I've always wanted to consider myself spontaneous, and now I finally can! As Fall Break was approaching and exam season was roaring it's ugly head, I decided that I was going to go to Korea! No, not North Korea. Why does everyone keep asking me that? South Korea! Duh! The land of KPOP and Korean Dramas. And, what's more, from the moment I decided, my departure date was set for the next week. How's that for spontaneous? It was surprisingly easy to get everything set up. Buying a place ticket, booking a hotel(?) room, finding someone to go with, everything went rather smoothly. For the last thing, all I had to do was ask a few friends if they wanted to go to Korea with me next week, and voila! I had a taker. Although the rushed planning was a bit stressful for Mia, because she was going with me, I no longer felt any worries. I knew everything would work out fine! And, of course, I am writing this from Japan after the fact. Spoiler Alert: I made it there and back without dying. It is amazingly cheap to be able to fly to Seoul, South Korea from Tokyo, Japan. It didn't even cost me $200 for a 5 day trip. The hotel(?) was even more amazing! For 4 nights for 2 people it was even cheaper than the flight! Mia and I each spent only about $80! Pretty awesome, right? Of course, with the drop in price, there are bound to be things not so desirable. For one thing, the room at the place was TINY. Like puny. Like, half of the size of my bedroom in my dorm at ICU. There were bunk beds in it that were better than sleeping on the floor, but only just barely. The mattresses were quite solid and the pillow wasn't the typical awesome hotel pillow that you dream about before going on a vacation. It was mediocre at best. The bathroom was also small, and the whole thing doubled as a shower and apparently the water pressure was horrible! But there were good things too! The room itself was a pretty nice quality and didn't feel dirty. There was a TV and a heater/air conditioner that allowed you to control the temperature (although that did end up falling off the wall randomly). And it was a private room, just for Mia and I, with a lock and everything. Although I find it difficult to really consider it a hotel, it didn't feel like a hostel in the slightest. On the other hand, although it was cheap, the flight was great! It almost felt like the amenities on it were the same, if not better than the flight I had to Japan! Asiana gets an A+ from me! From tons of leg room, to a foot rest, to a remote for the TV on the seat, to a nice adjustable headrest, it felt completely different from my Delta flight, and any others that I've been on for that matter. Although the flight was less than 3 hours, they gave us a full meal too! It was extraordinary! The only thing lacking was that you only were allowed one bag. Whether you checked it or brought it on the flight, it was still only one. And this was an international flight! That was the only thing I found weird. Here's some pictures I took of the flight amenities :) All in all, despite having very little time to prepare, everything worked out well and I didn't have to fork over my entire wallet to do so! The spontaneity made me feel adventurous and excited, and the good results make me want to continue being so!
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Another text only post! I know you must be disappointed. But! Don't fret! My next one I'll load with pictures of my hotel room for you. Don't blame me for the suspense though, blame chronological order.
After finally making it through customs, it was pretty much a straight shot to get out of the airport. Stop to grab your luggage which is probably dizzy from revolving so many times on the conveyor, wait in another super short line to hand in some final paperwork, and then skedaddle! You are finally free to enter the country. After I was done, I walked out to see a huge crowd of people waiting for the rest of the travel weary internationals still stuck in customs. There, right in front, was Kanako who came to pick me up from the airport. She waved, I waved, and we both were probably feeling a large sense of relief at that moment. Me because I wouldn't have to traverse Japan alone for my first time, she because she had been waiting for me for over an hour with practically nothing to do. Why did Kanako come to pick me up you might be wondering? I signed up for a pick-up service through my Japanese school. Japanese students already attending school volunteer to pick up clueless foreigners like me and make sure we don't have any problems reaching our hotel/dorm/apartment during our first time in Japan. She is one such magnanimous student. Kanako was super nice and amazingly helpful! She went above and beyond her calls of duty to help me set up a delivery service for my two huge suitcases, purchase a Suica card, which is mainly used to bypass buying tickets for the trains, and, after finally dropping me off at my destination, she still kindly helped me look at my various cell phone options (more on that later). The luggage delivery service I used was called Yamato Transportation. It's an amazing service where all you have to do is bring your luggage to the counter, have it weighed, and fill out a short, simple form. Voila! Your luggage will get to your destination without any hassle on your part. For someone who can't speak or read Japanese, you might have some trouble filling in the form and communicating with the service agent, but Kanako was able to solve all these problems for me. I had my luggage delivered directly to my dorm on ICU's campus, and I even had them hold it for two days so it would get there at the same time as me. A little disclaimer though, I chose to have it delivered between 2pm and 4pm, but it got there a little before noon. I've heard that Japanese services will often run early, so if you need to be there when it's dropped off, you should plan accordingly. For me, they dropped it off at my dorm without me even realizing. I just went downstairs and found it already there. The price to hold and deliver my two huge suitcases (35lbs, 49lbs) was around $35. I highly recommend trying this if you want a hassle free adventure. The only downside might be that if you need the stuff in the baggage, you might not be able to get it the same day. For Tokyo, it will probably arrive the day after, and for other cities it could take up to three days. After removing my heavy burdens, Kanako brought me over to a representative to purchase a Suica card. I spent 2000 yen, or just under $20, to