Blogger, why did you have to change the layout? Why?
Whinge finished. I'm sitting in a departure lounge in Kansai Airport. Every now and then an aeroplane lands, and the whole place shakes. It's like there's an earthquake every five minutes.
I've been in Japan for the past two weeks, first for a conference and then a short holiday. Japan is an interesting country. It's true, when they say that Japanese are extremely polite. It's not just the bowing and the greetings, but also the extreme care everyone takes to keep public spaces clean, and to keep services as efficient as possible.
I also understand why so many expatriates, in spite of living in Japan for some time, are unable to speak the language fluently. It is so easy to get by without understanding Japanese, because almost everyone is willing to accommodate a helpless foreigner. (Although I did learn to read katakana and hiragana before coming here - I didn't fancy being completely helpless!)
I loved the regions in the Kansai region I visited, especially Kyoto. I wish I had spent more time there. Tokyo wasn't bad, but I found I preferred the areas which had an old-fashioned feel, such Asakusa and the Imperial Palace gardens, rather than modern districts like Shibuya, Ginza and Akihabara. Maybe I just like temples and nature. Less than a day into my stay in Kyoto and it already felt like home.
I did get to see Mt. Fuji with my own eyes (and camera), and felt all the more privileged when I was later told that it is hard to see the mountain at this time of the year, since it tends to be covered up by clouds. I did indeed see Mt. Fuji covered up by clouds later in the day - it completely disappears from view. Amazing that such a large mountain can vanish just like that .
Anyway, photos may be forthcoming at some point. For now, I'll enjoy this shaking room.
