Flight to Japan pt. 2

The rest of the 12 hour flight was a nightmare. All I wanted to do was sleep while listening to Massive Attack or Godspeed You! Black Emperor, but Phil would not shut up. He told the man sitting in between us his entire life story and delved into how he had screwed up his life and was thrown into jail--twice. Once for drugs or something of the sort, I don't recall. The other time for stealing a Coach purse in San Francisco and then going up to cashier in Macy's and telling her that he had placed a bomb inside the purse. He never explained his purpose for doing so, but I could only imagine it was for getting money. Phil left me at unease throughout the entire flight. How could I possibly sleep with a lunatic sitting just a couple of feet away from me!?

Whenever a flight stewardess walked by he would tell her she was beautiful and then attempt to talk her ear off. He was so annoying that the woman who served the people on our side of the plane switched to the opposite side. He told us that he had fallen in love with that particular woman from the moment he saw her. I rolled my eyes.

Phil continued to spew out every single thought that popped into his mind for the rest of our flight while managing to "make friends" with nearly any person that listened. When it seemed as though we had finally lost him to someone else, he would rejoin us once again and proceed to blab on, and on, and on, and on, and on... until we finally started to land. Phil pushed up the blind, looked outside and gave a countdown until we touched ground. "Ten! Nine! Eight!..." a young Japanese girl turned around and glared at him, "Seven! Six! Five!" He paused and shouted out to all of the passengers, "Oh look, the trees are all covered with cherry blossoms! We're in Japan!" and then, "Three! Two! One!" 

Finally, it was just moments away until I would never have to hear another peep come out of this man's mouth. I put the books and Ipod that I was unsuccessfully able to use back into my purse and gathered all of my belongings and walked out of the plane. The man who sat in between me and my buddy Phil was waiting at the exit and stopped me and told me to walk with him for a moment.

"Phil was a handful, wasn't he?" he grumbled while grabbing for something in his back pocket. 
I nodded.
"Well, he was right about something. I am an F.B.I. agent and I am following him to Thailand."
I was seriously shocked! He was so coi and played it off so well!

He shook my hand and I wished me good luck, then I turned and walked off to the baggage claim where my journey in Japan would begin.

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I met up with Brad at the Baggage Claim where we loaded our belongings onto a cart and then after some slight confusion (aka, getting lost) made our way through customs. We went through the exit and entered into a sea of Japanese people who were holding up signs with names written on them. Brad and I found out way to a counter where we purchased two tickets from Narita International Airport to YCAT (Yokohama City Air Terminal) where we would meet up with our individual student counselor who were assigned to help us get accustomed in Japan.

I was too excited to sleep during the hour long bus ride to Yokohama from Chiba. Everything was so completely different and I wanted to take in as much as I could. The first thing I noticed about Japan, besides the fact that everyone was speaking a different language, was the humidity. My hair instantly went from straight to curly, and my face and body became moist and sticky. The roads were so much smaller than they were in America, and there were so many buildings! I tried reading as many signs as I could, but only knew about 300 Kanji at the time so gave up.  

Brad was his normal, stuck-up self while he talked about how he looked down upon those he go to study-abroad in Japan and party. He spent the entire ride complaining about how people shouldn't come to Japan and make friends, or go out every weekend; but instead should go there strictly for the education. He told me that while studying there a year prior he locked himself in his room and did nothing but study while everyone else went to social events, and, well, basically had fun.  

As an example of how out of control people are when they studied abroad in Japan, Brad told me an event that occurred. "One time," he began, "a girl got so drunk and knowing that I would be in my room, came to my door and tried to have sex with me."  

I bit my tongue to prevent myself from laughing because, well, I had a hard time believing anything about this story being close to true.  

"But," the better-than-thou, goody-two-shoes continued while giving the air of someone who was above such juvenile acts that had took place, "I'm not like that. She tried making more advances toward me..."  

Once again I bit my tongue.  

"...But I sat her down on my bed; called a taxi and gave her money so she could make it back home safely. People just lose all inhabitation while studying abroad, Ofilia. I certainly hope you and I will be good examples. We're representing America and our school, and our California State University school system which, you know, doesn't have a good reputation."  

"Mmmm hmmmm," was all I could muster up to say--and all that he would allow to say since he would cut me off before I could even state my opinion or say much of anything. For the rest of the trip I listened to him whining and moaning about the same topic. We finally made it to the YCAT around 5:15 PM where our counselors were waiting for us. Mine was there, but his was not. I was so exhausted but happy to finally be away from him and everyone.  

The entire journey to Japan was perhaps they most irritating time of my life. I hate it when people don't know how to shut-up when it's blatantly obvious that nobody wants to listen to their drivel. I couldn't wait until I made it to my room where I could finally be alone.

-Ofilia