get one. This put over 1000 yen onto my card for travel purposes, the rest was the card deposit and handling fees. If you decide to return it, whatever money you have left on the card, plus the ~$3 deposit, will be returned to you. When traveling in Tokyo, in order to ride the trains, merely swipe this card at one of the gates to get into the train station instead of buying a ticket. When you get to your destination, you will swipe it again, and the costs of the trains you rode will automatically be deducted from it. Super convenient, right? The Suica can also be used for buses, arcades, in some stores/restaurants, transportation in other big cities, etc. So, if you don't like keeping lots money with you, it could truly be a life saver. I thought about exchanging money at the airport as well because it was convenient and the rates are probably better than wherever you might exchange in the US, but I decided to exchange with Ninja Money Exchange in Akihabara instead. Their rates are pretty good and there isn't an exchange fee, the only downside is that it's slightly difficult to locate. When I get to the part where I traveled to Akihabara in a later post, I will give you more info on how to find it. Until then, you should once again blame chronological order. (Feel free to message me if for some odd reason, you need this information before I post it. I will be happy to give a spoiler.) So, when everything was finally in order, Kanako and I left on the trains together. I believe we took the Airport Monorail over to another station, then boarded the Yamanote Line, and finally exchanged it for the Chuo Line before finally reaching Musashisakai, but I must confess I wasn't paying close attention. I was too busy looking around and talking with my first Japanese friend. The whole trip probably took somewhere between 40 minutes and an hour. All in all, it went super smoothly. I think that's why the world wanted to give me trouble elsewhere, namely with my phone. You can look forward to hearing about that fiasco! I am sorry for all those who only come here for the pictures. For this leg of my journey, I didn't actually take any... For my more erudite readers, you may continue on!
When I first got off the plane, I didn't really notice much of a difference. I don't know if I was expecting a voice to say, "You've made it! The country you've always been waiting for is finally here!" or to have some sort of Eureka moment, but neither of them occurred. (At least, to the best of my knowledge. If someone had said that in Japanese to me, I probably wouldn't have noticed. I was a little too busy trying to have a Eureka moment and wasn't listening.) What I did notice was that Haneda airport rocks! For me, one of the best things about going to the airport is the moving walkways. I love the feeling of speeding by while merely walking along at a meander. Haneda airport does it right with moving walkway after moving walkway. From the moment I stepped off the plane, my whole journey was divided into these 75-ish foot segments. Even when I found myself turning corners, there were still plenty more to enjoy. Now, a little Japan etiquette that I've learned. It's clearly displayed on the moving walkways, but I'll give you a heads up now. The left side is meant for people who want to enjoy themselves for as long as possible. They stand there, and DO NOT WALK. If you, like me, want to set new walking speed records, stay to the right and don't feel shy about passing people. Coincidentally, this is also what happens on escalators. If you don't want to move, and there is room for people to pass you, stick to the left. The Japanese people will thank you! (Figuratively. In actual fact, it's more likely that if you do it wrong, they will just curse you in their heads. Break the rules at your own risk! Negative thoughts are scary!) The exception to this rule: stairs. They are so organized on their system for electronic movers, but when it comes to the stairs, chaos breaks lose. Feel free to choose your favorite side and walk there; I think that's what everyone else does too. It's not a game of chicken though, so be courteous. Don't obstinately stick to your chosen side if someone else is coming right at you. Now, back to Haneda Airport. Unbeknownst to me, practically between every break in the moving walkways, there are bathrooms. I waited in a line at the first bathroom I came to, but I don't think that was actually necessary. I think the line was because all the foreign people ahead of me that also didn't know there were more bathrooms, also found the toilets, with their many fancy features, captivating. SO! For all you readers who ever find themselves arriving at Haneda Airport in need of a bathroom, maybe walk a little more and hit one of the later ones. Then, you can stare at the toilets to your heart's content without creating a huge line behind you! Once all the fun is over, and you've finally reached customs, don't let the tiny little line fool you. There is a line for people to show they have their passports, probably like 4 people long, and then you can head past a little divider into the REAL customs. I thought the 4 person line was customs. I chalk this obvious fallacy up to my 13 hour flight. Others might chalk it up to extreme optimism and/or stupidity. Think what you like. The point is, don't be like me, stopping in front of the short line in order to get all my paperwork in order! There will be plenty of time to organize yourself in the real line without letting all the people who stand on the left of the moving walkways pass you. Once you do finally make it to customs, you will be wowed with just how many people there are. I initially was sticking with the optimism in thinking that the line I got into stayed on the left side of the huge room, and that there was another group of turnstiles on the right. Don't be alarmed when you realize they are all connected. Since I have no real pictures, to give you a mental one, imagine you just got into the line for the Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point, or some other equally popular roller coaster, on a beautiful sunny day in summer. That is what it looks like to wait in line for the Japanese Foreign International Customs. The only up side is that the line moves much faster than for a roller coaster. It's speed is much more comparable to rush hour on the highway. Move a few feet... Stop... Move a few feet... Stop.... Sometimes move a whole 10 feet forward only to... Stop again.... What a fun first hour in Japan it was!
