Tokyo ’14 part 1
When I headed out my door this morning, all packed up, it was the first time in a long while that I’ve done so on my own. It was a bit unsettling, in fact. I allowed myself to feel cautiously happy, almost uneasily happy, on the bus to the airport. The weather in Taipei was brilliant and hot, and I wondered if it was raining in Tokyo.
The feeling of happiness grew stronger at the airport, where I lounged around while everyone else lined up to get on the plane. I was happy to be the last one. I’d gotten there in plenty of time, snagged myself a window seat at the rear of the 777, and settled in for a beautiful flight.
It was actually stunningly beautiful…white bits of clouds floating over the blue pacific, their dark blue shadows and white reflections visible in the water. A kid was crying, but it didn’t bother me.
I managed to catch the Skyliner into Tokyo this time, something that eluded me last time I was here, five years ago. Has it really been five years? Man. I was happy again when I walked out of the station into Ueno. I’m staying at the hotel I felt was most appropriately named: the Sardonyx. My window doesn’t do much right now because it’s too low and the building next door blocks any view, but they said they’d move me upwards tomorrow. After dinner at Yoshinoya (oddly one restaurant where the food is much better in the Taipei version), I walked around the area a bit. It’s cool but not unpleasant. So far, so good. No idea what I’m doing, Â which, again, I’ve grown unused to, but I’ll think of something.