Really small in Narita

Narita International: A big airport for a small lady.




If I could write this in a whisper, I would, because that's as much confidence as I have right now.

I've got head spins from lack of sleep, possibly not enough food and the good ol travelling dehydration.

I am also quite clearly terrified.

My timetable to get to work in Obihiro involves changing trains at four stations, none of them will be signposted in English, three of them are famous for soy beans, and all timetables are in Kanji.

My laptop has broken, mobile phones don't work - I feel so so isolated from a world I understand.

I've chosen to treat myself to a night at the Holiday Inn in the airport to give me a chance to deal with my hysteria, get some sleep, adjust a bit more slowly and use some of the facilities like post, bank and internet conveniently in the one building.

I feel incapable of making decisions on itineraries (do I really want to trek around or should I base myself), luggage (should I store the extra 6 kgs of luggage I now don't need because it doesn't work), technology (how do I check my banking without all my codes, store my photos and finish a client's job next week?) and what to have for dinner.

I read some really emotional emails from HOME today - that's hyvaa Suomi to clarify! - but they made me cry and want to jump on the next plane back.

Japan really is out of my comfort circle. You could put me in Iraq, where the culture and language would be familiar enough to counter the potential hostage threat, I could easily slip into one of the Stans for the same reason and for my pure passion for the region; likewise far Russia. I could be in deepest darkest scariest Central America and feel okay with the language and the spirit of the place. But there is something about Japan, that it was never on my dream list, but simply there, that the language is something I have never even glanced at, that the culture of respect and bowing and not saying you don't know that is so beyond me that I feel completley isolated for the first time in my life.

And I'm writing this from probably one of the busiest airline terminals in the world...

I like to be challenged. I'm sure with sleep and udon in my belly I will be okay... Stay tuned. See if I grow.