Although having stuff to do might seem like a good idea, in all likelihood you won't use it and and will end up wasting valuable packing space. For a few hours, a downloaded audio-book on your phone will be perfect and take up no extra room in your suitcases. For longer flights, the planes have built in entertainment for you to watch, play, and listen to. With Delta it was free, others might make you pay though, so be careful with that! For longer flights as well you have optional Wi-Fi that you can purchase. For me, just under 13 hours of Wi-Fi would have cost $21. You can even break it down if you don't need it the whole time! 1 hour was $3, 3 hours was $6, and so on. If you have a phone or laptop with you, then this can also pass the time for a few hours. You might even be able to get some work done. With a USB port on each seat, you also don't need to worry about your phone dying, though your laptop still might.
I was able to pass the time by watching three movies, a few episodes of a TV show, eating the food they passed around, and sleeping. 13 hours "flew" by without too much pain! For my international flight, two nicely sized meals with acceptable taste were provided, as well as one snack of ice cream and flatbread pizza. They also gave each passenger slippers, an eye mask, ear plugs, ear buds, a small pillow, and a blanket, along with providing free movies, music, and games. Another nice feature available was a flight tracker which would show you where you were currently flying, and about how long until reaching your destination. The flight attendants all spoke in English to me, an obvious foreigner, and in Japanese to the two Japanese people beside me, and all important flight information was delivered first in English and then again in Japanese. All in all, I am impressed with Delta's services. I would definitely fly with them again!
Secondly, you must have a plan and proper things to do while flying! That means cards, books, video games, just stuff everything in. Once on the plane, stow one of your two carry-ons, since it's impossible to fit all the essentials in just one, and place the other under the seat in front of you. I guarantee all the games will be in the stowed bag, and all the boring books that you brought will be "stuck" under the seat. Then, even though you lack internet, you will play with your phone for the whole flight, throwing all plans out the plane without a parachute.
For me, I made 1 hour and 40 minutes pass by like an instant with a downloaded audio-book and my phone's gazillion pictures. You might think that an hour and 40 minutes isn't much, but that's the time it takes to drive to Ohio State University from Medina, my hometown. I've tried everything, Disney karaoke, the ABC game, and, heaven forbid, actually speaking to the person driving, but they all end in boredom! For my flight, I was not bored once! Praise me for my long attention span :) I can go almost two hours without any lasting problems. So, in conclusion: Two or more pillows and a full bag of entertainment. Disclaimer: Don't listen to a word I've just said. It's rather unreasonable advice. From what I've seen today, the only travel option is to fly early. I've been to the airport numerous times before just to have a mediocre experience that ends in being trapped on a plane for hours, but today was amazing.
For starters, at 7:30 in the morning, there are no lines! Nothing can make an impatient vacationer more irritable than waiting while hefting heavy luggage. Not that I can complain. As you've seen, I pack light ;) But! Not only can you walk right in to literally EVERYTHING, the people working can devote their time to you as necessary. The man working for Delta who checked my suitcases was so nice! Although possibly a bit of a chatty Cathy, and a solicitor, he was so friendly! He went the extra mile to look up the gate for my connecting flight, to draw a map for me of where to go once I got to Minneapolis, and he even shared a story about his own daughter's failed study abroad attempt. I suppose a success story would have been more encouraging at the moment, but still! He was great! The woman who checked my ticket was even better. I had just had my goodbye with mom when the woman cheerfully asked me why I was crying! I explained that I was leaving my loved ones for 10 months, and pointed at mom who was still watching, then lo and behold! She had her come over to say goodbye again. She even offered us tissues as we both broke into more tears, and shared a story about a man going into the army who kept running back to say goodbye again. So, in conclusion, no lines, happy people, free stuff (tissues), and stories that are not so encouraging, but still funny, all await you with morning travel. Why fly any other way?!? Disclaimer (in fast, deep, medication side-effects voice): results may vary depending on season and staff temperament. Stories may not always be funny, sometimes they are just un-encouraging. |
AuthorThe name's Sarah. From September, 2017 to June, 2018 I will be your guide through life as an exchange student in Tokyo. (Some guide I am. It's like I just left you in the middle of nowhere so that I could go off on my own adventures!) Archives
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