Initial Culture Shock
The flight to Japan; thirteen and a half hours
We weren’t sitting together, the kids sat in front of us so they could share snacks and we sat directly behind them. I sat in the middle and Brad was in the aisle seat. But I mostly stayed scrunched up to Brad because the man next to me kept his arm on my side of the armrest. We got lunch, dinner and then lunch again as we passed the international date line, leaping ahead to the next day. I put my arm around brads on his armrest as I watched bones episodes to kill time. The woman sitting directly behind Brad took her shoes off and put her brown and black fuzzy socked feet up on Brad’s armrest. Every time I moved my elbow back, I got toe caressed by twinkle toes. I finally fell asleep, until Mr. elbows to the left rubbed his arm up my side. I sat up leaned forward in my seat and stayed there trying desperately y to keep my composure. I was eventually able to chalk it up to a difference in the need for personal space.
Once at the Japan Narita airport we were stared at a bit but I wasn’t offended (we saw only two other Americans while we were there). I took the kids to the bathroom, the first toilet had buttons all over it, the last toilet had “Japanese style” written on the door, I opened the door and there it was a porcelain-covered hole in the ground with a white hump sticking out of the ground on one end. I stared and contemplated how one would use such a toilet but proceeded to wait in line for the western style pedestal toilet (The Japanese woman were waiting for the western toilet as well). Once at the gate the kids and I immediately fell asleep because the airport had the most beautiful serene environment I have ever seen. The lighting was calming and Japanese music played softly it sounded like brain wave synchronizing bell sounds. Brad woke us up when it was time to board the plane. Brad said he had gone to smoke and when he came back, some man was sitting in the one empty seat between me and one of the kids. Brad said he gave the man a glare and he moved as Brad came back. I was very freaked out by this because one; we were all sleeping so heavily and two there was no shortage of seats at the gate. The airport employees and flight attendants were some of the sweetest people I have ever encountered. They went way beyond what they needed to assure our comfort, they gave the kids toys and drinks and talked so softly to us asking repeatedly if we needed food, or drinks or pillows, or blankets. When we were asleep on the flight from Japan to Korea, they left little notes on our seats saying they would like to serve us food or drinks upon awakening and to please let them know if we needed anything.
We arrived in Seoul after a short flight, exhausted, cranky, hungry and thirsty. Then we got to customs. Brad went through first and had our arrival form. But after he passed through, we were told we all needed to fill one out so I went back with the kids and filled out three more cards. The papers on the plane said we would only need one per family. I fought back tears of exhaustion and the urge to yell at the customs people. I kept messing up on the forms and having to fill out new ones. Finally got through customs and from there were taken very good care of by army personnel.