Planes, Trains, and Toilets

Jet lag has its advantages. Why else would I be up at 5 a.m. writing my next blog post?

The sunrise from our bedroom window.

We are officially going into our fourth full day in Japan, although to me, it feels like we have been here weeks already. Every day feels like several, as the new things I experience and learn each day don't seem like they could possibly fit into only 24 hours (a bit less, if you count the time I'm sleeping. Although to be fair, I've even had to re-learn to sleep). To say I'm overwhelmed at times might be an understatement. To say I'm enthralled would be completely truthful. To say I'm beginning to love this place would not be a lie.

To say that I've taken more gravol this week than I have all year, would give you an indication of the kind of traveling that has ensued.

There are three things that really stick out in my mind as I reflect on the past several days. Actually, if we're being fair, there are more than three. But for the sake of time and lengthiness, I have narrowed it down to three. So, without further ado, the three experiences so far that have changed my life forever.


1) Japanese Airplane Naptime

I've learned that Japanese sneak their Zzs in whenever possible. In Tokyo, for example, we rode the train many times, and something I realised was that if you really want to fit in, you should probably just doze off as soon as the train starts moving. Even before, if you're a keener.

However, on our flight over I experienced this for the first time, and in a much more interesting way. You see, napping on the plane is apparently a ritual that is simply standard.

It started with a meal. After everyone had dutifully eaten their airplane meal and drank their green tea, the shades on the airplane windows started to go down. As I watched, everyone on the plane, excepting me and a few other American-type people started lowering their shades. The plane got progressively darker, until my husband suggested that I also close mine. So I did. Then blankets started coming out. Shoes started coming off. Head rests were adjusted, and before I knew it, the plane lights in the aisles were out and we were encased in a capsule of darkness with every single person on the plane (that I could see at least) sleeping! It was like naptime at a daycare, except no one was enforcing it! What really got me though, was that everyone just simply knew this ritual; we eat, we make the plane dark, we sleep. This nighttime atmosphere lasted until our second meal was served, about two hours from touch down. Not everyone slept that long, but everyone (except me) knew better than to turn on the lights or open the shades until then.  

I realised that this was not only a very smart practise, in that by participating in the Airplane Naptime Ritual I had taken a big step in working against jet lag, but as I would also learn, it is a reflection of Japanese culture. People work together for the common good. They follow these rituals as a part of keeping things running smoothly, for the sake of everyone. I have seen this 'naptime mindset' over and over again, in train stations, in restaurants, in meetings. It is an interesting cultural system that, as far as I have seen, works well. As long as you know the system. And I don't yet. Which leads me to my next life-changing experience.


2) The Japanese Toilet

Justin had talked to me a lot about this. In fact, he's talked to everyone a lot about this. Am I right? Okay. So having heard all these things about the washroom facilities, I realised about mid-flight that I was actually scared to use the lavatory. Eventually necessity overcame fear and I realised that I had nothing to worry about. It was just like any other toliet, plus, all the instructions were also printed in English (yes, the toilets have instructions)! So even though one Japanese toilet can vary significantly from the other, as long as you read the instructions, you'll be fine. No big deal, I concluded.

That is, until I tried the bidet. 

We were in a department store. I had to use the washroom. I had been successful in this until I suddenly thought, Hey! I should try the bidet! I had been avoiding it until now, once again fearful of the outcome. But, feeling confident and brave given my bathroom achievements thus far, I pressed that button.

I waited.

Then it hit me.

In the neck.

WHAT??!! My clothes are being soaked and my neck is being sprayed by a possessed toilet! WHAT DO I DO?

Move out of the way, obviously.

So I shift to one side. Now there is a wonderfully arched stream flowing from the toilet, like a lovely fountain in a park, right over my head and landing... on the floor. 

Dagnabbit.

I hear someone walking into the bathroom. Her footsteps pause as she nears my stall and sees the puddle of water running out from under the door. How embarrassing! I search frantically for the Japanese character for stop, which Justin had dutifully trained me in memorizing exactly for moments like these. But I can't find it. Because the stop button simply has a little red square on it. Go figure. Finally, after there is a small lake on the bathroom floor and I have a nice wet line running up the back of my clothes, the water stops.

Now there's a significantly sized puddle on the floor. What am I going to do about that? The responsible Lauren says, Clean it up with tissue paper, or find a janitor to help you clean it up. Then, I hear the aforementioned lady next to me flush her toilet, and the signals in my brain are firing only one message at me: Get outta there. Now.

So I quickly dry my neck off and try to race out before this lady sees the foolish Canadian girl who let the bidet flow freely, flooding the bathroom, and thus fulfilling all her stereotypes about careless Westerners.

But then my mom's voice, which is always somewhere is my head, sang sweetly and said, Don't forget to wash your hands :) (because there was a smiley in her voice when she said it in my head).

So I dutifully wash my hands, as quickly as possible. But not quick enough. The lady turns the corner and walks towards the sink. I can't handle it anymore. I fake my way through the hand dryer, book it out of the bathroom, and find my husband who's trying to decided if I'm laughing or crying (it was both) and why my clothes are wet.

I will leave that story there.


3) Japanese Kindness

Last, but most certainly not least.

I have been simply overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity I have experienced since arriving here, especially in this little village of Yasuoka. I'm not saying the entire country of Japan is kind and generous. I did meet one rude person in Tokyo. But my goodness! I cannot even begin to tell you how the kindness of the people of this village have made me feel. From a random guy giving us his phone number and telling us to call him if we need help with anything, to Justin's boss bringing us Nutella (a specialty import item in Japan) and other groceries so we'd have something to eat our first night, everyone has just been so welcoming. A jar of blueberry jam from the town office secretary. Bedding, from the board of education. A branch of a Chinese lantern plant from the lady at the convenience store who didn't even know who we were, but just had it in her hand at the time and decided to give it to me.

There are generous people everywhere. Justin and I have certainly experienced that profoundly in North America as well. However, I suppose a person is just encouraged to go to the other side of the world, and see the same beauty in people there as they have experienced elsewhere.