Layover in Japan

Japan was the first Asian country that I seriously considered visiting.  A few years ago, I was studying Judo, "the gentle art of self-defense", the modern Japanese martial art that, of all the martial arts I am aware of, focuses most on using the opponent's strength and movement to defeat him.  I was really into Judo, and I dreamed about having enough money to go to the Kodokan, the home of Judo, in Tokyo, to study there.

Considering that, I find it ironic that, when I finally did get to Japanese soil, not far from Tokyo, it was only a two-hour layover in the international terminal of the Narita airport.  It's even more ironic that, by the time I got there, I had a rather jaded view of Japan.  From my three months in Korea, I had become more sympathetic to Korea, and the harm that they had suffered under Japanese occupation from about 1910 to 1945.  I had also learned that, adding insult to injury, the Japanese government still refused to apologize to the Koreans for the lasting harm resulting from that occupation.  Moreover, I had been trying to learn Korean for three months, with some success, and here I was now, in Japan, with a language and writing system that I had never seriously studied.  But the most important emotional association was probably the fact that Japan and Japan airlines were my path away from Korea, where I really wanted to stay.

So, when I arrived in Japan, and during the whole time I was on Japan Airlines, I didn't have a very friendly feeling toward the language or the culture.  Of course, I didn't show any hostility, but I felt like a stranger on unfriendly ground, much more so than I had in Korea.  In Korea, the people had been very friendly.  In Tokyo, I saw a sign warning travelers about pickpockets and luggage thieves, which are not considered significant hazards in Korea.

Adding to this feeling of hostility, when I got to the gate for my connecting flight, I saw something rather disturbing on the television.  Of course, it was all in Japanese, so I didn't really know what the show was about, but what I saw on the large screen was a little Japanese girl, a toddler really, in the process of getting dressed.  I suppose the show was narrating her dressing activity.  My discomfort stemmed from the knowledge that Japan, like Korea, does have a problem with sexual exploitation of young women, and even sexually immature girls.  I feel that such a show would be likely to contribute to that problem, even if the content of the show was entirely innocent in its intent.

At any rate, I didn't have to watch that show.  The TV closest to my gate was showing a sumo tournament, which didn't really need narration.  An American gentleman on my flight sat down near me to watch, and explained some of the procedures, like the required ritual posturing and ceremonial scattering of rice.  Since the boarding call was a little delayed, we had time to watch the grand finale, which was good.

On the flight, I got an aisle seat in the center section of the 777-300ER, and my own little movie screen.  The only irritating thing was that the screen stopped for every announcement, and the announcements were in both English and Japanese, so it took twice as long.  Also, unlike on Singapore Airlines, I did not get a comfort pack (toothbrush, toothpaste, knit socks).  Despite the slightly delayed boarding, we caught a strong jet stream, so we made good time.  Since I would be arriving in the morning, I tried to sleep, with a little success.

After a little catnap, I checked the time in San Francisco, and decided to get ready for that time zone.  So, I set my watch and checked the movies.  I got to watch the new G.I. Joe movie, which was quite good.  I also got to watch most of the new Transformers movie, which I had already seen once, before the movies were turned off for landing.  Breakfast was decent, and the landing was quite smooth.

Immigration/customs was no problem, as I was not bringing back enough cash for them to be concerned about.  I did have to answer a few questions from one officer about the purpose of my visit.  Baggage claim took a little while, but I made friends with the attendants and helped them keep the baggage running smoothly.  I did have to wait at the curb for my mom, but I expected that.  Of course, she took me to lunch at Nona's Kitchen, a fabulous restaurant on Highway 1 in Pacifica, not too far out of our way.  (It's owned and run by Joreth Toropov, who is married to my cousin Virginia.)

After lunch, my mom drove me to her house in Brentwood, in East Contra Costa County.  I unloaded my luggage into the guest room (henceforth my bedroom), took off my nice clothes, and crashed on the bed until dinnertime.

Prayer Requests
I've pretty much gotten over my jet lag by now, which is harder going east when crossing the International Date Line.  What I need now is paid employment.  Please pray that I would find work.  I don't want to work retail during the holiday shopping rush, because most retailers are open on Sunday.  I want to teach, so I need to start by getting a substitute teaching credential, and applying at all the nearby school districts.  I also need to look at the private schools.

More importantly, I need to know God's direction for my life.  I've been on a rather circuitous and indirect course thus far, and while it may have been God's will, it's very trying to my parents as well as me.  On Sunday, I enjoyed a sermon from Pastor Larry at GHCC on that subject, which reminded me that it's my listening ability, not God's communication skills, that interfere.  Please pray that I would listen to God as He shows me His will for my life in this area.

Thanks for reading, and thanks for praying.  Now that I'm back in the U.S., I probably won't be updating this blog very much, unless I have something major to report.  If you have any questions, I'm sure most of you know how to contact me.  Otherwise, comments to this post will get e-mailed to me, and I will get back to you.