Day 2, 3 - Arrival

Previously on: Day 1 - Departure

May 2nd, 2012

I woke up shortly after a quick nap, since my flight towards New York (JFK) takes only 2 hours. Once I set foot on land I immediately proceeded to claim my luggage. JFK wasn't as lively as I thought but the crowd started to pile up when I got into the main terminal. Took me a while to take the airport express to another terminal, where my next flight (operated by ANA) was. The counters were supposed to open at 9.30am but they started at around 9am when they saw the queue getting longer and longer (Great job).

Already a long queue, 8.30am 

After I passed through the gates, I tried to look for a free wireless hotspot to connect myself to the internet but sadly, all I've got was a Boingo service which I had to pay 7 bucks for a one-time access (which in the end I did). This is why I hate western airports, JFK, London Heathrow and many more; they just don't provide what we travelers want the most - FREE and INSTANT wifi. All we want to do once we settle in the airport was to go online, give our family or loved ones a call or a message to tell them we're safe. How hard is it to provide a stupid hotspot? We don't care if the speed is slow, as long as it works, we're good. All I can see and feel is business. But still, I got online by giving them the $7 and contacted my dad and sunshine; I know when is it right to pay for the stuff we need, instead of the stuff we want.

ANA's flight from New York to Narita, Japan takes around 14 hours, which means I can finally get some good sleep in the cabin. I have to say, ANA had given me a very good impression since the beginning and they still make me think that way. Their services were excellent and the seats were very comfy (compared to a certain low-cost carrier). The meals were also very delicately prepared; very tasty and with a wide selection for an in-flight meal if you ask me. For a 14-hour flight, I had a main course and another slight meal, a haagen daz ice cream came after that as well:

 The main course - Grilled Cod with Soba and appetizers. Delicious.

The light meal - Korean Bibimbap with desserts

I have to say, this is how you should promote culture. Even before landing in Japan I already had a taste of great Japanese food. Japan indeed, we have lots to learn from.

May 3rd, 2012

I arrived at Narita, Tokyo for a flight transfer. Ironically, I had to pass through the customs, get my luggage and get to Haneda Airport within 4 hours for a domestic flight instead of staying within the customs for a connecting flight (It was really quite a rush, considering the fact that I am a total noob at Japanese transport systems and my Japanese was very limited). It was a good thing I asked my cousin about this and I did a little research on my own before I left Toronto. I went to the counter in front of the gates to purchase a 3000yen ticket and went outside to queue for the express bus, straight to Haneda:

Bus stations right outside the airport.

Japanese people are very friendly, even with their limited English they would try to help you with all they can,  they would even bring you to the spot if you were asking for directions and what they said did not make sense to you. Also I noticed, they take their work very seriously but with enthusiasm. Even a foreigner like me who doesn't understand Japanese could feel their passion and their lively spirit (10 points to Japan!).

The bus took 1.5 hours to arrive at Haneda, where I immediately moved towards the check-in counter to leave my bulky luggage in good hands. A view of the airport while rushing around:

 A typical airport scene

 With shopping centers and restaurants

Within the gates, waiting for a boarding call

After I passed through the gates, I texted my cousin to tell her my whereabouts and would be arriving around 8pm, texted my dad and sunshine as usual to let them know I'm doing great. My last flight from Haneda, Tokyo to Osaka Itami took only an hour and sis was already there to greet me when I arrived. After almost 3 days of non-stop rushing I arrived at my destination safe and sound. Tired, worn-out but very excited. Sis took a picture of me when I first set foot and man do I look flat from all those actions:

Flattened and exhausted. Imagine how happy I was when the flights were over.

I followed my cousin back to her place to wash up and settle down via monorail and a lil walking, and again, I have to say, I have been amazed by Japanese culture, architecture and their engineering ever since I set foot on their ground. The monorail was wide and spacey with 5 cabins, unlike a certain puny monorail train back where I was from, the train on the run was silent enough for me to hear my own breathing if I paid attention. Amazing indeed.

I went for a bath immediately once I settled down and man did I smell like rotten fish. What do you expect? I have been on the run for 3 straight days with no time leverage to shower and I was traveling alone; how am I going to keep an eye on my luggage if I went into the showers? Felt great feeling clean and fragrant again. And it was a very, very wise choice to bring 2 pairs of walking shoes because the one that I wore throughout the trip from Toronto to Osaka smelt so irritating I had no choice but to place them on the balcony, hoping that Japanese wind would do some good in purifying the smell.

Sis went and got me some dinner, and it tasted AWESOME. Even the sushi tastes better than a certain sushi restaurant back in Malaysia. Not only sushi, but with fried chicken, sausages and some rolls. My first meal in Japan:

A big thanks to my sis who let me stay at her place and got me dinner!! Yummilicious!!

Called my dad and texted sunshine after dinner and felt sleepy right after, thus prepared to sleep at around 12am. Sis prepared a futon (Japanese mattress) for me and it felt great, after days of sleeping in a upright position in the planes I could finally lay down in peace. 

After all the ruckus, I closed my eyes, slowly wandered into dreamland with pride and relief......

......until I noticed I had jet lag and was unable to fall asleep before 3am (True story, haha).

Day 1 - Departure

May 1st, 2012
I departed from my house in Toronto at around 4pm, since most of my housemates are leaving for either Korea or Europe at 8pm while my flight towards New York was 14 hours away. Edmond and Wai Meng were helping us out, carrying our bags from the house to the airport and in case our luggage went overweight, they could bring them back home.

We had to rush here and there to check in our baggage when we arrived, most of my friends' check-in counters were at terminal 1, while mine was at terminal 3 (A big hassle to get to, considering I had 2 bags to tend to, dragging them along with me wherever I went).

Those flying to Seoul took off according to schedule while poor Vickie, who was flying to London, experienced a 2-hour delay for her flight (Still, nothing compared to me having to camp at the airport for 14 hours). I settled myself at one end of the terminal and started to charge my iPhone, where I took a quick snap of the view:

Terminal 3, Toronto Pearson International Airport

I then moved myself near the cafeteria area, where tables are provided and I successfully secured myself a neat little spot where I can keep an eye on my baggage and use my laptop in peace. This lasted for another 8 hours (Trust me, you won't want to do it) until I was able to check-in my largest bag and proceed to the US customs. A comment/suggestion here for the customs; I lined up at 4am, was first in line but still had to stand and wait for 40minutes before the gates were open for people to pass through. They could at least open the gates a little bit earlier when they noticed the queue getting longer and longer.

Passing through the customs wasn't a big problem for me since I have a US visa, it's the baggage screening process which were really a pain in the neck but eventually, I passed through them all and boarded my plane without fail. Here's a picture of the cute lil' jet I took:

 Small but capable. American Airlines.

I texted my dad and sunshine before take-off to let them know nothing had gone wrong. I was terribly exhausted when the plane finally steadied itself in the skies, but excitement gushed through my veins when I looked outside the window and saw this:

 A carpet of clouds, who wouldn't love a view like this?

Almost Instantly, I knew that I had made the right choice to travel. I was tired, but very, very proud of myself for finally stepping out of my comfort zone. While being immersed in thoughts of bliss, the jet turned and stabilized itself on its appropriate route and to my eyes, the world was presented:

A million dollar view, somewhere up in the skies.

And that, was the last picture I took, right before shutting the window and dozing off, relieved.

Next up: Day 2, 3 - Arrival