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“Oh, Tokyo gave me a lot of surprises”
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Surprises was started with few dramas.
A day before I extended my passport I found something surprising. I spent four years studying Product Design and the most important document a.k.a bachelor’s certificate disappeared from my uni-file?’ LOST? How, Azis? HOW? oh, did I mention I lost my certificate of birth, too?
I had no clue where they were. Till I had to tell myself to keep calm because I knew it was strange and kind of non-sense. Perhaps because of that my brain was frozen when I was at the immigration office the day after. An officer was asking me, “you work outside country, where is your leave letter?” And she was asking my letter of employment contract, too? Those were needed to extend a passport? Definitely NO! I looked like a fool when my extension was postponed cause I thought what I should do was standing on her table and screamed like ‘HEY YOU! I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND MY PASSPORT, NOT APPLYING FOR VISA!”
That was drama number one.
Two days later I had to leave my house around 5am and wishing it was early enough to avoid the queue in the immigration office. It wasn’t that bad till realised I was busy counting sheeps in my head. I had to fly to Bali for a family vacation by 12pm and almost 10am they didn’t call my name? I brought the same requirements and clear mind that if I had to face the same officer and she postponed my passport again, believe me I won’t stand on her table alone. I would make her frustrated by watching me dancing like late Michael Jackson.
Five minutes to 10am my name was called and another officer was checking my old passport and offered me e-passport. Trust me, when she was asking when I would fly to Japan, my eyes were looking at the suck officer that made me lost two days. Just ten minutes after her colleague took my picture, I left with a smile on my face.
Drama number two was I arrived at the wrong airport where my mom and sisters were waiting since three hours ago (hell why I dreamt I would fly to Bali from International airport, not domestic!). Running like a headless chicken to meet my family and what happened, DANG! our flight was delayed for two fucking hours! Say what? Holy shit cheap flights!
The day I had to take my new passport, I had another minor drama. Arrived in the morning and found that it wasn’t ready and hey I had to come back on 3pm and a lady said, “tomorrow morning please”? I started panicking. NO FUCKING WAY I had to lose one more day to apply my Japan visa. Fifteen minutes waiting, the same lady said, “yours is ready”.
Yes, I was ready for Japan, honey.
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I was so confident when I applied my Japan visa. Probably because I knew Indonesia has a strong relationship with Japan so it won’t that difficult to get the visa. Since I couldn’t get e-passport because I ran out of time, and I had paid my flight since a month before, it meant that applying visa is a must (Indonesian e-passport is free visa to Japan). And I was impressed by how fast and straight-forward the process getting visa at Consulate-General of Japan. I got my visa just four days before I traveled.
So, on 31st of July, after I packed my things in my small suitcase, with one backpack, I left my house at 5pm. Did I mention that minutes before I said bye to my Dad, I showed him my passport with Japan visa attached on it? Sometimes that small surprise could be so entertaining. If I shouldn’t say that he was a bit shocked.
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First of August, fifty minutes past 8am I landed at Haneda Airport after nine hours flight from Surabaya. Japan welcomed me with cherry-blossoms pattern on the carpet (they brand their country so seriously), cloudy morning, and Japanese kanji everywhere.
First thing first, I put on my pocket wi-fi, went straight to the immigration (and how I loved Japanese immigration with their smiles and hospitality), bought Pasmo card, activated my JRPass, and the journey began.
I still remember how it felt the first time I took a train to Hamamatsucho station. A bit strange yet exciting. Hearing Japanese language was pronounced while making sure I checked my map where I had to change to the next station. I realised when I arrived at Asakusabashi station, I was a solo traveler who traveled to a beautiful country which I knew, it would be a surprising journey.
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“Traveling on summer in Japan, say hi to hi-humid days”
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Checking time in my hostel is start by 3pm. I actually wanted to go straight to what I had in my itinerary, Tokyo Skytree. I’d like to experience my first day to see Tokyo from above. Well, first time landed in Tokyo and still learning the complicated train lines would let you change your destination.
I moved back to Asakusabashi station and went to the hostel to check-in. Then I went straight to the oldest and most significant temple in Tokyo, Sensō-ji. I heard a lot about Sensō-ji before, that giant red lantern, osuisha, and damn cute things flooded along Nakamise Dori.
At Sensō-ji, there was one thing shocked me. When I brought out my mirrorless to capture every details of the temple, DANG! the shutter didn’t work. Yes, it was OMG moment. Had no choice but using the camera on my iPhone was the best I could do. All pictures you will see on my Japan-trip posts all were taken with an iPhone. The best camera is what it is in your hand, right?
This is what I love from traveling. Something can happen. Unexpected. I’m griddy for beautiful pictures if I may say, so when I found I couldn’t even snap one single picture with my mirrorless in Japan, I felt somehowe for a second but couldn’t keep smiling for the rest of that day. It taught me to keep positive and enjoy with what I had. The best part was I enjoyed the moment.
“Live the moment”
“I should spend my Japanese ¥ to experience that jinrikisha, right?”
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Tokyo Tower
“I know I’ve been dreaming standing under The Eiffel Tower in Paris which I believe it will happen very soon”
I could actually see Tokyo Skytree from Sensō-ji but still, I chose to experience Tokyo Tower instead. Google map would tell you ten minutes walk, but ten minutes could be fifteen or twenty if you just arrived at somewhere new.
I arrived around 4pm at Tokyo Tower which looks like Eiffel’s sister (now you know why I chose Tokyo Tower) and spent ¥1600 for a combo ticket. Enjoying Tokyo from 150M and 250M was an experience. I wanted to stay for golden-hour on my first day but left cause I wasn’t sure when I saw the clouds. Couldn’t imagine if I stayed until night, all the city lights would mesmerise me, I believe.
My fav one below is the “Tokyo, from above”. See, iPhone was not bad if you know how to use it, right? :)
Day one taught me how to enjoy each destination and live the moment. Something unexpected can happen but you just need to enjoy every second of it, right? :)
Believe it or not I wanted to cancel my trip just because of two things. First, my two bestfriends, Ruli and Maya were meant to travel with me to Tokyo. We had conversations before I landed in Indonesia but for some reasons they couldn’t go with me. Second, as far as I knew Tokyo is expensive. Japan is expensive. Oh, “should I let the money I paid for full-service flight disappeared and cancelled the trip?” I could even use pocket money for my this trip to build my kitchen, yes?
But there was one thing came out in my mind,
And traveling could be one of that life experience that worth every penny. Traveling will teach you how you should enjoy your life by experiencing the beauty of this earth.
P.S. I didn’t want to post this trip one by one, but a ton of iPhone pictures from Japan will be too crowded on one post. So, more to come! oh my Dad found the two certificates after I came back from Bali trip.
goofydreamer 