Hair of the cat, ni ni ni, and ecce ecce ecce

We chased the sun all day and all night it seems, moving West towards Japan and ultimately Vietnam. I finished a book, read about the US setting up a war in Iran, and watched 2.5 movies. I am grateful that it will be night when I arrive in Hanoi. I will fall into bed and sleep and sleep.

I was very happy with my Air Canada flight from Toronto to Tokyo Narita Eco Airport (that is what was emblazoned on the airport lawn when we landed). I think it was my first time being a minority on a flight. I was a Caucasian face in a sea of Japanese and I loved it though I might not love it so much in four weeks.

I have a photo of me with a new Japanese friend but I can't upload anything to the computer at which I currently sit; it's encased in a metal box. The photo is *fantastic*: I took it at the end of a 15 hour journey and there is a sharp contrast between me (of Eastern European descent) and my new friend (a delicate Japanese woman who is 60 but looks at least ten years younger). I might as well be the Green Giant. She and her husband were total sweeties. They wanted to know what I was "studying" because I was plowing through a great book about Vietnam ("Vietnam, Now" by David Lamb; memorable lines include "kill rat, grow cat"). Their English was almost as good as my Japanese, which is to say, non-existent so in the end they got a flight attendant to act as their translator (these two really knew how to work it, let me tell you). When they discovered that I am a teacher they were hugely impressed and made me feel very important. It was incredibly flattering and I'm certain that I turned bright red from embarrassment and surprise.

My friend and I tried communicating via the universal languages of stick figures and numbers but I think I left her with the impression that I am 37 and expecting twins. I was able to correct the impression that I'm 37 but I'm pretty sure she still believes I'm pregnant with twins. At my end, I discovered that she and her husband had been in Niagara Falls for a week-long 'low-key' trip and that they have two sons. I will post the picture of us when I can.

Landing in Japan was one of the coolest moments of my life. There were little hills poking out all over the place and bouquets of trees gathered on top. I can't believe I'm on this amazing island. The view from the plane was nothing like what I expected it to be. I expected to see large cities and, nearing Tokyo, towers and lights. Instead, I saw fields, trees, and bodies of water. From very high up it looked like Canada in miniature, except better-organized. They haven't stripped their greenbelts into thongs. The houses in towns seem to be clustered quite close together and there are substantive fields around them. I want to know what they grow there.

The great organization has continued at the airport. I had to change terminals but the gate at terminal one matched the gate at terminal two - my new friend told me two is 'ni' in Japanese which always makes me think 'ni ni ni' - resulting in: NO CONFUSION!! Again, BRILLIANT! On top of this, they had a greeter waiting for me specifically at the Air Canada gate. It pays to be the white kid going to Hanoi! Unfortuanately, in my sleep-deprived fog I accidentally ditched my greeter and made my way to Terminal Ni on my own. I hope I didn't cause her any problems or worries.

So now I am off to eat a bean paste cake thing that looks delicious and to pick at a lone cat hair stuck in my glasses. It seems that Charlie has found a way of crossing the Pacific with me. Fortunately Vietnam now has this 'kill rat, grow cat' policy. Lucky cat.

xo
toupe

ps: at this moment, I wish I could take a little pill and become a polyglot