in Japan wears uniforms and it’s vital to them knowing their jobs, rank, etc.) so.. our lady in pink walked over to special area and retrieved a paper bag along with a portable stage. She pulled it to an exact spot, and very deliberately, placed the paper bag in a special spot next to the wooden stage. Upon a bow and a signal to one of the other flight attendants, she stepped up onto the stage and the time of instruction began. Another attendant read through a detailed script informing us on the “way to board” in both Japanese and English while the attendant in pink, pulled out laminated pictures of what she was saying. It took several minutes as they had to do it in both languages- (imagine the whole scene where flight attendants in the planes go over emergency procedures.. it was like that kind of display). Here’s where it got funny. The whole purpose of the instructions was to show us how to swipe our boarding pass in order to "board" which meant going through the gate leading to the plane. When they finally announced that it was time to board (which again is funny, I just can’t explain it), each exit/entrance area had two attendants stationed (4 total) who took our boarding passes and swiped them! It didn’t seem to be a difficult process and remember; we had just heard and observed very specific instructions, however… I was reminded that Japan has a very low unemployment rate and this is one of the reasons. They utilize people’s talents in very specific ways- everywhere! (I’ll write more later but within three blocks, I pass 7 traffic control men that signal to me that I can keep walking….. I haven’t figured out any alternatives to my other options on the sidewalk, but I’ll keep you posted!). So, with all the help that I rec’d, I was able to board the plane and 70 minutes later (7:30 pm), landed in Osaka where I was met by our friend, Kayoko, her two beautiful kids and my handsome hubby (who I was REALLY glad to see!). Kayoko drove us to our apartment and along the way, mentioned that I had a job for tomorrow if I wanted. One of the teachers at OIS (Osaka International School) needed two of his classes covered- thus, my substituting career has begun!
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